Summary of Sunni concepts
The name of God is the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful and the difference between them
The attribute of mercy is established for God Almighty in the Qur’an and Sunnah
It is a perfect attribute befitting the essence of God Almighty, like all other attributes
God Almighty has been described as the Most Merciful in the Holy Qur’an
About forty-five times
Other than what was mentioned in the basmalah at the beginning of every surah
From that is the saying of God Almighty
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
And the Almighty said
And your God is one God
There is no god but He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
God Almighty is also described as Most Merciful in the Holy Qur’an
About one hundred and thirty-two times
Other than what was mentioned in the basmalah at the beginning of every surah
This includes the words of God Almighty
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
And the Almighty said
Tell My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful
Scholars have differentiated between the two names
The Most Gracious and the Most Merciful
With the following differences
Firstly
That the Most Gracious
He is the One who has comprehensive mercy for all creatures in this world
And for believers in the afterlife in addition to that
Among the Most Merciful
It concerns believers only
As God Almighty said
He was merciful to the believers
Where it indicates the introduction of the neighbor and the adjective
With believers
Specialized and merciful to them
And limit it to them
The meaning
He was merciful to believers and not to others
Secondly
The Most Gracious indicates the intrinsic mercy that exists in the essence of God Almighty
While the merciful
It indicates God's actual mercy regarding the deceased
Third
It is not permissible for anyone to be called or described as the Most Merciful
It is a name specific to God Almighty
While it is permissible to describe any of creation as merciful
Summary of Sunni concepts