Allah's Mercy

Difference between Allah's name ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem

Both these names are from the word rahma or رحم: the difference between الرَّحْمـَنِ and الرَّحِيمِ is;

رحم is a form of mercy, r-h-m, al-rahm is a mothers womb. Allah made the name of the womb from the word rahm, mercy, because a woman has mercy towards her child. Prophet said: the one that has the most to do with your creation after Allah is that woman that carries you in her womb. Rahma means mercy but when explaining Rahman and Raheem the use is of a different type of mercy. These are both extreme types of mercy. Rahman is mercy towards everybody and everything, it's extremely merciful to the entire creation. Raheem is specifically for the believers. Hence, "The Gracious, Most Merciful" translation of ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem are innacurate. There is ikhtilaaf between whether this mercy is for dunya or the aakhirah.