Page 149 - Pure Life 08

167 / ( An Explanatory Model of Word Selection in the Translation of the Holy Quran

Analyzing the Translation of the Chapter
Al-Fātiha (The Opening)
1. In the name of Allah, the All-merciful, the Gracious
The verse has two basic parts:
Bi-smi-llāh (preposition + noun + noun; Bi- is a

preposition meaning by, with, etc.; Ism – meaning
name; Allah – meaning God in Islam) and Raḥmānir-
raḥīm (two adjectives widly used as two qualities of
God, both mean merciful but in different ways.)
The word Rahman, as it is popularly recognized
among some commentators, refers to the General
Mercy of Allah which is bestowed upon all
creatures_ among them are the believers and the
disbelievers, good-doers and evildoers. So, the
preferred equivalent for Rahman could be 'the All-
merciful' and the word Rahim referring to that
Specific Mercy which is endowed upon the
believing, obedient servants alone.
Christian Trinitarian formula is "In the name of
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." So the
phrase 'In the name' is the exact equivalent for
1
bism- i in Arabic.
The word Allah mainly used by Muslims to refer
to God in Islam, and it’s the most complete and
comprehensive name among the God's many
names. This is because each of Allah's names,
which are found in the Holy Qur'an, truly reflects
one particular aspect of Allah's Attributes.

1. See: http://www.al-islam.org.