SX43%LIVERPOOL.AC.UK@evans.ucar.edu (11/14/90)
//////////////Original message////////////// In article <4915@watson>, watson@spock (Steve Watson) says: >There is a Hebrew word which occurs throughout the Old Testament which >is variously translated as God's `compassion', 'lovingkindness', or 'mercy'. >The root of this word is the word for 'womb'. So a (highly literal) >translation of this might be "God's womb-love for us". Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages, both Semitic I think. I dont know Hebrew but here's some info on the Arabic.. The word for Womb in Arabic is 'Rahm' (the h comes from the back of the throat!). The word for Grace or Mercy, [--perhaps a better word is Providence?] is taken directly from this root: 'Rahmah'. In the Quran, Allah (the Arabic name of God) has many 'names' or 'attributes', characteristics if you like. The main one is Rahmah. The most common saying in a muslim's vocabulary is the short formula : 'Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem' meaning : 'With the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Bestower of Mercy'. [Someone recently pointed out to me the fact that non-muslims tend to view the expression 'In the name of Allah' as some sort of justification of whatever they're doing..this is a fallacy, as the expression actually is a prayer for Blessings to be granted in the work being done; muslims say this before embarking on any activity to ask God to guide them in it, grant success etc.] Raheem is an intensive form of Rahman. Rahman is someone who has Rahmah, and Raheem is someone who grants forth Rahmah; therefor to be Rahman is a pre-requisite for being Raheem. Incidentally, the word 'Nafs' meaning soul or ego in the Qur'an is inherently a feminine word. Even men have a feminine 'Nafs'. There are references in the Qur'an where Allah is referred to as having a Nafs too..as when Jesus makes the statement on the Day of Judgement that : 'You know what is in my [Nafs] whereas I know not what is in your [Nafs]' on being questioned by Allah. [Surah 5 (The Table Spread), verse 119]. Yusuf Ali translates the word Nafs here as heart, meaning the inner- most existence. In Islam however Allah is independent of such things as gender. At the same time as feminine words used as i have outlined above, the main pronouns used in the Quran for God is 'he'. I would not be at all surprised to learn that the Hebrew description of God parallels this almost sound for sound. Regards, Fazal.