Ibn Mandah (395 H.) said in his book At-Tawheed:
Among the names of Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, are Al-Rahman (The Most Gracious) and Al-Rahim (The Most Merciful). The scholars of interpretation (Ahl al-Ta’wil) said: ‘They are two tender names, one of which is more tender than the other.’ His name Al-Rahman encompasses all meanings of mercy, including kindness, compassion, tenderness, gentleness, and affection.
Abdullah ibn Abbas said regarding the words of the Mighty and Majestic: {Do you know of any similarity to Him?} [Maryam: 65], ‘No one is named Al-Rahman other than Him.’
And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, said: “I am Al-Rahman (The Most Gracious). I created the womb (Al-Rahim) and derived its name from My Name.”‘
This narration indicates that all of Allah’s actions, Mighty and Majestic is He, are derived from His names—unlike His creation.
For instance, His names like Al-Raziq (The Provider), Al-Khaliq (The Creator), Al-Ba’ith (The Resurrector), and Al-Wahhab (The Bestower) precede His actions.
This means that He creates, provides, resurrects, bestows, gives life, and causes death [because these are His inherent attributes]. Conversely, the names of created beings are derived only after they perform their actions.”
188 – Abdullah ibn Ja’far al-Baghdadi informed us in Egypt, saying: Yahya ibn Ayyub al-Misri narrated to us, saying: Sa’id ibn Abi Maryam narrated to us, [saying]: Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Hazim narrated to us, [saying]: My father narrated to us, who heard Ubaydullah ibn Miqsam narrating from Ibn Umar, who said: “I saw the Prophet ﷺ upon the pulpit saying:
‘The Compeller (Al-Jabbar) will take His heavens and His earth in His hand, and then He will say: “I am the Most Gracious (Al-Rahman). I am the King (Al-Malik). Where are the tyrants (jabbarūn)? Where are the arrogant?”‘”
189 – Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan informed us, saying: Qatan ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, saying: Hafs ibn Abdullah narrated to us, saying: Ibrahim ibn Tahman narrated to us, from Al-Ala ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the servant says: ‘The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful’ (Al-Rahman al-Rahim), Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, says: ‘My servant has praised Me.'”