Quranic root
رأف
r · ʾ · f
The root centers on tenderness, mercy, and compassionate feeling.
Its central expression is the quality of tender compassion, رأفة, together with the intensive compassionate epithet رَؤُوف and the corresponding verb.
- Maqāyīs · row 1936
- Mufradāt · row 519
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 13
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
رَؤُوف
raʾūf
- Part of speech
- Adjective · intensive epithet
- Quran occurrences
- 11 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Very compassionate; tenderly merciful.
Used adjectivally and substantivally as an intensive epithet for God and human beings.
- Lane · entry 21983
- Lane · entry 21984
- Lane · entry 21987
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:128word 13
“(he is) kind”
Quran 59:10word 22
“(are) Full of Kindness”
Quran 2:143word 44
“Full of Kindness”
رَأْفَة
raʾfah
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Tender compassion or mercy.
Names the quality of tender pity or compassion; it can carry the nuance of a particularly tender or extreme degree of mercy. The Quran uses it in the construction رأفة في دين الله as well as in a general context of compassion.
- Lane · entry 21983
- Mufradāt · row 519
Selected Quran examples
Quran 24:2word 12
“pity for them”
Quran 57:27word 17
“compassion”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:143لَرَءُوفٌۭFull of Kindness
- 2:207رَءُوفٌۢ(is) full of Kindness
- 3:30رَءُوفٌۢ(is) Most Kind
- 9:117رَءُوفٌۭ(is) Most Kind
- 9:128رَءُوفٌۭ(he is) kind
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 3 Classical meanings
رَؤُفَ بِهِ
To pity or compassionate someone, especially tenderly.
A Form I verb used of God or a human being.
- Lane · entry 21983
رَأَفَ
In a dialectal usage, to be or become still, quiet, or at rest.
A dialectal branch distinguished from the compassion sense and associated with رَافَ.
- Lane · entry 21983
رَأْفٌ
Wine.
A rare Classical noun usage; رَافٌ is given as a dialectal variant.
- Lane · entry 21984
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic form رَؤُوف is tagged both as an adjective and as a noun in QAC; it is presented here under one normalized adjective/epithet headword to cover both adjectival and substantival use.