the well-known hadith recorded in the Sunan collections:

“Allah says: ‘I am al-Rahmān (the Most Merciful). I created kinship (al-rahim) and derived its name from My name. Whoever maintains its ties, I shall maintain ties with him; whoever severs them, I shall cut him off completely.’”

Since the word for kinship is derived from the name al-Rahmān, this name cannot be a proper name devoid of meaning. An authentic hadith also reports that he said:

“Kinship is a branch from al-Rahmān.”

If this is what He, glorified is He, says concerning those who deny al-Rahmān, what, then, of those who deny all the meanings of His names and attributes? The indignation of this heretic and his like at His having attributes is an ignorant pride worse than that of those concerning whom Allah said:

“When those who disbelieved filled their hearts with pride—the pride of ignorance—Allah sent down His tranquillity upon His Messenger and upon the believers.”
Al-Fath 26

For it is established in an authentic hadith that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concluded a peace agreement with the polytheists in the year of al-Hudaybiyya, he instructed ‘Alī to write at the beginning of the treaty: “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, who was then a polytheist, said: “We do not know al-Rahmān. Rather, write as you used to write: ‘In Your name, O Allah.’” He therefore instructed ‘Alī, who wrote: “In Your name, O Allah.” Then he said: “Write: ‘This is the agreement concluded by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.’” They said: “If we knew