Tafsir of Al-Fatihah 1:3

Then, He—Glorified and Exalted is He—after having mentioned the generality of His providence (rububiyyah), declared the greatness of His mercy, saying—Exalted is His Majesty—(The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful). Discussion regarding these two names has already preceded. The majority [of reciters] agree on the genitive case (khafd) for them, while Zayd, Abu al-'Aliyah, Ibn al-Sumayqa', and 'Isa ibn 'Amr read them in the accusative (nasb), and Abu Razin al-'Uqayli, al-Rabi' ibn Khaytham, and Abu 'Imran al-Jawni read them in the nominative (raf').

Some of our masters inferred from their repetition that the Basmalah is not a verse of Al-Fatihah, but this is not a strong argument, for repetition serves a purpose. Mentioning them in the Basmalah is a justification for beginning with His Name—Exalted is His Majesty—while mentioning them here is a justification for His—Exalted be He—deserving of al-hamd (all praise).

Imam al-Razi—may his secret be sanctified—said regarding the wisdom of the repetition: "It is as if it were said to him [the servant]: 'Mention that I am the God and the Lord once, and mention that I am the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful twice, so that you may know that concern for mercy is greater than concern for all other matters.' Then, after He demonstrated the doubled mercy, it is as if He said: 'Do not be deluded by that, for I am the Master of the Day of Recompense.' Its counterpart is the saying of the Almighty: 'The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment' [Quran 40:3]."

This is the end of his statement, yet in the heart there is some reservation regarding it, for the divinity (uluhiyyah) is also repeated, as you can see. In my view, through a Sufi approach, the mention of "The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful" is a detailed explanation of what is summarized in "Lord of the Worlds." This is because providence, under certain considerations, is divided into two parts:

The first is providence without an intermediary, such as the Word [of Allah], for no intermediary is ever conceivable in its case. The second is providence through an intermediary, as in the case of those below the level of the Word. This second category also has two parts: a part mixed with pain, as in the providence of the servant through matters that are painful and burdensome to him; and a part in which there is no such mixture, as in the providence of many who are covered by Divine grace while they are heedless, or those whom felicity has embraced while they remain estranged and averse to it.

Thus, Al-Rahman (The Entirely Merciful) points to providence through intermediaries and otherwise in His creation, while Al-Rahim (The Especially Merciful) points to providence without an intermediary in His words. The mercy of the Rahman may also be mixed with pain, like drinking medicine that is unpleasant in taste and smell; for even though it is mercy for the patient, it contains that which does not suit his nature. The mercy of the Rahim, however, is not mixed with any impurity; it is pure grace, and it is found only with those who possess complete felicity.

O Allah, make us felicitous in both abodes for the sake of the Master of the two heavy entities (jinn and mankind), may the blessings of Allah—the Exalted—be upon him and peace.