# Imam Khomeini (r.a.)



## pordiosero

¡Hello!

What does the acronym *(r.a.)* mean, written after the name of Imam Khomeini?


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## normordm

Radiallahu Anhu which is رضي الله عنه in Arabic. It's usually used after the names of prophet Mohammed's companions.


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## Torontal

Yes after the names of the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.), the (r.a.) stands for رضي الله عنها/رضي الله عنه radiallahu anhu/anha = May Allah be pleased with him/her.
I have rarely seen it used with other people (I can only recall a few occassions used after the names of some sufi masters), it is usually reserved for the Companions of the Rasulullah.

After scholars (and i guess you meant people like the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini in the title) the more common is  رحمة الله علیه Ra7matullahi 'aleyh=May Allah's mercy be upon him. This is also the phrase they usually use after Khomeini's name. 

Another shorter version often used after the names of scholars is  رحمه الله Ra7imahullah = Allah be merciful (with him).

But i think for these two latter phrases they rather prefer to use the acronym (r.) in Latin letter texts, to avoid confusion with the (r.a. رضي الله عنه ) used after the names of the sa7aba. In Persian i saw (زه) being used for رحمة الله علیه, i'm not sure about the Arabic practice, how do they shorten it.


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## pordiosero

Torontal said:


> i guess you meant people like the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini in the title


Yes, that is.
So, the meaning is  (رحمة الله علیه)  and non  (رضي الله عنه).


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## Mahaodeh

It's most probably رحمه الله as the acronym has only two letters not three.


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## She'lock Holmes

I think it should mean 'رضي الله عنه' but without full stops, it would be 'رحمه الله'; However, It'd be quite easy to confuse the two with each other.


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## barkoosh

It looks like it stands for رحمه الله, based on this and this.


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## bearded

pordiosero said:


> What means the acronym *(r.a.)* writed after the name of Imam Jomeini


Hi
Allow me to slightly amend your English sentence:
_What does the acronym ''r.a.'' mean, written after the name of Imam Khomeini..._


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## Abbe

I'm quite sure that the shias use radiya Allahu anho for al-Khomeini. 

في الحديث عن الفلسفة السياسية في فكر وتجربة الإمام الخميني ــ رضي الله عنه

???? ?????? ???????

The arabic linked posted by Barkoosh is not clear since it deals with Arabic acronyms (there is a difference between Arabic and English acronyms)
The English link is problematic as well since different acronyms are used by different authors.


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## Semiticist

An Arab once told me that Arabs say رحمه الله, never رحمة الله عليه. I think he was trying to say that the latter is a loan translation from another language and not something an Arab would utter naturally.


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## Torontal

Now after some googling i've also seen Arabic language texts that use رضوان الله عليه (May Allah's statisfaction/?/ be upon him) after Khomeini's name, then it is also an alternative solution for the (r.a.) abbreviation.


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## pordiosero

bearded said:


> Hi
> Allow me to slightly amend your English sentence:
> _What does the acronym ''r.a.'' mean, written after the name of Imam Khomeini..._


Thanks! Corrected. Sorry my English is not very good.


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## pordiosero

(r.a.) is a translation of the Persian original  حضرت امام خمینى(ره)


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## Mahaodeh

That's not quite true. We do say رحمة الله عليه, however, in the above context it's mostly رحمه الله. Even in dialects you can occasionally hear رحمة الله عليه but الله يرحمه is definitely much more common.


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## zj73

Mahaodeh said:


> That's not quite true. We do say رحمة الله عليه, however, in the above context it's mostly رحمه الله. Even in dialects you can occasionally hear رحمة الله عليه but الله يرحمه is definitely much more common.


But الله يرحمه would mean "God has mercy on him", not "May God have mercy on him"

Because you always use the past tense for prayer


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## Abbe

zj73 said:


> But الله يرحمه would mean "God has mercy on him", not "May God have mercy on him"
> 
> Because you always use the past tense for prayer


That's not true. 
When someone sneezes it's sunna to say يرحمك الله


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## rarabara

She'lock Holmes said:


> رضي الله عنه'


from this sentence I understand : "Allah was pleased about him"
there, رضي is ,to be pleased (verb),الله is Allah,عنه is , about him.
I just did not understand the reason why past tense selected (maybe, I am failing something).


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## WadiH

It's just property of Arabic that praying for someone is usually expressed in the "past" (or rather "perfect" tense). It expresses finality, i.e. the action has been completed, which makes it stronger.


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## bearded

Wadi Hanifa said:


> It's just property of Arabic that praying for someone is usually expressed in the "past" (or rather "perfect" tense). It expresses finality, i.e. the action has been completed, which makes it stronger.


 
Also in the very common expression ''inshallah'' (if God wants) - originally إن شاء الله - the word شاء (literally ''wanted'') is in the perfect tense.


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## WadiH

bearded said:


> Also in the very common expression ''inshallah'' (if God wants) - originally إن شاء الله - the word شاء (literally ''wanted'') is in the perfect tense.



Yes but that's somewhat different.  It's a conditional clause and so it takes a perfect verb.


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## bearded

Wadi Hanifa said:


> It's a conditional clause and so it takes a perfect verb.



You are right. Thank you.


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