Breakdown of رحمها الله وسامحها.
وwa
and
هاhâ
her / her (object) / it (feminine)
رحمrahima
to have mercy on
اللهallâhu
God
Questions & Answers about رحمها الله وسامحها.
Why does the translation say 'May God...' when the verbs are in the past tense?
In Arabic, the past tense is often used to express a wish, prayer, or curse. This is called the optative use (الدعاء). Even though رحم means 'he had mercy' and سامح means 'he forgave', using them in this specific context turns the meaning into a prayer for the future: 'May He have mercy' and 'May He forgive'.
Why is the word for God (الله) placed between the two verbs instead of at the beginning of the sentence?
Arabic frequently uses a Verb-Subject-Object word order. In the first part of the sentence, the verb is رحم (have mercy) and the subject is الله (God). Because the object is the attached pronoun ها (her), it must attach directly to the end of the verb. This results in a Verb-Object-Subject order: رحمها الله (literally 'had-mercy-on-her God').
Why is the suffix ـها repeated on both verbs?
The suffix ـها is the attached object pronoun meaning 'her'. In Arabic, you must attach the object pronoun to every verb that acts upon it. You cannot just group them together like the English 'have mercy and forgive her'; you have to explicitly say رحمها (have mercy on her) and سامحها (forgive her).
What kind of verb is سامح and why does it have a long 'a' sound?
The verb سامح is a Form III verb, which is characterized by the long 'a' vowel after the first root letter. This form often indicates an interaction with or an action directed at another person. Here, it is built from a root relating to generosity or tolerance, giving us the meaning 'to forgive someone'.