Precedence and Postposition in the Pairing of the Divine Name "Al-Ghafūr" with the Most Beautiful Names in the Holy Qur'an

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of precedence and postposition when the divine name "Al-Ghafūr" (the Most Forgiving) is paired with other Beautiful Names in the Holy Qur'an, namely Al-Raḥīm, Al-Ḥalīm, Al-ʿAfūw, Al-ʿAzīz, Al-Shakūr, and Al-Wadūd. Using inductive and descriptive-analytical methods, the research investigates the textual instances and rhetorical significance of these pairings. The findings indicate that "Al-Ghafūr" precedes "Al-Raḥīm" in sixty-four instances, and precedes "Al-Ḥalīm", "Al-Shakūr", and "Al-Wadūd" in various other contexts driven by specific requirements such as the mention of sin, necessity, or repentance. Conversely, it follows "Al-ʿAzīz", "Al-ʿAfūw", and "Al-Ḥalīm", and follows "Al-Raḥīm" in only one instance in Sūrat Saba’, due to specific rhetorical and contextual dimensions. The study concludes that the Qur'anic context serves as the primary key for recognizing the profound wisdom behind the structural ordering of the divine names, and recommends further scholarly investigation into the pairing semantics and sequencing of the Most Beautiful Names.