رَؤُفَ بِهِ, (AZ, T, Ṣ, M, O, Ḳ,) aor. ـُ {يَرْأُفُ}; (AZ, T, Ṣ, O;) and رَأَفَ, (AZ, T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) aor. ـَ {يَرْأَفُ}; (AZ, T, Ṣ;) and رَئِفَ; (AZ, Ṣ, M, O, Ḳ;) inf. n. رَأْفَةٌ and رَآفَةٌ (AZ, T, Ṣ, M, O, Ḳ) and رَأَفٌ (AZ, Ṣ, Ḳ) and رَأْفٌ, (O,) the first and second being inf. ns. of رَؤُفَ, [or the first is of رَأَفَ,] and the third being inf. n. of رَئِفَ, (AZ, Ṣ, O,) and the fourth being of رَأَفَ; (O;) said of God, (Ḳ,) and of a man; (AZ, T, Ṣ;) [He pitied, or compassionated, him: or he pitied him, or compassionated him, tenderly; or in the utmost degree; or most tenderly: for] رَأَفْةٌ is syn. with رَحْمَةٌ: (Fr, T, M, Ḳ:*) or it denotes a more special and more tender affection than رَحْمَةٌ; (T;) or the utmost degree thereof; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) or the most tender thereof: (Ḳ:) and رَافَ [in the CK رَأَفَ, as before, and in Freytag's Lex. رَاءَفَ,] and رَاوَفَ signify the same: (Ḳ:) [the right reading here appears to be رَافَ; (for it is said in the Ḳ in art. روف that رَافَ, aor. يَرَافُ, is a dial. var. of رَأَفَ, aor. يَرْأَفُ;) and رَاوَفَ is-doubtful; (for it is not there mentioned;)] or رَافَ, inf. n. رَوْفٌ, signifies سَكَنَ [he, or it, was, or became, still,, &c.]; and رَأَفَ is a dial. var. thereof [signifying thus]; and is not from رَؤُوفٌ syn. with رَحِيمٌ. (M in art. روف.)

رَأْفٌ (M, O, Ḳ) andرَائِفٌ↓ andرَئِفٌ↓ (Ḳ) andرَؤُوفٌ↓ [which is the most common of all] andرَؤُفٌ↓ (T, Ṣ, M, O, Ḳ) are epithets from the verbs above: (T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ:) [the first from رَؤُفَ, like ضَخْمٌ from ضَخُمٌ; the second from رَأَفَ; and the third from رَئِفَ; signifying Exercising, or having, the affection termed رَأْفَة, i. e. pity, or compassion;, &c.; pitying, or compassionating;, &c.; or pitiful, or compassionate;, &c.: the fourth and fifth having an intensive signification; very pitiful or compassionate,, &c.: or] the first and fourth and fifth all signify the same, i. q. رَحيمٌ: (Ḳ:) [andأَرْأَفِىٌّ↓ has a similar (most probably an intensive) signification; as appears from what here follows:] in the saying [of a poet],

* وَكَانَ ذُو العَرْشِ بِنَا أَرَافِى *

[app. meaning And the Lord of the empyrean was, or is, to us, very merciful], by the last word is meant أَرْأَفِيًّا, [أَرْأَفِىٌّ being] like أَحْمَرِىٌّ [and أَرْيَحِىٌّ, q. v.]. (M.)

رَأْفٌ also signifies Wine; (O, Ḳ;) and رَافٌ is a dial. var. thereof. (TA in art. روف.)

رَؤُوفٌ: see رَأْفٌ.

الرَّؤُوفٌ is one of the epithets applied to God; meaning الرَّحِيمٌ [The Merciful: or rather it has an intensive signification, i. e. The Very Merciful]. (T.)