الله يرحمه
Allāh yirḥamuabout a man, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic people say الله يرحمه (Allāh yirḥamu), "may God have mercy on him", about a man who has died. For a woman it is الله يرحمها (Allāh yirḥamha). It is also called البقاء لله (el-baʾāʾ lillāh).
Meaning: wish for the soul of someone who has died (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| الله يرحمه | Allāh yirḥamu | about a man, Egyptian |
| الله يرحمها | Allāh yirḥamha | about a woman, Egyptian |
| البقاء لله | el-baʾāʾ lillāh | condolence |
Egyptians say it right after mentioning someone who has passed away, in the same way English speakers might add "may he rest in peace". It is spoken, not written on a card.
Which one should you use?
There is no word-for-word match for "rest in peace". The Egyptian wish asks for mercy, and the condolence البقاء لله (el-baʾāʾ lillāh), "permanence belongs to God", is what you say to the family.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending changes with the person: يرحمه (yirḥamu) for him, يرحمها (yirḥamha) for her and يرحمهم (yirḥamhum) for them.
Did you know?
- The usual short reply to البقاء لله (el-baʾāʾ lillāh) is ونعم بالله (wi niʿam billāh).
Examples in context
- جدي كان راجل طيب، الله يرحمه.gaddi kān rāgil ṭayyib, Allāh yirḥamu.My grandfather was a good man, may he rest in peace.
- الله يرحمها، كانت ست محترمة.Allāh yirḥamha, kānit sitt muḥtarama.May she rest in peace, she was a respectable lady.
- البقاء لله، البقاء لله.el-baʾāʾ lillāh, el-baʾāʾ lillāh.My condolences, my condolences.
Example conversation
Mona talks with her neighbor Nadia at a funeral gathering in Cairo.
- Monaالبقاء لله يا نادية.el-baʾāʾ lillāh yā Nadya.My condolences, Nadia.
- Nadiaونعم بالله. شكرا يا منى.wi ni'am billāh. shukran yā Mona.Thank you, Mona.
- Monaالله يرحمه ويصبركم.Allāh yirḥamu wi yiṣabbarkum.May God have mercy on him and give you patience.
