The Third Aspect:
That the worlds (al-‘alamin) are the Jinn and mankind, exclusively.
18 - My father narrated to us, [from] Abu Ghassan Malik ibn Isma‘il, [from] Qays, from ‘Ata’ ibn al-Sa’ib, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbas, regarding His saying "Lord of the Worlds," he said: "The Jinn and mankind." It was also narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib with a chain of transmission that cannot be relied upon, and the same was narrated from Mujahid.
[His saying "The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful" (al-Rahman al-Rahim)]
[The First Aspect]
19 - Abu Sa‘id al-Ashaj narrated to us, [from] Zayd ibn al-Hubab, from ‘Anbasah, the judge of al-Rayy, from Mutarrif, from Sa‘d ibn Ishaq, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Allah says: 'I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant. So when he says: "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds," He says: "My servant has praised Me." And when he says: "The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful," He says: "My servant has lauded Me."'
The Second Aspect:
20 - My father narrated to us, [from] Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arzami, [from] his father, from Juwaybir, from al-Dahhak, regarding His saying: "The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful," he said: "The Entirely Merciful (al-Rahman) to all His creation, and the Especially Merciful (al-Rahim) to the believers specifically."
The Third Aspect:
21 - I was told by Kathir ibn Shihab, from al-Hakam ibn Hisham, [who said] Khalid ibn Safwan al-Tamimi narrated to me, regarding His saying: "The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful," he said: "They are two manifestations of tenderness, one of which is more tender than the other."
The Fourth Aspect:
22 - Abu Sa‘id ibn Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan informed us, [from] Zayd ibn al-Hubab, [who said] Abu al-Ashhab narrated to me, from al-Hasan, who said: "The Entirely Merciful (al-Rahman) is a name that people are unable to claim for themselves."
(1) Ibn Kathir said: Strange from this aspect 1/25. (2) In the original: yantahilu (claim/assume), and the correction is from Ibn Kathir 1/37.