1 رَؤُفَ بِهِ  , (AZ, T, S, M, O, K,) aor. رَاُ^َ ; (AZ, T, S, O;) and رَأَفَ, (AZ, T, S, M, K,) aor. رَاَ^َ ; (AZ, T, S;) and رَئِفَ; (AZ, S, M, O, K;) inf. n. رَأْفَةٌ and رَآفَةٌ (AZ, T, S, M, O, K) and رَأَفٌ (AZ, S, K) 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, S, O,) and the fourth being of رَأَفَ; (O;) said of God, (K,) and of a man; (AZ, T, S;) [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, K: *) or it denotes a more special and more tender affection than رَحْمَةٌ; (T;) or the utmost degree thereof; (S, K;) or the most tender thereof: (K:) and رَافَ [in the CK رَأَفَ, as before, and in Freytag's Lex. رَاءَفَ,] and رَاوَفَ signify the same: (K:) [the right reading here appears to be رَافَ; (for it is said in the K 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, K) and ↓ رَائِفٌ and ↓ رَئِفٌ (K) and ↓ رَؤُوفٌ [which is the most common of all] and ↓ رَؤُفٌ (T, S, M, O, K) are epithets from the verbs above: (T, S, M, K:) [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: (K:) [and ↓ أَرْأَفِىٌّ has a similar (most probably an intensive) signification; as appears from what here follows:] in the saying [of a poet], “ وَ كَانَ 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.) -A2- رَأْفٌ also signifies Wine; (O, K;) and رَافٌ is a dial. var. thereof. (TA in art. روف.) رَؤُفٌ  : see the next preceding paragraph. رَئِفٌ  : see the next preceding paragraph. رَؤُوفٌ  : see رَأْفٌ. ― -b2- 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.) رَائِفٌ  : see رَأْفٌ. أَرْأَفِىٌّ  : see رَأْفٌ. [This art. is wanting in the copies of the Land TA to which I have had access.] Credit: Lane Lexicon