appropriate names for the Muslim ummah certainly has strong merit. ... In this
book we talk about 30 Quranic words that can be used as names for children.
30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names: For Muslim Boys and Girls Published by QuranClub Islamic Blog at Smashwords Copyright 2011 QuranClub Islamic Blog
Table of Contents Introduction Choosing the Right Name Categories of Names Transliteration Issues Cultural Context & Usage Masculine vs Feminine Arrangement Order of Names 30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names Khayir and Khayirah Saalih and Saalihah Hadi and Hadiyah Hakeem and Hakeemah Nur and Nurah Mariam Shams and Shamsah Ameen and Ameenah Dahab Muhammad and Muhammadah Jameel and Jameelah Muneer and Muneerah Diyaa’ Imran Kawkab and Kawkabah Khaleel and Khaleelah Aamin and Aamina
Amal Baariz and Baarizah Baheej and Baheejah Layyin and Layyinah Marjaan Tariq and Tariqah Ahmad Judy Marwah Naadhir and Naadhirah Safaa Zahrah Zayd Getting Help with Choosing a Name About QuranClub Cover Credits
Introduction Perhaps every Muslim knows at least one family that picks their child's name by opening the Quran and seeing where their finger lands. While that method is not recommended, using the Quran to help find appropriate names for the Muslim ummah certainly has strong merit. The Quran is described as being a mercy for those who believe in God (Quran, 10:57) and a guide for those who are mindful of Him (Quran, 2:2). When a person is named after a word found in the Quran, this creates more opportunities to be reminded of the Holy Book and for its verses to be reflected upon, virtually every time that person is referred to. Additionally, it drives home the idea that believers may turn to the Quran for all of life’s dilemmas they face—even what to name their newborn. In this book we talk about 30 Quranic words that can be used as names for children. The majority of the words have versions for both boys and girls. We haven’t chosen the most mentioned words, nor the names that were most common; rather we have surveyed the Quran and chosen 30 words that were most beautiful and appropriate. Some of the words are popular names, while others haven’t received the attention they deserve.
Choosing the Right Name Naturally there are limitations and rules needed for one's Quran name selection. All words in the Quran are chosen to be there and have a special significance, however, some words aren’t suitable to be used as names due to their meaning, context, or historical background. The Holy Book, intended as a guidance for all people who are mindful of God (Quran, 2:2), for all generations and applicable to numerous situations, speaks about humanity’s mistakes and about suffering and about punishment. Common sense mandates that words typically used to describe such themes are to be avoided. This is because they convey a negative sentiment and elicit unpleasant thoughts every time they are uttered. No one should have to bear the burden of such a name. Other words to avoid when name-searching in the Quran are words that have a strange or impractical meaning, though they are otherwise harmless. An example of this is a simple noun, of which the Quran is full, like ‘pen’ or qalam. Without an incredibly special story elaborating on this odd name choice, it is viewed as being out of place and socially uncooperative in the professional and intellectual settings of most cultures. Let’s not even imagine what children would taunt on the playground to a kid named Pen. Coming from a Western standpoint, there are of course many successful people with unusual, simple noun names and they have made this work for, rather than against them. Still when using the Quran it’s best to utilize only the best selection of words – words that have a beautiful meaning or particular relevance to Islam’s message.
Categories of Names In a sound hadith narrated by Bukhari/Muslim, the Prophet Muhamma (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam),
instructs the ummah to pick beautiful names to be called upon for the Day of Judgment. Beautiful names in the Quran are considered to be the pleasant adjectives, the meaningful participles and nouns, and the proper nouns mentioned within its pages. Adjectives used to describe aspects of Heaven and the nature of God and his rewards are plentiful in the Quran. We will share many of them with the reader in this book. Participles of speech are also mentioned frequently in verses and grammatically are verbs used as adjectives or nouns. Along with nouns, when utilized in a meaningful way in the Quran, participles work fine as names. The last category to choose names from is the easiest category: Proper Nouns. These are words that are already commonly used names of places or people or things such as Maryam (2:87). It is important to note that all the known names of prophets and messengers are mentioned in the Quran and they are perfectly appropriate names for male children. We will list examples from each of the aforementioned categories to demonstrate what constitutes as appropriate name selections from the Quran. The list is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive. We encourage the reader to use the guidelines we have included in this book to find even more suitable names from the words in the Quran.
Transliteration Issues Because we are writers from the West, we have purposely used name spellings that are easiest for a Westerner to recognize and correctly pronounce. Admittedly this method disregards rules of the International Phonetic Alphabet and introduces uncustomary ways to spell certain household names, yet we want to give new life to the names with these alternate spellings and not make it more challenging for Muslim individuals living in the West. The reader is free to spell the name however they want -and it will vary region by region and family by family- as long as they know the proper Arabic pronunciation. Due to the nature of the English language, there is no ‘correct’ way to spell an Arabic name. Regardless of how an Arabic name is spelled in English, most non-Arabic-speakers will have trouble pronouncing it. For this reason for each name we have made up a spelling that seems to us to reflect the name’s pronunciation, and where appropriate we have suggested possible good alternative spellings. But these spellings should not be considered to be the only correct or ‘official’ versions of the names. Feel free to get creative and use spellings that fit your taste; but first make sure that you know the word’s correct Arabic pronunciation so that you do not alter the name’s meaning. Usually as long as the consonants are in the right order, the vowels are yours to play with (thus: ahmad, ahmed, uhmud, ahmadde, and others like them are all correct, but not ahdam or adham).
Cultural Context and Usage The cultural context in which the name is going to be used should also be taken into account. An example of a culturally-problematic Quranic name choice is the word ‘Sakhr’, which Westerners will have
difficulty correctly pronouncing, saying it uncomfortably close to ‘sucker’, which is an offensive word in English. Such possibilities should be taken into account to avoid making the child’s life among his or her peers unnecessarily difficult.
Masculinity vs Feminine Most of the names mentioned in this book are mentioned in the masculine form, and then converted into feminine by the addition of a trailing ‘ah’ to the word. For example, Muneer is a boy’s name, but it can be made into a girl’s name by the addition of an ‘ah’, thus the name Muneerah. Often the Quran only mentions the masculine version of a name or the feminine version, but not both. As we said, some of the masculine ones can be converted into feminine ones by the addition of an ‘ah’ to the end of the word, and the reverse process can be used on feminine words, thus turning them masculine by the removal of the trailing ‘ah’. But note that this process cannot be used on all names, there are many exceptions, and we hope that you will find this book useful for navigating the intricacies of the Arabic language as it applies to Quranic names. For each name we have described in detail the correct usage, the exceptions, and whether the names are mentioned as masculine or feminine in the Quran.
Arrangement Order of Names We have arranged the names by the number of times they are mentioned in the Quran. Due to the nature of the Arabic language, it’s often not easy to determine an exact number of mentions, because often many words are derived from one root (the name Hakeem is derived from the root h-k-m, which also forms other words like haakim, hukm, ahkama, etc). If a word is derived from a root, and the root is used to create other words of similar meaning, we have taken into account all of the root’s mentions in the Quran to determine a ‘number of mentions’ for the name. We mention both the word’s exact number of mentions as well as the total number of mentions of the word and its siblings, and we use the latter count to determine the order of names in this book.
30 Beautiful Quranic Baby Names Khayir and Khayirah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Khere, Khayr, Khaire (one syllable). Girls: Khayrah, Kheirah, Khera, Kheyyirah (two or three syllables, see details, emphasis on Khai). Details: Khair means good, it is the opposite of evil. It is mentioned in verse 2:110 among about 190 other Quranic mentions: And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. Indeed Allah, of what you do, is Seeing. {2:110}
This name has an explicitly mentioned feminine version, Khairah or Khaira. This feminine version of the name is used in description of the Huris of Paradise in verse 70 of Sura Rahman: In those gardens there are [Huris who are] good and beautiful. {55:70}
According to Khalid bin Janabah, a respected early scholar of the Arabic language, this name describes: “a woman who comes from a good and honorable lineage, who has a beautiful face, whose behavior is beautiful, who has a lot of wealth, and who is fertile.” This description clearly reminds one of Khadijah (alaihas salam), the wife of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), and this gives the name an even higher status. Obviously the idea of having wealth and being fertile doesn’t seem to make sense in regards to huris, and for this reason bin Janabah’s description of the name shouldn’t be considered the only valid one, he is telling us what it means when used on earthly women. On a final note, the name Khairah has an alternate spelling and pronunciation in Arabic: Khayyirah which has three syllables instead of two (khay-yi-rah as opposed to khai-rah). Both Khairah (2 syllables) and Khayyirah (three syllables) have the exact same meaning and Quranic status according to Abu Mansur Al-Azhari, the great Arabic language linguist and Islamic scholar of the Abbasid era.
Saalih and Saalihah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Salih, Saaleh, Solley (two syllables, emphasis on Saa). Girls: Salihah, Saaliha, Saleha, Salyha (three syllables, emphasis on Saa). Details: Salih means righteous, virtuous, intact, and good, it is the opposite of corrupt. Verse 7:73 is one of about 136 Quranic mentions. The word and its plural (Saalihaat) are used most frequently in the Quran in the phrase “those who believe do good” (over 60 times), which is a central theme of the Quran and used to communicate the idea that in Islam believing by itself is not enough, it should always be accompanied by doing good deeds if we seek Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)’s pleasure. One such verse is the following:
[Prophet], give those who believe and do good the news that they will have Gardens graced with flowing streams… {2:25}
A few of the Quranic mentions refer to Prophet Saalih (alaihi salaam), who was sent by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to the Thamud civilization, who lived in the 1st millennium BCE: And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Saalih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah ; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. {7:73}
Hadi and Hadiyah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Hady, Hadee, Haadi (two syllables, emphasis on Ha). Girls: Hadeya, Haadiya, Hadia (three syllables, emphasis on Ha). Details: Hadi means guide, and it is one of the 99 Attributes of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Ibn Al-Athir AlJazri, the great Islamic scholar of Saladin’s time, describes the Attribute as describing this aspect of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala): “He is the one who has given His servants the ability to see, and has shown them the way toward knowing Him, until they bore witness that He is their God, and He has guided every creation toward whatever it needs to exist and survive.” The word Hadi itself is mentioned 4 times in the Quran. However, its various variants, such as ‘Hada’ (which means ‘He guided’), and ‘Huda’ (guidance), are mentioned more than 100 times, and for this reason we consider the status of this name very high. Whoever Allah sends astray - there is no guide for him. And He leaves them in their transgression, wandering blindly {7:186} And your Lord is enough for you as a guide and supporter. {25:31}
The female version of this name, Haadiyah, should not be confused with another beautiful and popular girl name, Hidaayah (guidance), which is derived from the same root. Hidaayah is not mentioned in the Quran, but since it is a derivation of ‘Hada’, it can be considered Quranic. Another popular variant is Huda, which has exactly the same meaning as Hidaayah (guidance), and it is mentioned in the Quran about 74 times, and it is only used for girls.
Hakeem and Hakeemah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Hakim, Hukeem (two syllables, emphasis on keem) Girls: Hakeema, Hakymahs (three syllables, emphasis on keem) Details: Hakeem means wise, insightful, and decisive. It is mentioned in verse 44:4 in one of about 97 mentions;
when preceded by definite article ‘Al’ (Al-Hakeem) it becomes one of the 99 Attributes of Allah and cannot be used as a name, however without the ‘Al’, the use of Hakeem as a name is allowed, according to Abu Mansur Al-Azhari, the great Arabic linguist and Islamic scholar that we mentioned earlier in ‘Khair’. On that night it is made distinct, every wise, decisive command [of your Lord]. {44:4} [Prophet], this news that we recite for you are among God’s signs and belong to the Decisive Remembrance [i.e. the Quran]. {3:58}
Nur and Nurah Pronunciation Aide: Boys or girls: Noor, Nour, Nuur (1 syllable) Girls: Noorah, Nura, Nora, Nourah (2 syllables, emphasis on Nu). Details: Nur means light (the opposite of darkness), radiant (something that gives off light on its own, such as a star), light (as in ‘ray of light’), and it is one of the 99 Attributes of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). It is mentioned about 48 times in the Quran. Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see. {2:17} God is the light of the heavens and earth. {24:35}
The name Nur can be used for both boys and girls. It can be attached with the feminization ‘ah’, turning it into Nurah for girls. Another popular variant is Nuraddeen, which means ‘light of the faith’, and it is only used for boys. The name doesn’t have an exact meaning, it suggests that the person named so is a leader among the Muslims, an inspiring and enlightening personality.
Mariam Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Merryum, Maryam, Meriem, Maryamme (three syllables, emphasis on Ma). Details: There is a lot of different opinions on what this name actually means, but the only thing we know for certain is that it is the name of the mother of Prophet Isaa (alaihuma salam). For this reason regardless of the name’s ancient origins, this name today describes the characteristics of Mary, mother of Jesus, such as her devotion to Allah. This name is mentioned about thirty six times in the Quran, and it can only be used for girls. And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. {2:87}
God has also given examples of believers: Pharaoh’s wife, who said, ‘Lord, build me a house near You in the Garden. Save me from Pharaoh and his actions; save me from the evildoers,’ and Mary, daughter of ‘Imran. She guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her from Our spirit. She accepted the truth of her Lord’s words and Scriptures: she was truly devout. {66:11,12}
Shams and Shamsah Pronunciation Aide: Boys or girls: Shems, Shamse (1 syllable). Girls: Shamsah, Shemsa (2 syllables, emphasis on Sham). Details: Shams stands for [The] Sun. It is mentioned about 35 times in the Quran. …Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. {2:258}
Ameen and Ameenah Pronounciation Aide: Boys: Amin, Amyne, Uhmeen (two syllables, emphasis on meen). Girls: Aminah, Amyna, Ameeyna (two syllables, emphasis on meen). Details: Ameen means someone who is trusted, loyal, or has strong Imaan (belief in Allah). Verse 12:54 is one of about 19 mentions. Note that the female version, Ameenah, is not the name of Prophet Muhammad’s mother (salalahu alaihi wa sallam wa alaiha salaam). Her name is Ahmenah (emphasis on Ah), which is mentioned later in this book. And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."{ 12:54} [Gabriel is] extremely obedient, much trusted. {81:21}
Dahab Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Thehab, Dhehab, Zahab, Dahabb (two syllables, emphasis on hab). Details: Dhahab means gold (the precious metal and not the color). It is mentioned about eight times in the Quran. Dishes and goblets of gold will be passed around them with all that their souls desire and their eyes delight in. {43:71}
Al-Azhari in his Tahdeeb Al-Lugha says that dahab is a masculine word and cannot be attached with the feminization ‘ah’ (turning it into dahabah). Words in Arabic are either masculine or feminine, and this affects their grammatical treatment, but not whether they can be used as names for boys or girls. The word dahab is only used for girls.
Muhammad and Muhammadah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Muhammed, Mohamed, Mohamad (three syllables, emphasis on ham). Girls: Mohamada, Muhamada, Mohameda (four syllabes, emphasis on ham). Details: Muhammad means a person in which praiseworthy characteristics are abundant, or a person who deserves constant praise due to their good traits. It is the name of Islam’s Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa sallam). Before Islam, only seven people among the Arabs were known to have this name according to Lisan alArab. After Islam it became one of the world’s most popular names, if not the most popular one. It is mentioned seven times in the Quran. Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful {3:144}
The female version, Muhammadah, while obviously not mentioned in the Quran, has exactly the same meaning as Muhammad, except that it’s exclusively female; it means ‘praiseworthy female’ instead of ‘praiseworthy person’.
Jameel and Jameelah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Jamil, Juhmeel, Jamyle (two syllables, emphasis on meel). Girls: Jamilah, Jameela, Jamyla (two syllables, emphasis on meel). Details: This name means beautiful. While it means both beauty in shape and beauty in behavior, the Quran uses it only to refer to beauty in behavior. It is mentioned six times in the Quran. And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so a beautiful patience is my duty [it can also be translated as ‘and patience is beautiful’]. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe." {12:18} Prophet, say to your wives, ‘If your desire is for the present life and its finery, then come, I will make provision for you and release you in a beautiful way.’ {33:28}
Muneer and Muneerah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Monir, Munir, Muniyr (two syllables, emphasis on neer). Girls: Moneerah, Monyra, Munirah, Muneera (three syllables, emphasis on neer). Details: The name means enlightening, brilliant, full of light. Verse 3:184 is the first of six Quranic mentions: Then if they deny you, [O Muhammad] - so were messengers denied before you, who brought clear proofs and written ordinances and the enlightening Scripture. {3:184} Exalted is He who put constellations in the heavens, a radiant light, and an illuminating moon. {25:61}
Diyaa’ Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Diya, Diaa, Dheya, Dya (two syllables, emphasis on yaa). Details: Diyaa means ‘source of light’, something that shines brilliantly and lightens up the area around it. It is mentioned three times in the Quran: It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases - that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know {10:5}
Imran Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Imraan, Imron, Imrahn, Emran (two syllables, emphasis on ran). Details: Lisan al-Arab doesn’t tell us any specific meaning for this word, starting and concluding with “it’s a name”. It is the name of the father of Maryam, mother of Isaa (Jesus) (alaihum salam). It is mentioned three times in the Quran, and can only be used for boys. When the wife of 'Imran said, "My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing." {3:35}
Kawkab and Kawkabah Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Kokab, Cocab, Kaukabbe (two syllables, emphasis on Kaw).
Girls (again): Cokaba, Cocaba, Kokaba (three syllables, emphasis on Ko). Details: Kawkab means star. According to Al-Azhari some Arabs used Kawkab for all stars, and Kawkabah, the feminized version of the word, for Venus only, but it seems like this wasn’t common practice, and both words were used interchangeably depending on content. In modern Arabic textbooks the word Kawkab is reserved for planets, while the word najm is used for stars. In ancient and Medieval times Arabs didn’t have this distinction, since at that time the nature of astronomical bodies wasn’t clearly known. Therefore when used as a name, Kawkab and Kawkabah should be considered to mean any star, since that’s the way the words are used in Quranic context. The modern meaning of planet is more of a retooling of an old word for new purposes (not a bad thing necessarily). The word Kawkab is mentioned three times in the Quran. Both versions of the word, Kawkab and Kawkabah, are used for girls only, for cultural reasons. Quranic Mention: So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "I like not those that disappear." {6:76}
Khaleel and Khaleelah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Khalil, Kalil, Calyle (two syllables, emphasis on leel). Girls: Khalilah, Calila, Khalyla (three syllables, emphasis on lee). Details: Khaleel means intimate friend, close acquaintance. It is mentioned three times in the Quran. And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend {4:125} [Prophet], the disbelievers tried to tempt you away from what We revealed to you, so that you would invent some other revelation and attribute it to Us, and then they would have taken you as an intimate friend. {17:73}
Another version of the word, Khilaal, which means friendship, is mentioned once in the Quran, and it is more popular for boys: [Prophet], say to those servants of Mine who have believed to keep up the prayer and give, secretly and in public, out of what We have provided them, before a Day comes when there will be no trading or friendship.
Aamin and Aamina
Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Aamen, Aamn (emphasis on Aa). Girls: Ahmena, Ahmina, Ommna, Amna (three syllables, emphasis on Aa). Details: Aaminah means ‘safe one’, someone who is protected from all that causes fear. It is the name of Prophet Muhammad’s mother (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam wa alaiha salaam). Note that the emphasis is on Aa (thus a long Aa and a quick mina), as opposed to the name Ameenah where the emphasis is on mee. The name Aamin (i.e. the masculine version of the name) is mentioned once in the Quran, in 28:57, while Aaminah, the feminine version, is mentioned once also, in 16:112. And they say, "If we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be swept from our land." Have we not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us? But most of them do not know {28:57}
It should be noted that the name Aamin (the masculine version) is not a popular name, though there is no reason for this other than Arab cultural practice. Also note that Aamin is difficult to distinguish from Ameen, both for Arabs and for Westerners, and Arabs will always find it reminiscent of the feminine version (Aaminah). For this reason we don’t recommend using Aamin for boys. These considerations don’t apply to Aaminah, the feminine version, which is a beautiful and appropriate name for girls.
Amal Pronunciation Aide: Emel, Aml, Amel, Emal, Amal, Emell (two syllables, emphasis on Em). Details: Amal means hope, prospect. It is mentioned twice in the Quran. Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope. {18:46}
Baariz and Baarizah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Bahriz, Bahrez, Bariz (two syllables, emphasis on Ba). Girls: Baarizah, Barezah, Bariza, Bariyza (three syllables, emphasis on Ba). Details: Barizah means prominent, manifest. It is mentioned twice in the Quran, once in the masculine form and once in the feminine form. Along with its other variants, such as baraza (which means ‘it became apparent’), it is mentioned about ten times. Quranic Mention: And [warn of] the Day when We will remove the mountains and you will see the earth prominent, and We
will gather them and not leave behind from them anyone. {18:47}
Baheej and Baheejah Pronunciation Aide: Boys or girls: Bahij, Bahige (two syllables, emphasis on heej). Girls: Bahija, Baheyjah (three syllables, emphasis on heej). Details: Baheej means beautiful, convivial. When used in description of plants it means those with a beauty and richness of color. Verse 50:7 is the second of two mentions. And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [a plant] of every beautiful kind {50:7}
Bahjat, a variant of this word, is a popular name for boys, and it has one Quranic mention, in Sura Naml: Who is it who created the heavens and earth? Who sends down water from the sky for you, with which We cause beautiful, delightful gardens to grow: you have no power to make the trees grow in them—is it another god beside God? No! But they are people who take others to be equal with God. {27:60}
Layyin and Layyinah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Layyin, Lahyeen (two syllables, emphass Lay) Girls: Layyinah, Leyina, Layna (three syllables, emphasis on Lay). Details: Layyinah means gentle, soft, and pliable. It is mentioned twice in the Quran, once in the feminine and another in the masculine. The feminine version, Layyinah, is used in referral to young trees (since their stems haven’t hardened yet), while the masculine version is used to describe the manner of speech in which Prophet Moses should speak to the Pharoah: And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]. {20:44}
Another form of the word, ‘alanna’, which means ‘we made [something] soft’, is mentioned in Sura Saba’: And we made iron soft and pliable for him [Prophet Dawood]. {34:10}
This form of the word is a verb and obviously cannot be used as a name. We mentioned it here so that if you use Layyinah or Layyin for your child’s name you know that the Quran mentions another form of it in 34:10.
Marjaan Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Marjaan, Merjan, Marge-Ann, Marjanne (two syllables, emphasis on jan). Details: According to some scholars Marjaan is a ‘small and delicate pearl’, while others say it refers to precious coral, also known as red coral (scientific name: Corallium rubrum), which has an intensely red color and has been used in the making of jewelry for millennia. It is mentioned twice in the Quran. From both of them emerge pearl and coral. {55:22} It is as if they [the huris] are ruby and coral. {55:58}
Tariq and Tariqah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Tahriq, Taareq, Tarick (two syllables, emphasis on Ta). Girls: Tareqah, Taariqah, Tareca (three syllables, emphasis on Ta). Details: This name means shooting star or night visitor. After the discovery of pulsars, which are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit powerful beams of electromagnetic radiation, some modern Muslim scholars say that tariq refers to these stars, and this interpretation fits the Quranic verse perfectly, because in Arabic tariq means ‘thing that knocks’, and pulsars were initially called ‘knocking stars’, stars that make a constant knocking sound when listened to on a radio receiver. Verses 86:1-2 are the only two mentions: Quranic Mention: By the sky and the night comer (or pulsar)- And what do you know of the night comer (or pulsar)? It is a piercing star. {86:1-3}
The feminine version, Taariqah, should not be confused with Tuhreequh (emphasis on ree), which means road or path, also a Quranic name, though due to the fact it is used to refer to different Sufi doctrines (such as the Naqshbandi Tuhreequh), the name has Sufi connotations. For this reason don’t use it if you don’t want people to randomly assume your child comes from a Sufi family (unless of course the child does come from one, in that case the name is a perfect choice). As long as you clearly put the emphasis on Ta in Tariqah (could be made more obvious by using the double ‘a’ spelling: Taariqah), no one should confuse it with the Tuhreequh.
Ahmad Pronunciation Aide:
Boys: Ahmed, Ehmad. two syllables, emphasis on Ah Details: Ahmad is said to have the exact same meaning as Muhammad: A person in which praiseworthy traits are abundant, or one who deserves constant praise due to their good character. It is one of the names of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). It is mentioned once in the Quran. Quranic Mention: And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad {61:6}
There is no feminine version of ‘Ahmad’ because, though this might be getting too technical, grammatically ‘Ahmad’ is a word used for comparison--it means ‘more praiseworthy’ (hada ahmadu min dalik means ‘this is more praiseworthy than that’). Such words cannot be attached with the feminization ‘ah’, they can inherit gender-specificity from the item they are describing, they cannot bestow it upon other words, and for this reason in Arabic it doesn’t make sense to attach an ‘ah’ to Ahmad or words like it.
Judy Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Judi, Joodiyy, Joodi (two syllables, emphasis on Ju). Details: Judy is the name of the place where Prophet Noah (alaihi salam)’s ark rested when the flood ended. Abu Ishaaq Az-Zujaj, the great linguist and grammarian of the Arabic language (died 311 Hijri) says it is a mountain in Amad (modern Diyar Bakr in Turkey), others say it is a mountain in Mosul in Iraq. This name sounds exactly like the popular Western name Judy, which is short for Judith, or someone who comes from Judea. Scholars say that the fact that this name sounds exactly like a Christian/Jewish name doesn’t create a problem as long as it is acknowledged that the name is sourced from the Quran and not from Christian/Jewish culture. This name is mentioned once in the Quran: And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on Judy. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people." {11:44}
Marwah Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Merowa, Marwa (two syllables, emphasis on Mar).
Details: According to Abu Hanifah Marwah means a smooth and hard white rock, the kind that animals use as a salt lick to provide them with nutrients. Others say it means a white rock that’s used for starting fires, which likely means quartz. It is the name of a hill in Mecca, important to Hajj proceedings, one of the two hills in which, as mentioned in the details of Safaa, Hajar searched for water. The name can only be used for girls since the word is a proper noun—removing the ‘ah’ would remove the Quranic significance, in which case it would become Maru, which means ‘white stone used for igniting fires’ according to Lisan al-Arab, which as we said probably refers to quartz. Marwah is mentioned once in the Quran: Indeed, as-safa and al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'umrah - there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing. {2:158}
Naadhir and Naadhirah Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Nadir, Naader, Nahdre (two syllables, emphasis on Na). Girls: Naadira, Nodeera, Nadirah, Nadiyra, Nahdra (three syllables, emphasis on Na). Details: This name describes something that’s beautiful, radiant, and pure. Verse 75:22 is the only mention: Quranic Mention: [Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant {75:22}
This name should not be confused with the popular Arab name Naader (in which the ‘d’ is the Arabic letter dal instead of dhaal), which means ‘rare’, and is not a Quranic name. Obviously most non-Arabs would pronounce both names the same way, but it is good if the person named such knows what the correct pronunciation of their name is. Thus Naadhir, the Quranic name that this entry is about, has the letter ‘dhal’, which is the letter that you read in ‘ghairal maghdhoobi alaihim’ in Surtaul Fatiha.
Safaa Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Suhfah, Sufah, Suhfa, Safae (two syllables, emphasis on Sa). Details: This word means a large, smooth rock, and it is the name of a hill in Mecca, and its relation to Islam is due to the importance of this hill to the Hajj proceedings, which commemorate Hajar when she ran between the two hills searching for water for her son Ismaeel (alaihuma salam). It is mentioned once in the Quran:
Indeed, as-safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes Hajj to the House or performs 'umrah - there is no blame upon him for walking between them. And whoever volunteers good then indeed, Allah is appreciative and Knowing. {2:158}
Zahrah Pronunciation Aide: Girls: Zuhrah, Zahrah, Zehra, Zahruh (two syllables, emphasis on Za). Details: Zahrah means flower. It is mentioned only once in the Quran, within a popular Arabic idiom which literally means ‘flower of the world’. When Arabs say something is a flower of the world, it means it is one of the things that make life enjoyable, for instance, health, wealth, and children can be describes as flowers of the world. For this reason Zahrah can also be considered to mean ‘splendor’ and ‘bounty’, since that is the meaning for which it is used in the Quran: And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring {20:131}
Unlike other names we have mentioned, Zahrah cannot be turned into a name for boys by removing the ‘ah’. Removing the ‘ah’ turns it into Zahr, which means ‘flowers’ (it is the plural for Zahrah). The word Zahr keeps its feminine meaning since it is the plural of a feminine name (even though the ‘ah’ is removed), and for this reason cannot be used for boys. This is issue is different from the feminine/masculine word issue mentioned in the name dahab earlier, but to avoid getting confused, just trust us, you don’t want to use this word for boys.
Zayd Pronunciation Aide: Boys: Zade, Zaid, Zaide (one syllable). Details: Zayd means growth, abundance, one who makes progress. It is the name of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)’s adopted son. It is mentioned once in the Quran. Many of the Prophet’s companions were named Zayd and for this reason it is a popular name among Muslims. When you [Prophet] said to the man who had been favored by God and by you, ‘Keep your wife and be mindful of God,’ you hid in your heart what God would later reveal: you were afraid of people, but it is more fitting that you fear God. When Zayd no longer wanted her, We gave her to you in marriage so that there might be no fault in believers marrying the wives of their adopted sons after they no longer wanted them. God’s command must be carried out. {33:37}
Getting Help with Choosing a Name If you have a question regarding one of the names mentioned in this book, or if you are interested in a Quranic word that’s not described in this book and would like to learn more about it, please feel free to send us your question using the contact form on our website at: http://www.quranclub.net/p/contact.html
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Cover Credits Photo © Charlotte Morrall. Cover design by Ikram Kurdi. Published by QuranClub Islamic Blog
