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}
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 bydoing 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}
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’stime,describes the Attribute as describing this aspect of Allah (subhanahu wata’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}
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 you 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}
Source: QuranClub Islamic Blog