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 lifes dilemmas they faceeven 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 havent 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 havent 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 arent 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 humanitys 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. Lets 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 its
best to utilize only the best selection of words words that have a beautiful meaning or particular
relevance to Islams 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 names
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 words correct
Arabic pronunciation so that you do not alter the names 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 childs 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 boys name, but it can be
made into a girls 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, its 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 roots mentions in the Quran to determine a number of mentions for the
name. We mention both the words 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 doesnt seem to make sense in
regards to huris, and for this reason bin Janabahs description of the name shouldnt 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 taala)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 taala) 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 taala). Ibn Al-Athir AlJazri, the great Islamic scholar of Saladins time, describes the Attribute as describing this aspect of Allah
(subhanahu wa taala): 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 Gods 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 taala). 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 doesnt 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 names 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: Pharaohs 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
Lords 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 Muhammads
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 Islams 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 worlds 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 its 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 doesnt tell us any specific meaning for this word, starting and concluding with its 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 wasnt 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 didnt
have this distinction, since at that time the nature of astronomical bodies wasnt clearly known. Therefore
when used as a name, Kawkab and Kawkabah should be considered to mean any star, since thats 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
Muhammads 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 dont recommend using Aamin for boys. These considerations
dont 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 themis 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 havent 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 childs 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 dont use it if you
dont 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 doesnt 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
doesnt 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 thats 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 nounremoving 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 thats 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 dont 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 Prophets
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. Gods 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 thats 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

About QuranClub
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generation through intelligent ideas and analysis. Visit us at QuranClub.net.

Cover Credits
Photo Charlotte Morrall. Cover design by Ikram Kurdi.
Published by QuranClub Islamic Blog