In the Muslim world it is very important to give a child not only a sonorous, but also a good name. After all, the Koran says that “on the day of the Resurrection from the dead, people will be called by their names and their fathers.” It is especially important to give a righteous name to a boy. These girls are mostly named sonorously, using the names of colors or qualities that should emphasize female beauty. Therefore, names are chosen for them in local dialects. A man must immediately show his virtues as a Muslim - an obedient person to God. Therefore, boys are given names in Arabic. It has the Koran written on it. Arabic is as important to Muslims as Latin was to medieval Europe. Now many people are converting to Islam. For neophytes or newborns from Muslim families, it is very important to choose good Arabic male names. This article is designed to make your choice easier.
Shiites and Sunnis
These two currents in Islam consider each other unrighteous, usurped spiritual power and distorted the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, it is important to understand to which religious school the name belongs. Sunnis do not call boys Kazims, Nakis orJavats, since famous Shiite imams bore these Arabic male names. The list of the other current excludes Omars, Abu Bakrovs and Osmans. These names were worn by the Sunni caliphs. But in general, mutual exceptions are few and far between. As in the Christian world, in Islam it is believed that the child will be protected by a guardian angel bearing the same name as the baby. Therefore, children are named after the righteous, imams, pious caliphs. The nicknames of some Companions also become names. So, Zinnurein is translated as “the ruler of two rays”, and Al-Farukh is “separating error from truth.”
Naming rules
Unlike Christianity, Muslim names often mention one of the hundred names of God. However, in order not to blaspheme, the prefix "Abd" - "slave" is placed in front of him. As an example, one can cite the very common Arabic male names Abdurrahim, Abdullah, and so on. But to entrust the child to the cares of angels (Ahmad, Ibrahim) or prophets (Mohammed, Isa) is possible without this prefix. Islam does not welcome reprimanding a person with a double name. However, in today's world, such cases are becoming more common. Parents want to give their baby under the protection of several angels at once or reflect some qualities. So, along with Arabic names, Turkic, Iranian, Persian and others are used. There are also borrowings, albeit rare, from Indian, Barbary and even Greek.
Names for a lifetime
In Christianitya person is named once and for all. The Arabic system is more complex. The newborn is given "alam" - his first name. “Nasab” is immediately added to it. This is a patronymic. An echo of the caste system gave rise to "lakab". This name was given depending on the social status of the person being called. Sometimes it was a title, and sometimes it was a nickname that distinguished a person from others. Then "nisba" was added to the chain of names. She indicated the region of origin of a person. If a man had some unusual profession or was a creative person, his pseudonym or the name of the “workshop” was added to the chain. Thus, one man could accumulate from four to eight names over a long life. But in modern conditions, a person is addressed simply, using only "alam".
Arabic names and surnames for men
Family names are very hard to figure out. Surnames are the same names, only belonging to the ancestors of a person. To some extent, the Arab system can be compared with the Russian one. Let's take a simple example: Ivan Petrovich Fedorov. Everything is clear here. The man himself is called Ivan, his father's name was Peter, and his distant, distant ancestor was Fyodor. But a Muslim can give his patronymic, the name of his grandfather, great-grandfather or the same distant ancestor as a surname. Moreover, different family members can single out some ancestor they like. Therefore, siblings may have different surnames. As a result, confusion arises. The most common surnames are Abbas, Assad, Azar, Habibi and Hussein.
Modern Arabic male names
The globalization of today's world has added to the list of possible "alams" for boys. In today's world - and especially in Europe - many Muslim families give their sons names borrowed from other cultures. But, once again, the meaning of "alama" for a Muslim is very important. Nice sounding and especially fashion should fade into the background. Male names of Arabic origin are still common. But at the same time, those that have Turkic or Iranian roots are also popular. Arabic names are now often pronounced differently than in the old days. Some have gone out of business altogether. So-called common names became popular. For example, Arthur. This name of a European king from a medieval epic for Muslims means "strong." Great alam for a boy.
Popular male names now
The general trend is that many modern parents choose a sonorous, memorable and easy-to-pronounce “alam” for their son. This is done due to the fact that Muslims often coexist with representatives of other cultures. But it is not necessary for the sake of fashion to name the child not according to the rules of Sharia. There are also very beautiful Arabic male names. These include Aziz, which means "strength." If a child was born weak, you can call him Haman or Nazif so that he grows up he althy. Kamal means "perfection" and Nabih means "nobility". Zafir corresponds to the Latin name Victor - the winner. Alams are popular: Amir (ruler), Giyas (successful), Damir (intelligent), Ildar (powerful), Ilyas (savior), Iskhan(kind), Najib (noble), Farukh (happy), Khairat (rich). There are also poetic names. For example, Tariq means "morning star", Azgar - light, bright.
Holy Names
There is nothing better than to give your son under the protection of Allah himself. With the prefix "abd" (slave), of course. And the list is not limited to the name of Abdullah alone. The Almighty has many names that can be used to criticize a son. These are Abduzzakhir (slave of the Visible), Abdulavval (First), Abdulaziz (Powerful), Abdulalim (All-Knowing), Abdurahim (Merciful). Pious Arabic male names may also refer to angels and prophets. Yusuf, Ibrahim, Ilyas serve as an example. Pious qualities can also serve as a prototype for a name. Here we can mention Abid (worshiper), Amar (God-fearing), Hajjaj (going on a pilgrimage).
Prohibitions on names
Sharia puts forward certain requirements for naming boys. In particular, one should not give names with an unfavorable meaning. So, the list does not include “war” (Kharb), “dog” (Kalb) and the like. Arabic male names are modest. You should not call your son Khayyam, which means "passionate in love", Yasar (lightness). As for the common prefix "abd", Sharia requires that it be applied only to Allah and his many attributes. A Muslim cannot be a slave of the Prophet (Abdannabi), the Messenger (Abdarrasul) and the like. Unlike Christianity, Islam does not practice the transfer of malenames to women, and vice versa. Sexual segregation is preserved in the naming of a person. Boys should not be called by the names "tenderness", "lightness" and the like. Despots, tyrants and enemies of Islam also cross their names off the elective list for Muslim boys. They include Abu Jahl, Firaun and others.
