The Complete Book of Muslim & Parsi Names

by Maneka Gandhi

Book Overview

Muhammad, meaning one who is praised, is the most commonly given name in the world. According to a Hadis, Prophet Muhammad is supposed to have said, Whoever is named after me with the hope of being blessed, he will be blessed and will be in peace till the Day of Qayamat.According to the Mishkatu 1 Masabih, on the subject of names, the Prophet is supposed to have said, The best name in the sight of God are Abdullah (the servant of Allah), Abdur Rahman (servant of the merciful one.) The vilest name you can give a human being is Malikul-Amlak or king of kings because no one can be such but God Himself.Call your children after your prophet but the names God likes best are, Abdullah (servant of Allah), Abdur Rahman (servant of the merciful one) and the next best are Haris (husbandman) and Hammam (high-minded). The worst of names is Harb (enmity) or Murah (bitterness).On the day of Qayamat you will be called by your names and the names of your fathers. Therefore keep good names.Shuraih ibn Hani relates that his father came to the Prophet with his tribe and the Prophet heard them calling him Abul Hakam. When the Prophet said, Why do you call him so? Hakam, Ruler, is an attribute of God. And the prophet ordered him to call himself Abu Shuraih, the father of Shuraih, his eldest son.What is the ritual that accompanies the birth of a Muslim child? According to tradition, the child is bathed and bound in swaddling clothes. He is carried by the midwife to a waiting assembly of male relatives and friends. There the chief Maulawi or an Alim or respected elder recites the Azan (summons to prayer) in the infants right ear, and the Iqamah (which is the Azan with the addition of the words We are stan

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143031848
• ISBN13: 9780143031840
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Penguin Books India
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 5.5" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Having a baby? You NEED this book!

For Muslims, if your first language isn't Arabic, it is often difficult selecting an appropiate baby name with a good and sound meaning. So many people just go for a name even when they are unsure of the accurate meaning because they like the sound, or choose a name that is the flavor of the season in their home countries, or resort to very standard names. Searching on the internet for a baby name is risky because a lot of websites contain incorrect or incomplete meanings for Muslim names. There are a few other Muslim baby name books besides this one, but The Complete Book of Muslim and Parsi names is the most extensive and the meanings given are 100% accurate. Muslim names generally come from Arabic, Persian, and Turkish and this book contains a vast selection of names from all three languages (though far less Turkish) including language of origin, meaning, and relevent famous historical figure with the name. If you own this book you are guaranteed that you can select a name and know the sound meaning. The book uses a simple transliteration system to ensure correct pronunciation from Farsi and Arabic. Unfortunately, neither Arabic nor Nastaliq scripts are used as a supplement, but if you understand the book's transliteration system you can easily figure out the spelling in Arabic/Farsi. Another minor problem with the book is that the "ta marboota" in Arabic feminine names is sometimes written as T and sometimes as H. In Arabic it is silent, but Urdu speakers pronounce the T (like saying Amanah in Arabic as Amanat in Urdu). If the authors revise this book they should choose one system to follow and not jump back and forth between H and T. Technically you could pronounce it either way depending on whether you want to use Arabic or Urdu pronunciation for your baby's name, so it is not that big of a deal. Perhaps the authors could just add that information into the introduction, for that is the book's only flaw. Anyway, it is a GREAT book. It also contains names from Zoroastrian mythology, but if Muslims are concerned about that, it is easy to tell which names those are so there is no chance of choosing a Parsi mythological name for your baby. If you are an Arabic, Farsi, or Urdu language student, this book is great for you just from a linguistic stand point. It is just an all around useful and enriching book for your shelf.

The definitive guide

For readers interested in etymology and the derivation of words, this is an excellent source. Names have been listed here based on lexical origins first and only then for their religious connotations. It makes for rich reading and I highly recommend it.

"THE BEST" Muslim Names book

The book starts with a neat introduction beginning with the name of Muhammad meaning "one who is praised". Muhammad is the most common Muslim name. Prophet Muhammad is supposed to have said "Whoever is named after me with the hope of being blessed, he will be blessed and will be in peace till the Day of Qayamat". Then other names like Abdu'llah (the servant of Allah), Adhu'r Rahman (servant of the merciful one) are explained. The introduction closes with thanking those helped the authors in providing research material and guidance.Phonetic Guide is followed by Introduction. This page explains how to spell, for example A is spelled as in mud, K as in king, Q as in stuck, U as in put,etc.Origin of names are explained the next topic - Abbreviations. This page has the origin of names like A for Arabic, Hb for Hebrew and P for Persian.Then the names and meanings are listed alphabetically. However you will not find names staring with "O". For names with O you will have to see "U". Each name has its source and almost all the meanings. An interested and speciality of this book is that the Actual Meaning, the Construed Meaning and those connected to History or Mythology are indicated. This makes the book different from others. The book ends with Bibliography.Male and Female names are neither indicated nor separated, causing little inconvenience to the readers. For all names beginning with "O" you must see under "U". This is another inconvenience.Finally I am sure to say, "The Complete Book of Muslim & Parsi Names by Maneka Gandhi & Ozair Husain" is THE BEST Muslim names book.

One of best books I have ever read on Book of Names!!!

Anyone who is looking for meaningful names for their new born should take a look at this book. These names are meaningful rather than being only good sounding.