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A Dictionary of Muslim Names (English and Arabic Edition)

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"A Dictionary of Muslim Names" by Prof. S. A. Rahman, (2001, 2002, 2003), 158 pgs, English-Arabic, paperback. This book's title pretty well says it all: this book's chapter titles are: (1) Male names; (2) Female names; (3) Names of Historical Importance: The Companions ( Sahaba); The Female Companions (Sahabiyat); The Successors to the Companions (Tabiun); Commentators on the Quran (Mufassirun); Scholars of Hadith (Muhaddisun); and Muslim Jurists (Fuqaha). The format for all the chapters is: English-translated name (i.e. Mabruk), the Arabic-character name as written in Arabic script, and the name's meaning: `prosperous one'. There are about 1,800 male names; 900 female names; & 160 historical "important" names [Bilal ibn Ribah; Jamila bint Saad; Abu Ishaq; Noorul Haque]. As the author noted: "Mostly single-word names have been listed...however, compound names can be made... but we should be careful in making composites of this kind, for, while Khalilullah or Khalilur Rahman, meaning `the friend of Allah' are grammatically correct and appropriate in meaning, combinations such as Akhlaqur Rahman or Akhlaqullah, i.e. Allah's morals, may be unacceptable." The author commented: "a good number of non-Arabic names have also been included, because of their present popularity with Muslims..... Though Arabic-Persian-Islamic names are generally favoured by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians, there is an increasing trend among educated Indians, irrespective of their religious affinities, to choose mellifluous Arabic names, which have good meanings." I neither saw Bill nor William, nor a boy named Sue (my apologies to Johnny Cash).