Asma (Name)

Asma could refer to two different names, as covered below:

Asma (1)

Asma (transliteration: Asmāʾ, Arabic: أسماء) is an Arabic name for girls (also used for boys in ancient Arabia) that is a variant of the name Wasma according to the grammarian Sibawayh (760 – 796 CE), which means “beautiful”, “charming”, “lovely”.¹² The word Asma is also the plural of the word ism, which means “name”.³

Asma is also spelled Asmaa and Asmaa’. Asma was the name of the daughter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (closest Companion of the Prophet Muhammad ), famous for bringing food to the two of them during the Prophet’s migration to Medina.

Asma is used 5 times in the Quran with the meaning of “names” (rather than “beautiful”), as in  verse 7:180:

To God belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call Him by them, and disregard those who blaspheme His names. They will be repaid for what they used to do.

There are 19 Companions of the Prophet Muhammad named Asma (11 female, 5 male):

• Asma bin Yab أسماء بن ياب
• Asma bin Harithah أسماء بن حارثة
• Asma bin Kharijah أسماء بن خارجة
• Asma bin Khalid bin Awf أسماء بن خالد بن عوف
• Asma bin Malik al-Ka`bi أسماء بن مالك الكعبي
• Asma bint Ibn al-Ash`ariyyah أسماء بنت ابن الأشعرية
• Asma bint Abi Bakr أسماء بنت أبي بكر
• Asma bint al-Harith أسماء بنت الحارث
• Asma bint Zayd bin al-Khattab أسماء بنت زيد بن الخطاب
• Asma bint Salamah أسماء بنت سلمة
• Asma bint Shakal أسماء بنت شكل
• Asma bint al-Salt أسماء بنت الصلت
• Asma bint Amr أسماء بنت عمرو
• Asma bint Umais أسماء بنت عميس
• Asma bint Mukharribah أسماء بنت مخربة
• Asma bint Murshidah أسماء بنت مرشدة
• Asma bint al-Nu`man اسماء بنت النعمان
• Asma bint Yazeed bin al-Sakan أسماء بنت يزيد بن السكن
• Asma bint Yazeed al-Ashhaliyyah أسماء بنت يزيد الأشهلية

Below is the name Asma written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Asma written in Arabic kufi script:

Asma (2)

Asma (transliteration: Aṣmaʿ, Arabic: أصمع) is an ancient Arabian name for boys that “fine”, “brave”, “courageous”.⁴⁵. Asma also means means “one who has small ears”,⁶⁷ but according to al-Fayyumi when used as a name the meaning is “fine/brave”.⁸ Asma also means “sharp sword”.⁹ It is also the name of an Arabian tribe.¹⁰

Asma is also spelled as Asma’. There is one Companion of the Prophet Muhammad named Asma:

• Asma` bin Mudhhir bin Riyah al-Bahili أصمع بن مُظهر بن رياح الباهلي

Below is the name Asma written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Asma written in Arabic kufi script:

1. Lisaan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur (d. 1311 CE), entry for وسم .
2. Al-Muhkam wal Muheet al-Aadham by Ibn Seedah al-Mursi (d. 1066 CE), entry for وسم.
3. Mukhtaar al-Sihaah by al-Razi (d. 1266 CE), entry for سما.
4. Al-Misbaah al-Muneer by al-Fayyumi (d. 1368 CE), entry for صمع.
5. Al-Mufradaat fi Ghareeb al-Qur’aan by al-Raaghib al-Asfahaani (d. c. 1109 CE), entry for صمع.
6. Al-Maghrib fi Tarteeb al-Ma`rib by al-Mutarrizi (d. 1213 CE), entry for صمع.
7. Mukhtaar al-Sihaah by al-Razi (d. 1266 CE), entry for صمع.
8. Al-Misbaah al-Muneer by al-Fayyumi (d. 1368 CE), entry for صمع.
9. Lisaan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur (d. 1311 CE), entry for صمع.
10. Ibid.