Author Archives: Ikram Hawramani

Ikram Hawramani

About Ikram Hawramani

The creator of IslamicArtDB.

IslamQA: On responding to criticisms of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad

What do I say to people who claim Muhammad commanded us in the Quran to kill?

I suppose you refer to claims about Islam being a violent religion. It depends on the type of person. There are two kinds of people who might say negative things about Islam or the Prophet PBUH. A small number of them are honest and decent people who really think what they say is true. You can respond to such people by referring them to a good biography of the Prophet Muhammad, such as Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time by Karen Armstrong or In the Footsteps of the Prophet by Tariq Ramadan. Or, even better, you can educate yourself by reading many books so that you can intelligently discuss the issues those people bring up.

The larger group of people who mention negative facts about Islam are those who for whatever reason have a deep dislike and prejudice against Muslims and Islam and who like to mention falsehoods and half-truths in order to propagandize against Islam. It is generally useless to talk to such people. Even if you refute everything they say and defeat them in argument, the next day you will find them repeating the exact same falsehoods again. They cannot be educated or swayed by reasoned argument. It is their hatred that drives them, the criticisms they mention are merely tools they use for propaganda purposes.

The only reason one may respond to anti-Islam propagandists is if there are honest and fair-minded people present who may be swayed by the propaganda. In such a case you should politely point out the falsehoods without expecting to convince the propagandists themselves. The aim of the propagandists is to show Islam and Muslims in a negative light, and if you lose your temper and behave rudely toward them that will only help them prove their point.

When you see someone criticize Islam, your first thought should be to ask yourself whether this person is being honest or whether they are merely expressing hatred and prejudice. If they are honest and decent people, you can talk to them. But most of those who criticize Islam are in the second category and are not worth bothering about, they should be ignored as the Quran recommends in various places:

So turn away from them, and wait. They too are waiting.1

So avoid him who has turned away from Our remembrance, and desires nothing but the present life.2

Be tolerant, and command decency, and turn away from the ignorant.3

It is a sign of the lack of knowledge and immaturity when a Muslim loses his or her temper with someone who criticizes Islam. Leave Islam’s detractors alone and do something productive with your time.

Bahhath (Name)

Bahhath (transliteration: Baḥḥāth, Arabic: بحّاث) is an Arabic name for boys that means “seeker”, “searcher”, “researcher”, from the Arabic word baḥth (“to seek”, “to search”, “to research”).123

There is one Companion of !PM named Bahhath (although some sources mention that his name may have been Baḥḥāt rather than Baḥḥāth):

  • Bahhath bin Thaalabah بحَّاث بن ثعلبة

Below is the name Bahhath written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Bahhath written in Arabic kufi script:

Baghum (Name)

Baghum (transliteration: Baghūm, Arabic: بغوم) is an Arabic name for girls that means “a female gazelle who makes a soft, gentle cry to her young one”.1 By extension it means “a woman who has a soft, gentle, feminine voice”, “a woman who sings to her child in such a voice”.23

There is one female Companion of !PM named Baghum:

  • al-Baghum bint al-Muaddal البغوم بنت المعدل

Below is the name Baghum written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Baghum written in Arabic kufi script:

Badra (Name)

Badra (transliteration: Badra, Arabic: بدرة) is an ancient Arabian name for boys that means “quick”, “sharp” (when describing someone’s eyes).1 It also refers to a leather bag in which water or coins is kept,2, and because of this it developed the meaning of “(a bag containing) ten thousand dirhams”.3

There is one Companion of !PM named Badra:

  • Badra Abu Malik بدرة أبو مالك

Below is the name Badra written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Badra written in Arabic kufi script:

Badr (Name)

Badr (transliteration: Badr, Arabic: بدر) is an Arabic name for boys that means “full moon”.12 Badr is the name of a famous well between the cities of Mecca and Medina near which the Battle of Badr was fought (on the 17th of Ramadan of the second year of the hijra, equivalent to the 13th of March, 624 CE).3 The literal meaning of Badr is “speediness”, “alacrity”, “lack of delay”.4

The word Badr is used in the Quran once, in verse 3:123:

God had given you victory at Badr, when you were weak. So fear God, that you may be thankful.

There are five Companions of !PM named Badr:

  • Badr bin Abdullah al-Muzani بدر بن عبد الله المزني
  • Badr bin Abdullah al-Khatmi بدر بن عبد الله الخطمي
  • Badr bin Abdullah بدر بن عبد الله
  • Badr Abu Abdullah بدر أبو عبد الله
  • Badr bin Aamir al-Hudhali بدر بن عامر الهذلي

Below is the name Badr written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Badr written in Arabic kufi script:

Badiya (Name)

Badiya (transliteration: Bādiya, Arabic: بادية) is an Arabic name for girls that means “desert” as opposed to ḥiḍāra (“inhabited area”). In Arabian culture it has a similar meaning to “the country” in England, it refers to the places outside the towns where the nomadic people live.12 The name has a positive connotation, since it refers to the place where pure and unadulterated Arabian culture and language are supposed to be found. It is the place where !PM grew up in his early childhood.  Its literal meaning is “apparent”, “evident”, “manifest”.3

There is one female Companion of !PM named Badiya:

  • Badiyah bint Ghailan بادية بنت غيلان

Below is the name Badiya written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Badiya written in Arabic kufi script:

Budail (Name)

Budail (transliteration: Budayl, Arabic: بديل) is an Arabic name for boys that means “substitute”, “replacement”, something or someone that stands in the stead of another.123 Budail also means “honorable”, “respected”.4 Figuratively, the name can mean “a child whose birth is consolation for a loss”.

  • Budail bin Warqaa’ bin Abd al-Uzzaa بُديل بن ورقاء بن عبد العزّى
  • Budail ibn Abi Maryam بديل ابن ابي مريم
  • Budail (last name unknown) بُديل غير منسوب
  • Budail bin Salamah bin Umm Asram بديل بن سلمة بن أم أصرم
  • Budail bin Amr al-Khatmi al-Ansari بديل بن عمرو الخطمي الأنصاري
  • Budail bin Abd Manaf bin Salamah بديل بن عبد مناف بن سلمة
  • Budail bin Kulthum bin Salim al-Khuza`i بديل بن كلثوم بن سالم الخزاعي

Below is the name Budail written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Budail written in Arabic kufi script:

Baddah (Name)

Bab (transliteration: Baddāḥ, Arabic: بدّاح) is an ancient Arabian name for boys that means “hurler”, “thrower”.12

There is one Companion of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Baddah:

  • al-Baddah bin Adee al-Ansari البداح بن عدي الأنصاري

Below is the name Baddah written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Baddah written in Arabic kufi script:

Badam (Name)

Badam (transliteration: Bādām, Persian: بادام) is an ancient Persian name for boys that means “almond”.1 it can be used to refer to both the seed and the tree.2

There is one Companion of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Badam:

  • Badam (freed slave of the Prophet) بادام مولى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

Below is the name Badam written in Persian nastaliq script:

Bab (Name)

Bab (transliteration: Bāb, Arabic: باب) is an ancient Arabian name for boys that means “door”, “gate”, “gateway”.12

There are two Companions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Bab:

  • Bab ibn Dhi al-Jarrah باب ابن ذي الجرة
  • Bab bin Umair باب بن عمير

Below is the name Bab written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Bab written in Arabic kufi script:

Azza (Name)

Azza (transliteration: ʿAzza, Arabic: عزة) is an Arabic name for girls that means “young female gazelle”.123 The gazelle is admired in Arabian culture for its agility and the beauty of its eyes.

There are four female Companions of !PM named Azza:

  • Azza al-Ashja`iyyah عزة الأشجعية
  • Azza bint al-Harith عزة بنت الحارث
  • Azza bint Khabi lعزة بنت خابل
  • Azza bint Abu Sufyan عزة بنت أبي سفيان

Below is the name Azza written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azza written in Arabic kufi script:

Azraq (Name)

Azraq (transliteration: Azraq, Arabic: أزرق) is an Arabic name for boys that means “blue” (the color).1 It means “pure” when used to describe water.2 Azraq is also used with the meaning of “hawk”, “falcon” and “leopard”.34

There is one Companion of !PM named Azraq:

  • al-Azraq bin Uqbah الأزرق بن عقبة

Below is the name Azraq written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azraq written in Arabic kufi script:

Azhar (Name)

Azhar (transliteration: Azhar, Arabic: أزهر) (not to be confused with Azhaar) is an Arabic name for boys and girls that means “beautiful”, “bright”, “shining” (especially when describing a person’s face).12 It also means “the moon”.34 It also means “radiant” (anything that radiates light).56 It also means “a pure and radiant white color”.7

Azhar appears to have been a boy name in ancient times. Today it is also used for girls, especially in Southeast Asia.

Al-Azhar is the name of a famous Islamic teaching institution in Cairo, Egypt. There are nine Companions of !PM named Azhar:

  • Azhar bin Humaidhah أزهر بن حميضة
  • Azhar bin Subhan أزهر بن سبحان
  • Azhar bin Abd Awf أزهر بن عبد عوف
  • Azhar bin Qais أزهر بن قيس
  • Azhar bin Marwan أزهر بن مروان
  • Azhar bin Mukammal bin Awf bin Abd أزهر بن مكمل بن عوف بن عبد
  • Azhar bin Minqar أزهر بن منقر
  • Azhar (freed slave of Suhail bin Amr) أزهر مولى سهيل بن عمرو
  • Azhar bin Yazeed al-Muradi al-Homsi أزهر بن يزيد المرادي الحمصي

Below is the name Azhar written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azhar written in Arabic kufi script:

Azhaar (Name)

Azhaar (transliteration: Azhār, Arabic: أزهار) (not to be confused with Azhar) is an Arabic name for girls that means “flowers”. It is the plural of zahr (“flower”).123 It also means “gleam”, “luster”, “shine”.4

Below is the name Azhaar written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azhaar written in Arabic kufi script:

Azbat (Name)

Azbat or Adbat (transliteration: Aḍbaṭ, Arabic: أضبط) is an Arabic name for boys that means “lion”.1 It also means “ambidextrous”, a person who works with both hands (as opposed to a right-handed or left-handed person).23 It also means “one who has a firm hold (on something)”.45 In modern Arabic it is used with the meaning of “free from flaw”, “well-regulated”, as when describing someone’s handwriting.6

  • al-Azbat bin Yahya الأضبط بن يحيى
  • al-Azbat al-Sulami الأضبط السلمي

Below is the name Azbat written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azbat written in Arabic kufi script

Azba (Name)

Azba (transliteration: ʿAdhba, Arabic: عذبة) is an Arabic name for girls that means “pure and wholesome” (when describing water), “charming”, “agreeable”, “sweet”, “delightful”.12 Azba may also refer to a type of tree that is poisonous to camels and a type of medicine.3

There is one Sahabiyyah (female Companion of !PM) named Azba:

  • Azba bint Saad عذبة بنت سعد

Below is the name Azba written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Azba written in Arabic kufi script:

Azadmard (Name)

Azadmard (transliteration: Āzādmard, Persian: آزادمرد) is an ancient Persian name for boys that means “free man”. It is made up of the Persian words āzād (“free”)12 and mard (“man”)34.

Azadmard may also be spelled as Azaadmard and Azad Mard.

The is one Companion of !PM named Azadmard:

  • Azadmard bin Hurmuz al-Farsi أزادمرد بن هرمز الفارسي

Below is the name Azadmard written in Persian nastaliq script:

Ayub (Name)

Ayub (transliteration: Ayyūb, Arabic: أيّوب) is an Arabic name for boys that means “one who returns often”, meaning one who returns often to God, one who repents often and continually returns to being obedient toward God after sins.1 Ayub is the name of one of the Prophets of God mentioned in four places in the Quran, who is also mentioned in the Christian Bible (known as Job in English). Prophet Job is known for his patience in the face of great adversity both in Islamic and Christian cultures.

Ayub is also spelled Ayyub, Ayoob, Aiyub and Ayoub. In Turkish the name is spelled Eyüp.

We have inspired you, as We had inspired Noah and the prophets after him. And We inspired Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and Jesus, and Job, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon. And We gave David the Psalms.2

And We gave him Isaac and Jacob—each of them We guided. And We guided Noah previously; and from his descendants David, and Solomon, and Job, and Joseph, and Moses, and Aaron. Thus We reward the righteous.

83. And Job, when he cried out to his Lord: “Great harm has afflicted me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” 84. So We answered him, lifted his suffering, and restored his family to him, and their like with them—a mercy from Us, and a reminder for the worshipers.3

And mention Our servant Job, when he called out to his Lord, “Satan has afflicted me with hardship and pain.”4

There are four Companions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH named Ayub:

  • Ayub bin Basheer أيوب بن بشير
  • Ayub bin Utbah أيوب بن عتبة
  • Ayub bin Mukriz أيوب بن مكرز
  • Ayub bin al-Najjar أيوب بن النجار

Below is the name Ayub written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Ayub written in Arabic kufi script:

Ayash (Name)

Ayash (transliteration: ʿAyyāsh, Arabic: عيّاش) is an Arabic name for boys that means “one who lives well”, “one who has a good state of living”, “one who has a good life”.12 It also means “one who makes bread”, i.e. “baker”.34

Ayash is also spelled Ayyash, Ayaash, Aiyash and Ayyaash.

There are two Companions of !PM named Ayash:

  • Ayyash bin Abi Rabee`ah عياش بن أبي ربيعة
  • Ayyash bin Alqamah bin Abdullah عياش بن علقمة بن عبد الله

Below is the name Ayash written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Ayash written in Arabic kufi script:

Ayaz (Name)

Ayaz (transliteration: ʿAyyādh, Arabic: عياذ) is an Arabic name for boys that means “seeker of refuge”, “seeker of protection”, figuratively meaning “one who often seeks safety in God and asks for His protection”.12 It is from the same root as the name Muʿādh/Muaz.

There is one Companion of !PM named Ayaz:

  • Ayaz bin Amr عياذ بن عمرو

Below is the name Ayaz written in Arabic naskh script:

Below is the name Ayaz written in Arabic kufi script:

Page 54 of 73
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73