Can I Name My Baby Girl Inara Mayameen or Inara Al Mayameen?
Answered by Shaykh Farid Dingle
Question: Assalamu alaykum
Can I name my baby girl Inara Mayameen or Inara Al Mayameen?
Answer: Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
It is recommended to name one’s children beautiful names, and particularly recommended to name them after righteous predecessors such as the Prophetic Companions or others. Names like Maryam, Asiya are names of righteous women in the Quran; names like Zaynab, Asma, Fatima, Umm Kulthum are names of female Prophetic Companions. Any other beautiful name in any language, as long as it isn’t too religiously pretentious, will also do.
As far as I know, inara means lighting, as in lighting up a house, and mayameen means blessed ones. It would kind of mean that your daughter is the enlightenment of those who are blessed, but it would sound a little awkward in Arabic. Maybe a name like Muneera (she who gives light) or Maymoona (she who is good/blessed, and also one on the Prophet’s wives (Allah bless him and grant him peace)) might be more simple.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Farid Dingle
Shaykh Farid Dingle grew up in a convert family in Herefordshire, UK. In 2007, he moved to Jordan to pursue traditional studies. Shaykh Farid continues to live in Amman, Jordan with his wife and kids. In addition to continuing his studies he teaches Arabic and several of the Islamic sciences.
Shaykh Farid began his journey in sacred knowledge with intensives in the UK and Jordan (2004) in Shafi’i fiqh and Arabic. After years of studying Arabic grammar, Shafi’i fiqh, hadith, legal methodology (usul al-fiqh) and tafsir, Sh. Farid began specializing in Arabic language and literature. Sh. Farid studied Pre-Islamic poetry, Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, and Andalusian literature. He holds a BA in Arabic Language and Literature and continues exploring the language of the Islamic tradition.
In addition to his interest in the Arabic language Shaykh Farid actively researches matters related to jurisprudence (fiqh) which he studied with Shaykh Hamza Karamali, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, and continues with Shaykh Amjad Rasheed.
