Names, against a background
Syed Badrul Haque flips through an interesting work
28 September 2007, 18:00 PM
A Dictionary of Muslim Names
Salahuddin Ahmed
Hurst & Co., London
In the present-day world there is a deep interest in the study of Muslim names due to the resurgence of Islam throughout the world. A special characteristic of the Muslim community is that its members share similar names, whether they live in Bangladesh or in the Middle East. Muslims have a preference for names associated with one of the ninety-nine names of Allah. Both 'Muhammad' and 'Ahmed' are also familiar Muslim names. A Muslim is pleased to find his or her name, or a derivative of it, mentioned in the Qur'an or that it bears the name of a well-known Sahabi of the Prophet of Islam.
This book has the hallmark of an authority on Muslim names. Expressing an opinion on this book, the well-known German scholar Murad Wilfried Hofmann said: "The Bangladeshi author, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn...will probably remain better known for his Dictionary of Muslim Names..." As an acclaimed authority on Muslim names, the author is a contributor and consultant to the Muslim Names Section of the Dictionary of American Family Names published by Oxford University Press, New York.
The book contains the names of ordinary Muslims, male and female, and also the names of illustrious Muslim men and women who left their marks on the pages of history. The predominant language used in Muslim names is Arabic, followed by Persian (Farsi). Both languages are major repositories of Islamic culture and heritage. Due to the patronage of the Moghul emperors of the Persian (Farsi) language, one can find popular Farsi names borne by the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh.
The book is primarily divided into two main chapters, 'Male Names' and 'Female Names', arranging them in English alphabetical order. Each name has been spelt in its original language using the Arabic script or Farsi. The correct pronunciation of names is indicated through their formal transliteration. Whenever a name or its derivative is in the Qur'an, a relevant ayat has been quoted in Arabic text with English translation, citing the relevant sura and ayat. The brief meaning of each name, its bearing on Islamic heritage and, where relevant, annotations have been provided. The book is meant for Muslims in general and for non-Muslim scholars interested in studying Islamic names. In this book one can find a good number of names of eminent Muslims with historical annotations.
This book will satisfy the pressing demand for an authoritative book on Muslim names sought eagerly by Muslim parents and guardians, who face the daunting task of avoiding the corrupt phonetic impression on names with no real meaning or bearing on Islamic culture and heritage. The book has been reviewed in the Times Higher Education Supplement, published from London in its Reference Books section and also in the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy published from the United States. The book is available from the Paragon Publishers, Dhaka.
Syed Badrul Haque is former Public Relations Officer to the President of Bangladesh.
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