Fatwa ID: 07116

Answered by: Muftiyah Aabedah Khatun

Question:

I have a daughter i have named urwah. I thought it could be used as a female name but have been told that it is a male name. I know the word comes in the Qur’an also. I would like to know if keeping her name as urwah is ok? I took it with the meaning “essence of life”. Are there any sahabiya or taabi’a with the name urwah and not arwa? Will this have a negative effect on her in any way?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

After searching the name ‘urwah’, it has a few meanings which are good such as, lion, ever-green tree and handhold.

(Quranic Names)

The name itself can be used for both male and female but it is more prevalent for males. No sahabiyat had this name, but the mother of Uthaman Bin Affan had a similar name which is ‘Arwa’. As the meaning is not a bad meaning it would be okay to keep it, but if you feel as though you want to change the name slightly or completely then it would also be permissible as long as the meaning of the name is good as having a bad meaning to a name can a affect a person growing up. The name Urwa will not have a negative effect on her In’Sha’Allah.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Muftiyah Aabedah Khatun

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham