Hiba: Meaningful Islamic Baby Names

The word هِبَة (Hiba) in Arabic simply means a gift or blessing, but it is not just any gift. It is a gift that is given unconditionally without anything expected in return.

Allah says in Surah Al Furqan (25) verse 74:

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

And those who say: ‘Oh our Lord bless us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous. [25:74]

Everything that we have is a gift from Allah. In this verse Allah teaches us to ask him to ‘gift us ‘(هَبْ لَنَا) a good spouse and offspring. These are two of the greatest gifts that He has blessed his slaves with, A pious spouse and righteous children.

This word is used again in a similar context by the prophet Zakariyyah, when he asked Allah to ‘gift him’ a son:

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ

And Here Zakariyyah called his Lord, “My Lord gift me from you a pure offspring. Indeed, you are the heather of all prayers. [3:38]

The name هِبَة (Hiba) is a beautiful name given to a daughter which represents how she is a gift from Allah. Daughters are precious and hold a special place in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught us:

‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ ثَلاَثُ بَنَاتٍ، يُؤْوِيهِنَّ، وَيَكْفِيهِنَّ، وَيَرْحَمُهُنَّ، فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ الْبَتَّةَ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْقَوْمِ‏:‏ وَثِنْتَيْنِ، يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ وَثِنْتَيْنِ‏

The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ) said, “Anyone who has three daughters and provides for them, clothes them and shows mercy to them will definitely enter the Garden.” A man from the people said, “And two daughters, Messenger of Allah?” He said, “And two.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]

Another word linked to the word هِبَة (Hiba) is the name – الْوَهَّابِ (Alwahab) which means ‘the One who gifts or grants or bestows often’. This is one of the beautiful names of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) as He is the one who grants gifts to whomever He wills of his servants unconditionally and He is the Most Generous.

As is the case with the names of Allah, a beautiful name that can be given to boys is عَبْدُ الْوَهَّاب (Abdul-Wahaab), the Slave of Al-Wahaab. This name links the son to Allah’s generosity and grace and should instill a sense of gratitude in the child carrying this name and everyone he meets.

Other variations of this name for girls include: وَهِيبَة (Waheebah) and مَوْهُوبَة (Mawhubah) , both of which share the meaning of being a gift given without any expectation or hidden motive.

Variations of this name for boys include: وَهْب (Wahb) , وَهِيب (Waheeb) and مَوْهُوب (Mawhub) , all of which also share the meaning of being a gift, but are male versions of the name.

Consider the name Hiba or one of its variations when naming your next child inshaAllah. If you know anyone with a name mentioned in the article, then please share it with them as I am sure they would love to learn more about the beauty of their name.

9 Comments

  1. Hiba

    the most beautiful name cz its my name reading this made me so happy

    Reply
    • konichiwa

      same!

      Reply
    • Naheed

      ماشاءاللہ

      Reply
  2. hiba

    such a beautiful story

    Reply
  3. Luluk Khoironi Maknun

    Is the hiba suitable for boys?

    Reply
    • Arabic Unlocked

      “Hiba” is a name for females. The male version with the same meaning as “Hiba” include: Wahaab, Wahb, Waheeb, Mawhub.

      Reply
    • Rofiat Abdus-Salaam

      This is educative.

      Reply
  4. hiba

    mashallah

    Reply
  5. Hiba daha

    I love my name so much. Masallah❤️

    Reply

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