MOHAMMEDAN NAMES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 22 June 1912, Page 9

MOHAMMEDAN NAMES.

Mohammedans have no surnames only patronymics. The most frequent names are those of the prophets and patriarchs, such as Ibrahim (Abraham), Yussuff (Joseph), Izzet (Isaac), Musa (Moses), Aissa or Issa (Jesus), Harun (Aaron), Sohman (Solomon), Ismail (Ish. mael), Mohammed, Hamid, Hamul (tke three names of the prophet on earth, in Heaven, and hell respectively). Next come names of famous ones of Islam, such as Osman, Omar, and Ali. "Third in importance are the tames formed with "Abd" (servant), such as Abd-Al-lah or Abdulliah (servant of God), Abd-el-Kader (servant of the Almighty), Abd-el-Kerim (servant of the All-Gen-erous). Finally, there is the Din (Faith) class, such as Salah-ed-Din, or Saladin (Restorer of Faith), and Meheedin (Successor of Faith). Some names denote qualities, such as Hassan (beautiful), Hakim (powerful), Said (happy), Mustapha (God'a elected;. The patronymic is joined to the same by "ben." Harun ben Yussuff—Aaron Josephson, as one may translate it. Curiously, the father abandons his own patronymic and takes as a surname the name of his son or ( daughter, merely adding to it the word i Abu," which means father. Thus we I have Abu-Taieb (the father of Taleb) or ! Abu-Bekr (the father of the virgin), as Mahomet's father-in-law called himself! after he had married his daughter to the Prophet.