Element in Arabic names denoting place of origin, tribal affiliation, or ancestry
In
Arabic names
, a
nisba
(
Arabic
:
????
nisbah
, "attribution"), also rendered as
nesba
or
nesbat
, is an adjective
surname
indicating the person's place of origin, ancestral tribe, or ancestry, used at the end of the name and occasionally ending in the
suffix
-iyy
for males and
-iyyah
for females.
Nisba
, originally an Arabic word, has been passed to many other languages such as
Turkish
,
Persian
,
Bengali
and
Urdu
.
In Persian, Turkish, and Urdu usage, it is always pronounced and written as
nisbat
. In
Arabic usage
, that pronunciation occurs when the word is uttered in its
construct state
only.
The practice has been adopted in
Iranian names
and South Asian Muslim names. The
nisba
to a tribe, profession or a town is the most common form of
surname
in Arabic.
Original use
[
edit
]
A
nisba
"relation" is a grammatical term referring to the suffixation of masculine -
iyy
, feminine
-iyyah
to a word to make it an adjective. As an example, the word
‘Arabiyy
(
????
) means "Arab, related to Arabic, Arabian".
Nisba
forms are very common in Arabic names.
Use in onomastics
[
edit
]
Traditional Arabic names are
patronymics
(
nasab
), where the full name of the person is followed by the name of his father, usually linked by
ibn
or
bin
('son'). Patronymics may be long as they may include all known forefathers. When a name is simplified to one or two ancestors, it may become confusing to distinguish from other similar names; in such cases, the
nisba
may be added as an additional specifier.
A
nisba
is usually prefixed by the definite article '
al-'
and can take a number of forms:
Places
[
edit
]
- Al-Afghani
, related to or from
Afghanistan
- Al-Albani
, related to or from
Albania
e.g.
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani
.
- Al-Almani
, related to or from
Germany
- Al-Amriki
, related to or from
America
- Al-Andalusi
, related to or from the region of
Al-Andalus
(modern day
Iberia
) e.g.
Said al-Andalusi
, Ab? ?Abdall?h Ya??sh ibn Ibr?h?m ibn Y?suf ibn Sim?k al-Andalus? al-Umaw?
- Al-Armani
, related to or from
Greater Armenia
or Armenians
- al-Astarabadi
? from
Astarabad
(modern Gorgan), Persia
- al-Baghdadi
, related to or from the city of
Baghdad
, e.g.
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi
,
Junayd al-Baghdadi
.
- al-Bakkaniy - from the Royal Town of
Pekan
in the state of
Pahang
in
Malaysia
, Mohammad Faeez Harith al-Bakkaniy
- al-Bangali - from the region of
Bengal
or a
Bengali
descent (mainly from
Bangladesh
)
- al-Bantani - from the province of
Banten
in
Indonesia
e.g. Syeikh Abdur Rauf al-Bantani
- al-Basri - from
Basra
, e.g.
Ibn Sa'd
- al-Britani
, related to or from the
United Kingdom
- al-Busnawi, related to or from
Bosnia
, e.g.
Matrakcı Nasuh
al-Busnawi.
- al-Buthuni - from the island of
Buton
in
Indonesia
e.g. Haji Abdul Ghaniu al-Buthuni
- al-Daylami
- from
Daylam
, northern Iran
- al-Dimashqi
, related to or from the city of
Damascus
e.g.
Al-Dimashqi (geographer)
,
Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi
,
Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn 'Ali al-Dimashqi
.
- al-Falembani - from a capital city in the province of South Sumatera in Indonesia, e.g.
Abdul Samad Al-Falimbani
- al-Fansuri - from the town of Pancur in the
Central Tapanuli Regency
in
North Sumatera Indonesia
e.g. Hamzah al-Fansuri
- al-Farsi, related to or from the region of
Pars (Fars)
or the country of
Persia
; e.g.
Salman al-Farsi
,
Saud Al-Farsi
,
Abdulaziz Mohammed Majid Al-Farsi
- al-Fatani - from the province of
Pattani
in
Thailand
e.g.
Syeikh Daud al-Fatani
- al-Filfulani - from the state of
Penang
in
Malaysia
e.g. Syeikh Zubeir al-Filfulani
- al-Filis??n?, related to or from the region of
Palestine
e.g.
Abu Qatada al-Filistini
.
- al-Ghari - Literally means cave in Arabic. From the district of
Gua Musang
(literally meaning Fox Cave in
Malay
) in the state of
Kelantan
in
Malaysia
, e.g.
Zamihan al-Ghari
- al-Hadrami, related to or from the region of
Hadhramaut
e.g.
Al-Ala al-Hadhrami
,
Ahmed Al-Hadrami
,
Imam al-Hadrami
.
- al-Hamadani
, from
Hamadan
, Persia
- al-Hijazi, related to or from the region of
Hijaz
e.g.
Amal Hijazi
,
Farouk Hijazi
,
Abu'l Abbas al-Hijazi
- al-Himsi, related to or from the city of Homs e.g.
Qustaki al-Himsi
,
Ibn Na'ima al-Himsi
.
- al-Iraqi, related to or from the country of
Iraq
e.g.
Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi
,
Abdul Hadi al Iraqi
,
Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi
- al-Isfahani
? from
Isfahan
, Persia
- al-Jannabi
- from Jannaba port city,
Arrajan
province of Persia
- al-Johori - from the state of
Johor
in
Malaysia
e.g. Ahmad bin Ya'kob al-Johori
- al-Jurjani
? from
Jurjan
- al-Juzjani
? from
Juzjan
- al-Kairouani, related to or from the city of
Kairouan
in
Tunisia
.
- al-Kalantani - from the state of
Kelantan
in
Malaysia
e.g. Syeikh Ismail bin Abdul Majid al-Kalantani, Syeikh Wan Ali bin Abdul Rahman al-Kalantani
- al-Kedahi - from the state of
Kedah
in
Malaysia
e.g. Syeikh Mahmud al-Kedahi
- al-Khwarizmi, related to or from the region of
Khwarazm
, e.g.
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
.
- al-Kuwaiti, related to or from the country of
Kuwait
e.g.
Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti
,
Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti
,
Jandal al-Kuwaiti
.
- al-Lubnani, related to or from the country of
Lebanon
e.g.
Bilal al-Berjawi
al-Lubnani.
- al-Lusunji - from
Losong
, in
Kuala Terengganu
,
Malaysia
, e.g. Afif al-Lusunji
- al-Maghrebi, related to or from the region of
Maghreb
e.g.
Ibn Ya?y? al-Maghrib? al-Samaw?al
,
Mahmud Sulayman al-Maghribi
,
Yusuf al-Maghribi
.
- al-Mankatsi from the city of
Makassar
in
Indonesia
e.g. Syeikh Yusuf Tajul Khalwati bin Abdullah al-Mankatsi
- al-Masri
, related to or from
Egypt
. e.g.
Taher al-Masri
,
Abu Hamza al-Masri
.
- al-Nahawandi
,
al-Nihawandi
- from
Nahavand
, Iran
- al-Najdi, related to or from the region of
Najd
in
Saudi Arabia
e.g. Qutaybah al-Najdi
- al-Nisaburi
,
al-Naysaburi
- from
Nishapur
, Iran
- al-Qazwini
? from
Qazvin
- al-Quhistani
- from
Quhistan
- al-Qumisi
,
al-Kumisi
- from
Qumis
, Iran
- al-Razi
? from
Ray
, Iran
- al-Rumani, from
Rome
- al-Shami, related to or from the region of
Levant
or from the country of
Syria
e.g.
Nasser al-Shami
,
Husayn al-Shami
,
Abu Anas al-Shami
,
Abu Humam al-Shami
.
- al-Shirazi
? from
Shiraz
, Fars, Persia
- al-Sindhi, related to or from the region of
Sindh
e.g.
Mohammad Hayyat al-Sindhi
- al-Sinkili - from the town of
Singkel
in the province of
Aceh
in
Indonesia
Abd al-Rauf ibn Ali al-Fansuri al-Sinkili
- al-Sistani
,
al-Sijistani
,
al-Sajistani
,
al-Sijzi
? from
Sistan
, Persia or
Greater Iran
- al-Tabari
? from
Tabaristan
, Persia
- al-Tantawi - from
Tanta
, Egypt, e.g.
Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi
- al-Tiflisi
, from
Tiflis
(Tbilisi), Georgia
- al-Tihami, related to or from the region of
Tihamah
in
Saudi Arabia
.
- al-Tikriti
, related to or from the city of
Tikrit
, e.g.
Saddam Hussein
Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti,
Abu Raita al-Takriti
,
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti
- al-Tunisi
, related to or from the country of
Tunisia
e.g.
Abu Nasr al-Tunisi
,
Abu Osama al-Tunisi
,
Ali ibn Ziyad at-Tarabulsi al-Tunisi al-'Absi
,
Nabilah al-Tunisi
- al-Turki, related to or from the country of Turkey e.g.
Abu Yusuf Al-Turki
,
Azjur al-Turki
,
Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki
,
Hussain Al-Turki
- al-Tusi
? from
Tus
, Khurasan, Persia
- al-Yemeni, related to or from the country of Yemen e.g.
Abu Bara al Yemeni
,
Haitham al-Yemeni
,
Hussein al-Yemeni
.
- al-Yrifani, related to or from
Yerevan
- al-Zayla'i, related to or from
Zeila region
in
Horn of Africa
e.g.
Al-Zayla?i
- ar-Raniri - from the town of
Rander
, in
Surat
district in the state of
Gujarat
, India. e.g.
Nuruddin ar-Raniri
- as-Sambasi - from the regency of
Sambas
in
Indonesia
e.g. Muhammad Jabir as-Sambasi
- as-Sarawaki - from the state of
Sarawak
in
Malaysia
, e.g. Muhtar Suhaili As-Sarawaki
- as-Sembilani - from the state of
Negeri Sembilan
in
Malaysia
, e.g. Muhammad Musa al-Hafiz as-Sembilani
- as-Subanji - from the city of
Subang Jaya
in the state of
Selangor
in
Malaysia
e.g. Kamarul Afiq as-Subanji
- as-Sumatrani - from the island of
Sumatera
in
Indonesia
e.g.
Syeikh Syamsuddin as-Sumatrani
- as-Sumbawi - from the island of
Sumbawa
in
Indonesia
Syeikh Muhammad Zainuddin as-Sumbawi
- at-Tranjanuwi - from the state of
Terengganu
in
Malaysia
e.g. Iskandar at-Tranjanuwi
- al Bukhari
- from
Bukhara
, Uzbekistan
- al-Darbandi
,
Darbandi
- from
Derbent
, Persia
- El Djezairi, related to or from
Algeria
e.g.
Abdelkader El Djezairi
.
- Faridi, related to or from the region of
Greater Faridpur
in Bangladesh e.g.
Abdul Haque Faridi
- al-Khurasani
? from Khurasan e.g.
Abu Muslim
,
Abdallah ibn Tahir al-Khurasani
- Islamabadi, related to or from the city of
Chittagong
(previously known as Islamabad) e.g.
Maniruzzaman Islamabadi
- Maneri - from
Maner Sharif
, India, e.g.
Makhdoom Yahya Maneri
.
- al-Marwazi
, from
Marw
, Khurasan
- al-Rumi
? from
Rum
(
The Balkans
and
Asia Minor
)
- Siraji, related to or from the district of
Sirajganj
in Bangladesh e.g.
Ismail Hossain Siraji
Tribes, clans or families
[
edit
]
People
[
edit
]
Faith
[
edit
]
Multiples
[
edit
]
One can have more than one
nisba
, one can be related to a city, a clan, a profession and a person at the same time. Examples include:
The
nisba
is optional but is quite widespread.
Examples
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]