Question

I want to know if ZARRAR name is forbidden to keep or not. I saw this youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-r1Y-M5q5s) where this brother is showing us a fatwa (written in urdu) where it says that zarrar name should not be used. Though I tried to find the source of this fatwa but couldn’t find toll now. Also, in many other videos, people are saying we can keep it as it was the name of a Sahaba or muslim brave warrior.

Please guide me correctly.

Answer

There are a few different names which sound similar but are spelt differently in Arabic and have entirely different meanings. The first is ضِرار, spelt with a ض with a kasra under it. This was the name of the brave companion of the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyiduna Dirar ibn al-Azwar, and because of its association with a sahabi it is a blessed name, and therefore would be recommended to give a child this name.

The second name, which the brother in the YouTube video you referenced is talking about is ضَرّار, also starting with a ض but with a fatha on it, and additionally with a shadda on the first ر. This name has the meaning of “inflictor of serious harm,” and it would be highly unsuitable to give any child this name.

A third name is زَرّار, spelt with a ز that has a fatha on it and also with a shadda on the first ر.  This word, according to the dictionary al-mu’jam al-ghani and al-mu’jam al-ra’id, means “intelligent, light,” which is the same meaning as the word زَرِیر. As per this meaning, it would be permissible to keep this name. Its English spelling would be “Zarraar” as opposed to the second name mentioned above, which would be spelt “Darraar” or “Dharraar.” However, it may not be the best name to keep as a lot of people will pronounce it incorrectly changing its meaning.

Answered by:
Apa Myra Hamid

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel