ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ٢٢
Then he frowned and scowled;
عَبَّاس
Abbas: meaning of the name
Boy Arabic origin ʿAbbās
Family of the Prophet ﷺCompanion“The stern-looking lion”, from ʿabasa, “to frown”
Abbas in Islam
Al-ʿAbbas ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib, the Prophet’s uncle ﷺ, stood by him at al-ʿAqaba and later became a respected Companion; his descendants founded the Abbasid dynasty. During a drought, ʿUmar prayed for rain through al-ʿAbbas’s supplication (al-Bukhari 1010). His son ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas was one of the great scholars of the Quran.
Meaning of the name Abbas
ʿAbbas is an intensive form of the root ʿ-b-s, “to frown, to look stern” (Quran 80:1). Lexicographers explain it as the fearsome lion before which other lions step aside. The name therefore stands for a strength that awes the opponent, not for a bad temper.
- In Arabic
- عَبَّاس عباس
- Transliteration
- ʿAbbās
- Root
- ع ب س · 3 occurrences in the Quran
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Arabic
Is Abbas in the Quran?
The name Abbas does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ع ب س) occurs 3 times. Examples:
إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا ١٠
Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful."
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ١
He [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ) ] frowned and turned away
All the words of the root ع ب س in the Quran (3 occurrences)
In the hadiths
Authentic
Sahih al-Bukhari 1010
Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless…
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا نَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّنَا فَتَسْقِينَا وَإِنَّا نَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ بِعَمِّ نَبِيِّنَا فَاسْقِنَا. قَالَ فَيُسْقَوْنَ.
Is this name permissible?
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Abbas in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
Writing Abbas in each language
- French
- Abbas, Abbes
- English
- Abbas
- Spanish
- Abbás, Abbas
- Turkish
- Abbas
- Arabic
- عَبَّاس