إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٨
Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful."
بَرَّة
Girl Arabic origin Barra
“Pious, kind”, very good to her own
Zaynab bint Abi Salama relates: “My name was Barra; it was said that she was praising herself, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ named me Zaynab” (al-Bukhari 6192). He likewise changed the name of Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was called Barra (Muslim 2142). The masculine barr is also a name of Allah, al-Barr, “the Most Kind” (52:28).
Barra is the feminine of barr, “pious, good, kind”, from the root b-r-r of goodness and faithfulness (birr, “filial piety, kindness”): a virtuous, generous woman. Berra is a very popular girls’ name in Turkey. It is also one of the few names that a hadith reports the Prophet ﷺ changed.
The name Barra does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ب ر ر) occurs 32 times. Examples:
إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٨
Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful."
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ ١٣
Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure,
لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَٰهَدُوا۟ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ١٧٧
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allāh, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakāh; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
All the words of the root ب ر ر in the Quran (32 occurrences)
أَنَّ زَيْنَبَ، كَانَ اسْمُهَا بَرَّةَ، فَقِيلَ تُزَكِّي نَفْسَهَا. فَسَمَّاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَيْنَبَ.
لاَ تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُمْ " . فَقَالُوا بِمَ نُسَمِّيهَا قَالَ " سَمُّوهَا زَيْنَبَ "
The Prophet ﷺ changed the name Barra to Zaynab, saying: “Do not praise yourselves: Allah knows best who among you is righteous” (Muslim 2142). Many scholars concluded that this name, and names that praise their bearer, are disliked.
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.