وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ٨٥
And [mention] Ishmael and Idrees and Dhul-Kifl; all were of the patient.
ذُو الْكِفْل
Dhul-Kifl: meaning of the name
Boy Arabic origin Dhū al-Kifl
ProphetIn the Quran“The one with the portion” or “with the pledge”; a prophet named twice in the Quran
The word as it is recited in the Quran: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary, Al-Anbya 21:85.
Dhul-Kifl in Islam
The Quran names Dhul-Kifl twice, among the patient (21:85) and among the best (38:48), alongside Ismaʿil, Idris and al-Yasaʿ. He is usually counted among the twenty-five prophets of the Quran; some early scholars, however, said he was a righteous man rather than a prophet, and Ibn Kathir holds that the context, which names him with the prophets, shows that he was one.
Meaning of the name Dhul-Kifl
Dhul-Kifl means “the man of the kifl”: kifl is a share or portion (the Quran uses the word in this sense, 57:28), and the root k-f-l also expresses guarantee and taking charge (kafala). According to Mujahid, quoted by al-Tabari, he was so called because he pledged to carry out a charge and kept his word. A rare name, it is Zulkifli in Malaysia and Indonesia and Zülküf in Turkey.
- In Arabic
- ذُو الْكِفْل ذو الكفل
- Transliteration
- Dhū al-Kifl
- Root
- ك ف ل · 10 occurrences in the Quran
- Gender
- Boy
- Origin
- Arabic
Is Dhul-Kifl in the Quran?
Yes: Dhul-Kifl is named in the Quran 2 times, in 2 surahs.
وَٱذْكُرْ إِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلْأَخْيَارِ ٤٨
And remember Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding.
All the words of the root ك ف ل in the Quran (10 occurrences)
Is this name permissible?
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Dhul-Kifl 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 Dhul-Kifl in each language
- French
- Dhoul-Kifl, Zoulkifl, Dhul-Kifl
- English
- Dhul-Kifl, Zulkifl, Zulkifli
- Spanish
- Dhul-Kifl, Zulkifl
- Turkish
- Zülküf, Zülkifl, Zülkif
- Arabic
- ذُو الْكِفْل
Similar names
See also
- Al-Yasaالْيَسَع Name of the prophet al-Yasaʿ (Elisha); in Hebrew, “my God is salvation”
- Ismailإِسْمَاعِيل Name of the prophet Ismaʿil (Ishmael); in Hebrew, “God hears”
- Idrisإِدْرِيس Name of the prophet Idris, of uncertain origin; often linked to Arabic dars, “study”
- Ayyubأَيُّوب Name of the prophet Ayyub (Job), the model of patience in trial