حُسَيْن
Boy Arabic origin Ḥusayn
Family of the Prophet ﷺ“The little handsome one”, diminutive of Hasan
Al-Husayn ibn ʿAli, son of Fatima and grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, is with his brother “one of the two masters of the youth of Paradise” (al-Tirmidhi 3768); the Prophet ﷺ said of them: “They are my two sweet basils of this world” (al-Bukhari 3753). He was killed at Karbalaʾ on 10 Muharram 61 of the Hijra.
Husayn is the affectionate diminutive of hasan, “beautiful, good”, from the root h-s-n of beauty and goodness: “the little handsome one, the little good one”. In Arabic the diminutive here expresses tenderness. The name takes the forms Hocine in the Maghreb, Hüseyin in Turkey and Hussain in South Asia.
The name Husayn does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ح س ن) occurs 194 times. Examples:
لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ وَلَا يَرْهَقُ وُجُوهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَلَا ذِلَّةٌ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ٢٦
For them who have done good is the best [reward] - and extra. No darkness will cover their faces, nor humiliation. Those are companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.
وَأَنِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَٰعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِى فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُۥ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ ٣
And [saying], "Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor [i.e., reward]. But if you turn away, then indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَلَئِن قُلْتَ إِنَّكُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْمَوْتِ لَيَقُولَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ٧
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. But if you say, "Indeed, you are resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic."
All the words of the root ح س ن in the Quran (194 occurrences)
"Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn are the masters of the youth of Paradise."
" الْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ "
" هُمَا رَيْحَانَتَاىَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا "
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Husayn 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.
