نَائِل
Boy Arabic origin Nāʾil
“One who obtains, who reaches his goal”; also “the generous one”
The noun naʾil is not in the Quran, but its verb is, about sacrifice: “Neither their flesh nor their blood reaches (yanala) Allah, but what reaches Him from you is piety” (22:37); “You will never attain righteousness until you spend from what you love” (3:92).
Naʾil is the active participle of nala, “to obtain, to attain” (root n-y-l; the neighbouring root n-w-l gives nawal, “gift”): one who achieves what he seeks, and one who gives. The name, very popular in France (Naël), the Levant and the Gulf, has Naʾila as its feminine. In Turkish, nail means “having obtained” (nail olmak, “to obtain”).
The name Nael does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ن ي ل) occurs 12 times. Examples:
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ٣٧
Their meat will not reach Allāh, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allāh for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.
لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ ٩٢
Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allāh] from that which you love. And whatever you spend - indeed, Allāh is Knowing of it.
وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَٰتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١٢٤
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with words [i.e., commands] and he fulfilled them. [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [Allāh] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."
All the words of the root ن ي ل in the Quran (12 occurrences)
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Nael 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.
