رُقَيَّة
Girl Arabic origin Ruqayya
Family of the Prophet ﷺDiminutive from the root r-q-y: rising, ascent
Ruqayya, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ and Khadija, married ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan and emigrated with him to Abyssinia, then to Medina. She died in the year 2 of the Hijra, during the battle of Badr; ʿUthman, who stayed at her bedside on the Prophet’s order ﷺ, later married her sister Umm Kulthum.
Ruqayya is a diminutive built on the root r-q-y, which expresses rising and ascent (raqiya, “to climb, to rise”; ruqiyy, “ascension”); the same root also gives ruqya, a protective recitation. It is most often explained as “she who rises”. The name honours the Prophet’s daughter ﷺ.
The name Ruqayya does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ر ق ي) occurs 4 times. Examples:
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَٰبًا نَّقْرَؤُهُۥ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا ٩٣
Or you have a house of ornament [i.e., gold] or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
أَمْ لَهُم مُّلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَلْيَرْتَقُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَسْبَٰبِ ١٠
Or is theirs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them? Then let them ascend through [any] ways of access.
وَقِيلَ مَنْ رَاقٍ ٢٧
And it is said, "Who will cure [him]?"
All the words of the root ر ق ي in the Quran (4 occurrences)
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Ruqayya 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.
