Meaning of ‘Aa'ishah and Faatimah

12-4-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

What do the names Fatimah and ‘Aa'ishah mean?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The name ‘Aa’ishah is derived from the Arabic word ‘aysh (عيش), which means living/life. This name could be given to both women and men.

The Arabic lexicon Al-Qaamoos Al-Muheet reads, “‘Aysh (n): life; ‘aasha (v): lived; ‘aayish (adj): living a good life. ‘Aa’ishah: proper name for both men and women.”

Also, the name Faatimah is derived from the word fatm (فطم), which means: weaning and cutting. The reference book Tahtheeb Al-Lughah reads, “The original meaning of fatm is to cut. When a baby is weaned, it is cut, i.e. separated from its mother's breast and from breastfeeding. A woman is called Faatimah, Fitaam and Fateemah.”

Allah knows best.