Dictionary Meaning
What Dhul Faqar means
The dual-spined sword — Dhul-Faqar (ذو الفقار), literally 'the one with vertebrae' or 'the one with notches.' This is the name of the famous sword of Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), given to him by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at the Battle of Badr in 624 CE.
The sword was originally captured from the Quraysh chief Munabbih ibn al-Hajjaj, who fell at Badr. The Prophet gifted it to Ali, who carried it through every subsequent battle. After the Battle of Uhud, when Ali had distinguished himself by extraordinary courage in the defence of the Prophet ﷺ, the famous voice from the heavens proclaimed: 'La sayfa illa Dhul-Faqar, la fata illa Ali' — 'There is no sword but Dhul-Faqar, and no youth but Ali.' The phrase became a famous Muslim battle cry across centuries.
Ali kept the sword until his martyrdom in 661 CE; it then passed to his son Hasan, then to Husayn, then through the family of the Prophet. Classical Islamic historians say Dhul-Faqar was inscribed with verses about justice, mercy, and the prohibition of unjust killing. To name a son Dhul-Faqar is to name him after this most legendary sword in Islamic history — and through it, after the courage and justice of Ali himself.
Used as a boys name across South Asian Shi'a Muslim communities and beyond. Variants: Dhul-Faqar, Zulfiqar, Zulfikar, Dhul-Fikar.
Every Arabic letter in this name carries a spiritual quality that Urdu inherited from the Islamic tradition. What does Ilm ul Huroof say about names like Dhul Faqar? →
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Also spelled
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Variants of this name
Different communities romanize the same Arabic name in different ways. These are the other canonical pages on AsrNaam for this exact Arabic name — each has its own readings, usage notes, and regional context.
The Letters
Reading Dhul Faqar through Ilm ul Huroof
Every Arabic name is a sequence of ontological principles. The first letter governs the outward self. The middle letters govern the interior. The final letter governs how things resolve.
This name opens with Dhal — the letter of discernment. See all names that share this opening →
Dhal — Waw — Alif — Lam — Fa — Qaf — Alif — Ra: complete sword quality.
"A name is not a label assigned after the fact. It is a structure of principles that begins its work the moment it is given."
In the tradition of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi
The Portrait
What Dhul Faqar asks of its bearer
What carries Dhul Faqar into the world is Dhal: an outward self that remembers. At the interior, Waw brings an interior that connects; Alif brings an originary axis at the interior. These are the forces that shape the inner life. The closing letter is Ra: the life resolves through motion. Read together, the letters ask the bearer to inhabit each principle in turn — opening, interior, close — until the name and the life become one shape.
Famous Bearers
Frequently Asked Questions
About the name Dhul Faqar
What does the name Dhul Faqar mean?
The letters that build this meaning each carry their own quality. What does Ilm ul Huroof reveal about names like Dhul Faqar? →
Is Dhul Faqar mentioned in the Quran?
The Quran shapes Islamic names more than any other source. Browse all Quranic names in our collection →
What does Dhul Faqar mean in Urdu?
Urdu preserved Arabic letter meanings through centuries of poetry and scholarship. How do Arabic letters travel into Urdu names? →
Is Dhul Faqar a good Islamic name?
See the full letter-by-letter spiritual reading of Dhul Faqar above — jump to the letters reading ↑
Is Dhul Faqar a boy or girl name?
What is the spiritual meaning of Dhul Faqar in Ilm ul Huroof?
This reading comes from Ilm ul Huroof — the classical Islamic science of letters, rooted in the tradition of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi. Every Arabic letter is an ontological principle, not merely a sound. Read the full introduction to Ilm ul Huroof →
What names go perfectly with Dhul Faqar as a sibling name?
The related names section above shows names most commonly chosen alongside Dhul Faqar. For a boy named Dhul Faqar, the letter families of Meem (love), Nun (depth), and Ra (mercy) pair most harmoniously.
Is Dhul Faqar a rare or common Muslim name?
Curious how the spelling changes across communities? See all spelling variants above ↑ — or browse all names →
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