Muslim Name · Female · Arabic origin
Rabia Name Meaning in Islam
Fourth.
- Meaning
- Fourth. Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya, the Sufi mystic
- Origin
- Arabic
- Gender
- Girl
- Arabic root
- ر-ب-ع
- Urdu
- رابعہ
- Pronunciation
- RAA-bi-a /ˈraː.bi.ʕa/
- Lucky number
- 8
Is Rabia an Islamic name? On the site's editorial reading, yes (this is not a religious ruling): Rabia is an established name in Muslim use, Arabic in origin. Its settled meaning is: Fourth. Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya, the Sufi mystic. Islamic tradition asks that a name carry a good meaning and claim nothing that belongs to God alone, and this name meets both.
Read the letter-by-letter reading ↓Section 1 · Arabic Root
Where the Name Comes From
ر-ب-ع. From r-b-ʿ, to be fourth or to spring forth.
Source read (6 Nov 2026): Wikipedia, “Rabia of Basra”: Rābiʿa means 'the fourth one', as she was her father's fourth daughter; Behind the Name gives no meaning for Rabia. Parts of the wording above go beyond what this source states and are under review.
Section 2 · Ilm ul Huroof
Read Letter by Letter
Ra mercy, Alif origin, Ba foundation, Ayn perception, Ta completion.
Section 3 · Synthesis
What This Reading Says About You
Rabia weaves earth and water, the elements of steadiness and mercy, patience and feeling. The person is asked to be both root and river, a slow, sheltering presence. Running through the reading is Al-Rahman, the Merciful, meaning the bearer is trusted with mercy that keeps moving even when tested, joined by Al-Tawwab, the Relenting, carried as the readiness to return and be returned to. A person named Rabia holds their people through seasons.
Section 4 · What Families Say
What People Usually Mean by This Name
From the Arabic rābiʿa (رابعة), 'the fourth', the feminine of rābiʿ. The most weight-bearing bearer is Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya al-Qaysiyya (c. 717–801 CE), the great female Sufi mystic of Basra, often called 'the Mother of Sufism' for her teachings on pure divine love (maḥabbah) without hope of reward and without fear of punishment: 'O Allah, if I worship You from fear of Hell, burn me in Hell; and if I worship You from hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise; but if I worship You for Your own sake, do not withhold from me Your eternal beauty'.
A widely-used girls' name across the Arab world, Pakistan, Turkey, and the Maghreb. Bearer notes: Rabia Lateef, Pakistani actress; Rabia Akhtar, Pakistani academic.
Variants: Rabiah, Rabe'a (Persian), Rabiʿah, Rebia (Maghrebi-French). The Sufi tradition has carried this name as a particular honour to women of mystical depth. Pair-names: Khadija, Aisha, Maryam, Sumayyah.
Section 5 · Bearers
Who Has Carried This Name
- Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyyac.717–801 CE·BasraFoundational figure in early Sufi tradition
How to Pronounce Rabia
/ˈraː.bi.ʕa/ The ʿayn before the final -a is a consonant, not a vowel.Is this the spelling you searched?
They are the same name. Rabia is also written Rabiya and Rabiyah. One name, several romanisations of رابعة.
Want a different reading? Read another →
Names sharing the ر Ra influence
Like Rabia, these names carry Ra (ر) as the dominant letter of their Arabic spelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the name Rabia
What does the name Rabia mean?
Is Rabia mentioned in the Quran?
What does Rabia mean in Urdu?
Is Rabia a good Islamic name?
Is Rabia a girl or boy name?
What is the spiritual meaning of Rabia in Ilm ul Huroof?
Is your name Rabia?
Add the names of your father and mother to trace how their field met Rabia.
Read My Name Now →