1. Key Attributes of the Name Taqiyyah
| Short meaning of Taqiyyah | Virtuous, Pious, God-Fearing and Devoted to God See below for detailed meaning |
|---|---|
| How to pronounce Taqiyyah | TUmmy + IraQ + sEE + YUmmy Each block is a syllable. Thick black border indicates stress/emphasis. Other pronunciations are acceptable. |
| Arabic Spelling (How to write Taqiyyah in Arabic) | تَقِيَّة |
| Quranic Nature (Learn more...) | Indirectly Mentioned (the name's triliteral root is used in the Quran) |
| Quranic Root (Learn more...) | T-Q-Y |
2. Detailed Meaning of Taqiyyah
Taqiyyah is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means “God-conscious”, “God-fearing”. It is related to the common Islamic concept of taqwa (fear and/or mindfulness of God).
Some sects use taqiyyah to refer to “institutionalized lying”, by which they mean that they are allowed to lie and pretend if there is benefit to be gained or harm avoided, but this concept does not exist in mainstream Islam. The girl name Taqiyyah is a completely different word in Arabic compared to the “lying” taqiyyah; they are derived from the same root (“to protect oneself from something”), but the name Taqiyyah means “a woman who performs taqwa” (emphasis on the second syllable in Arabic) while the “lying” taqiyyah (emphasis on the last syllable in Arabic) means “the protection of the self from others”.
In short, if someone says Taqiyyah has a bad meaning, they are referring to a different Arabic word, even though both has the same spelling in English (and Arabic!).
