Mahira, name meaning in Islam

Mahira (مَاهِرَة) is an Arabic name for girls. It means skilled, expert. The Prophet ﷺ said the one skilled (mahir) in the Quran is with the noble, righteous scribes (Sahih Muslim).

Meaning and root

In Arabic, words are built from a root of usually three letters. Mahira comes from the root م ه ر, and words from the same root share its core meaning. Similar names from the same family of words are listed below.

Is Mahira in the Quran?

No. Mahira is not a word in the Quran. A name does not need to be in the Quran to be a good Muslim name: what matters is that its meaning is good. The Prophet ﷺ changed names with bad meanings and kept names with good ones.¹

How to say and write Mahira

Say it MAA-hi-rah. The capital letters show the stressed part. In English it is also spelled Maahira and Mahirah. In Arabic it is written with 5 letters, from right to left: م mim + ا alif + ه ha + ر ra + ة ta marbuta.

Choosing Mahira

Mahira is a name with a good meaning, which is what the Sunnah asks for. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The most beloved of your names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman",³ and after these, any name with a good meaning is a sound choice. With the father's name it becomes Mahira bint (and the father's name): see what bin, bint and abu mean.

Names like Mahira

• Mahir
• Faiqa
• Hakima

1. Sahih Muslim 2139, the Prophet ﷺ changing a name with a bad meaning.
2. Sahih Muslim 2315.
3. Sahih Muslim 2132.
4. Meanings follow classical Arabic usage and the standard name dictionaries; our teachers will check each one.

Our teachers will check the Arabic spelling and meaning on this page before launch.