نَبِيّ
nabiyymasculine
Prophet in Arabic is نَبِيّ (nabiyy), the word for one who speaks by divine inspiration. If unsure, use نَبِيّ. Wiktionary also lists نَبِيء (nabīʔ) and رَسُول (rasūl).
Meaning: one who speaks by divine inspiration (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نَبِيّ | nabiyy | masculine |
| نَبِيء | nabīʔ | masculine |
| رَسُول | rasūl | masculine |
نَبِيّ is the general word for a prophet. With the article it becomes النبي, the prophet, which is also the formal way to refer to one.
Which one should you use?
رَسُول (rasūl) means messenger. It refers to a prophet who brings a new divine law or scripture, while نَبِيّ refers to a prophet in a more general sense. نَبِيء (nabīʔ) is a less common variant spelling of نَبِيّ.
How does it change in a sentence?
نَبِيّ is masculine. To refer to a female prophet, the feminine form نَبِيَّة is used.
When do people say it?
When a prophet's name is mentioned in a religious context, it is customary to follow it with the honorific صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, peace and blessings of God be upon him.
Did you know?
- The honorific صَلَّىٰ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is frequently written as a single, intricate calligraphic symbol in printed texts rather than as a sequence of words.
- The root of رَسُول ('rasūl') is the same as the verb used to describe 'dispatching' a messenger or a letter. This emphasizes that the prophet is a functional emissary sent with a specific task.
- In Arabic, every رَسُول is automatically a نَبِيّ, but a نَبِيّ is not necessarily a رَسُول.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prophet” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
