About the Meaning of Ashraf

¶ … Ashraf": Its meaning, history, origin, and significance in the Koran

Its exact national or tribal origin remains uncertain. However, it is likely to have its beginnings in the ancient Near East. The name of Ashraf is not common in America, except in the Muslim community. However, it is common in the Muslim world. It is often given to boys in conjunction with another name. This is because, in Arabic, the name Ashraf means "most honorable." (Zelo, 2004)

Thus, the name is also an honorific, or a title given to honor a man as well as simply a name or label. The name Ashraf can also be used as an adjective in its language of origin. This may be contrasted to other male names with more specific mythic references, or that refer to nouns or famous figures in the Koran who were helpful to the Prophet. Zelo, 2004) In contrast, interestingly enough, to male Arabic names with positive connotations as well as positive meanings, Ashraf in the Koran was poet of Medina who was an enemy of Mohammad.

This means that traditionally, the name of Ashraf has positive meanings in Arabic that of honor, but with negative connotations, or literary, religious, and historical associations. Despite the connotations of honor given to the name Ashraf in the Arabic language, this man was one of Mohammed's greatest and yet one of the prophet's most articulate enemies. (Hirshfield & Gottheil, 2002) The Koran Ashraf's father was an Arab of the family of Nabhan. Ashraf's mother was Jewish. As his father died when the boy Ashraf was young, he was brought up as part of his mother's family and in her faith. (Hirshfield & Gottheil, 2003)

"Tradition relates" that at one time the poet "confessed Islam," in other words, joined the followers of Mohammed and returned to the fold of his father. It is said that Ka'ba Al-Ashraf (the poet's first name) "even turned his face in prayer toward Mecca." (Hirshfield & Gottheil, 2003) But after Mohammed's total victory over the Meccans, Ka'ba Al-Ashraf soured to the faith. He is said to have turned from Islam and turned from Mohammed. In fact, he is supposed to have exclaimed that the interior of the earth would be pleasanter than its surface. (Hirshfield & Gottheil, 2003)

As a result of this betrayal, in the Koran, Mohammed is supposed to have said of the poet Ka'ba Al-Ashraf, that his follower should recite of "the history of him to whom we have given our signs, but who turned away from them; had he wished, we would have exalted him thereby," because of his beautiful and poetic gift of words, "but he crouched upon the earth and followed his own desire. He is likened unto a dog, which, if thou drivest him away, hangeth out his tongue, and if thou leavest him, hangeth out his tongue likewise." (Koran, vii. 174-175, cited by Hirshfield & Gottheil, 2002) From 'most honored' to doggish, suggests Mohammad, is this poet's fall.

Before such a history causes one to view the name with either disdain or in a defamatory way, it is important to remember that the first name of this poet means "dog," in other words, that in the ideology and linguistic iconography of the Koran, this opponent of Mohammed would thus be an honorable dog. This means, in the Koranic sense, someone who turned to the Islamic faith from his own, and then turned his back upon it, showing loyalties that are strong, but easily swayed.

The presence of this Koranic figure, may be one reason the name Ashraf, despite its meaning of 'most honorable' is not given with greater frequency in the Muslim world, despite its beauty and the power of its meaning of honor. The poet's status as a Jewish man indicates that this name of Ashraf may have been more popular and common throughout the Near Eastern world in a variety of geographic, cultural and linguistic contexts, but then became concentrated over the years to a specifically Arab population.