 Arabic Calligraphic representation of Siddiq | |
| Pronunciation | Siddiq Arabic:صِدّیق |
|---|---|
| Language | Arabic |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Truthful |
| Region of origin | Arabia (Middle East) |
Siddiq (Arabic:صِدّیق,pronounced[sˤɪdˈdiːq]; meaning "truthful") is anIslamic term and is given as anhonorifictitle to certain individuals. The feminine gender for Siddiq isSiddiqah. The word is sometimes used as a title given to individuals by the Islamic prophetMuhammad. For example, it was a title ofAbu Bakr, the firstIslamic caliph from 632 to 634. Otherwise, it is used to denote that the person is totally trustworthy.
Sunni Muslims useSiddiq as an epithet forAbu Bakr, the firstCaliph of Islam and the closest friend of Muhammad, while they useSiddiqah forAisha, Abu Bakr's daughter and the Prophet's wife.
InSufism, Siddiq is a rank that comes after prophet. It is generally given to a person who verified the claim of prophethood in its early stage. Sufis believe the following four ranks are free of time and space and therefore life and death becomes meaningless to them.[1]
These four ranks are mentioned in theQuran.
According to Ibn Dimashqi,Muhammad referred toAli asal-Siddiq al-Akbar (the greatest truthful one). According to this narration, Ali is identified as one of the three truthful ones. The other two wereHabib al-Najjar, a pre-Islamic saint; and the other is from the people ofPharaoh, who is mentioned in SurahGhafir, verses 28-45.[2]Siddiqa, the feminine equivalent of Siddiq, is from the titles ofFatima in Shia.[3]
InHebrew the word/name "Tzadik" (צדיק), has a similar meaning. The title ofVoltaire's satirical novellaZadig also stems from this name root.
