Many people have asked:

        "How is the name wahiduddin pronounced?"

        "What does the name wahiduddin mean?"

        "Where did you get the name?"

 

Pronunciation:

In a letter-for-letter transliteration, the name wahiduddin is written as:

        waḥīd u al-dīn

but the rules of Arabic pronunciation make the combination of words easier to pronounce by merging some of the letters together to end up with:

        waḥīd ud dīn

where the pronunciation of vowels is approximately like the short a as in bat, long ī pronounced like the ee in deep, the short u as in put. The letter ḥ is a heavy, gutturally aspirated h.

Which leads to a phonetic spelling of:

       waḥeed ud deen

Here's an audio recording of how I pronounce it:

       wahiduddin.mp3 

As sort of a nickname, simply use the first part:  waḥeed

Origin:

As is common in many Sufi Orders, this spiritual name was given by my spiritual guide.

 

Meaning:

The first part of the name, waḥīd, is derived from the Arabic root w-ḥ-d which has the following classical Arabic connotations:

to be one, to be made one, to be called one
to connect, join, unite
to be one distinct and separate from others
to be unique, singular
 

See the al-Wahid web page for a deeper look at the spiritual essence of the root w-ḥ-d.

The Arabic word "waḥīd" is a derived noun, used to name something which is exemplifying or demonstrating the condition of w-ḥ-d, which in a spiritual sense is the One solitary Starting Point, the One Source, the First of the Many, the One from which all of creation has arisen as manifestations of Unity.

The "u" at the end of "waḥīd u" indicates the genitive case, meaning that waḥīd is the possessor or source of something.

The Arabic word "al" is translated as "the".

The Arabic word "dīn" is a somewhat enigmatic term (remarkably similar in meaning to the Sanskrit word dharma) that has been variously translated as virtue, religion, faith, conduct or duty. The word dīn  is derived from the Arabic root d-y-n, and has the following classical Arabic connotations:

a state of abasement or submissiveness
obedience to and service of
that whereby one serves [especially God]
belief in the Unity of God, religious belief
piety or pious fear and abstinence from unlawful things
a particular type of law, ordinance, custom or habit
a way, course, mode or manner of acting or conduct
a state or condition
repayment, compensation or recompense
right, true, correct reckoning

The ancient Semitic roots of the word "dīn" encompass all ideas of sufficient reason and abundant cause for judgment between contradictory or disputed matters. That is, the ancient roots of "dīn" point toward the underlying essence of one's own understanding of, and commitment to, a suitable and proper path to take in the midst of conflicting and disputed situations.

As a Sufi metaphor, the heart could be considered to be the organ of "dīn" and is the ultimate refuge where the proper guidance can be discerned.
 

Literal Translation:

With those guidelines, there are many ways that the name wahiduddin could be translated. A very literal translation of the name wahiduddin might be given as:

one whose essence is the Unity of the heart

one whose nature is submission to the One Who Appears As Many

one who embodies the One Source of all religion

one who demonstrates the Unity of service

 

Wishing you love, harmony and beauty,
      wahiduddin

 

last updated on 7-Dec-2011

wahidu-al-din wahid din