Rabbani
/ræbˈbɑːni/noun
An Arabic adjective meaning divine, godly, or devoted to learning and teaching sacred knowledge; it is also used as a personal name and surname.
Did you know?In the Qur’an, rabbāniyyūn refers to people devoted to God, learning, and teaching scripture—not simply clergy or mystics.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*rabb-
“Lord, master, or one who nurtures and sustains”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
rabb
“Lord, master, or God; also a possessor or caretaker”
Qur’anic Arabic, 7th Century
Arabic
rabbāniyyūn
“People devoted to God and grounded in the teaching of scripture”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
rabbānī
“Divine, godly, or learned in religious knowledge”
Medieval Persian and Urdu
Persian/Urdu
Rabbani
“A personal name or surname meaning godly or related to the Lord”
Modern English
English
Rabbani
“A transliterated Arabic name, surname, and religious term”