I like Anaya and want to keep it for my daughter. But, I have seen on many websites that it's spelt with both an 'A' and 'i' ... Can you please confirm what is the right way to spell it and what meaning does it have? Does it mean the same in both spellings or different? I had read somewhere that it means 'Allah's help' and 'blessing' ... Please elaborate in detail about the right spellings and the meaning.
Answer
Inayah and Anayah are two correct pronunciations of the same name. Inayah is the original word, and Anayah is a variant of it. The word means help, support, and refuge, coming from Allah especially.
Inayah is pronounced as IN(dustry)+ (f)A(mily)+YA(rd). It can also be spelled as Inaya, Inaia, Enaya, Inaiah.
Anayah is pronounced as UN(derstand) + (f)A(mily) + YA(rd). It can also be spelled as Anaya, Anaia, Anaiah.
Inayah and Anayah are not directly mentioned in the Quran, but they are derived from the AIN-W-N root which is used in many places in the Quran, for this reason they are indirect Quranic names. The root is used in Quran 1:5, 2:45 and 7:128 as examples.
