Dua — Name Meaning in Islam

Root: د-ع-و (d-ʿ-w), "to call, to summon". Duʿāʾ is the verbal noun: the act of calling out, and by long usage the call a servant makes to God — supplication. The root idea is not begging but addressing: you call someone because you expect to be heard.

From the same root: daʿwa (an invitation, and also the call to Islam), dāʿī (one who calls, the caller), daʿwā (a claim, a legal case), madʿūw (one who is called, an invitee), iddiʿāʾ (to claim), taddaʿī, and the name Da'wa in compound forms. The Qur'an uses the verb densely: in al-Baqara 2:186 God says He answers the call of the caller when he calls, and in Ghafir 40:60, "Call upon Me, I will respond to you" — the same root three times in a few words.

Spellings: Dua, Duaa, Du'a, Duha is a different name entirely; Duâ (Turkish), Doa (Indonesian), Dua (Urdu), Douâa or Doua (French/Maghrebi), دعاء.

Pronunciation: du-ʿAA — two syllables, stress on the second. The middle consonant is ʿayn, made deep in the throat with no English equivalent; the final long ā is closed by a hamza, a light catch.

Masculine counterpart: none in common use, though Da'i is occasionally given.