Billah Explained

Billah (ar|بالله|bi-ʾllāh) is an Arabic phrase meaning with God or through God. It is used in various standard sayings, such as the Hawqala and the Ta'awwudh. It is also often used as a component of compound personal proper names, particularly as regnal names by caliphs and other rulers when it might be seen as a counterpart of the Christian usage by the grace of God. It is used for example as follows:

• Al-Aziz Billah (ar|العزيز بالله|al-ʿAzīz bi-ʾllāh), mighty through God
  • Al-Aziz Billah (955–996), fifth Fatimid Caliph
• Baqi Billah (ar|باقى بالله|Bāqī bi-ʾllāh), everlasting through God
  • Khwaja Baqi Billah (1563–1603), Sufi saint from Kabul
• Al-Mahdi Billah (ar|المهدي بالله|al-Mahdī bi-ʾllāh), rightly guided through God
  • Muhammad al-Mahdi Billah (744 or 745 – 785), third Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah (873–934), founder of the Fatimid dynasty
  • Muhammad II al-Mahdi Billah (976–1010), fourth Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba
• Al-Mansur Billah (ar|المنصور بالله|al-Manṣūr bi-ʾllāh), he who is victorious through God
  • Al-Mansur Billah (914–957), third Fatimid Caliph
  • one of the names of Muhammad al-Badr (1926–1996), King and Imam of Yemen
• Al-Muhtadi Billah (ar|المهتدي بالله|al-Muhtadī bi-ʾllāh), rightly guided through God
  • Al-Muhtadi Billah (died 870), fourteenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Al-Muhtadee Billah (born 1974), heir to the Sultan of Brunei
• Al-Muktafi Billah (ar|المكتفي بالله|al-Muktafī bi-ʾllāh), contented with God alone
  • Al-Muktafi Billah (877/78 – 908), seventeenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • one of the names of Mahmud of Terengganu (1930–1998), Sultan of Terengganu, Malaysia
• Al-Muntasir Billah (ar|المنتصر بالله|al-Muntaṣir bi-ʾllāh), he who triumphs in God
  • Al-Muntasir Billah (837–862), eleventh Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Mustafa Billah (ar|المصطفى بالله|al-Muṣṭafā bi-ʾllāh), one who is chosen through God
  • one of the names of Abdullah of Pahang (born 1959), Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
• Al-Musta'in Billah (ar|المستعين بالله|al-Mustaʿīn bi-ʾllāh), one who asks for help through God
  • Ahmad al-Musta'in Billah (836–866), twelfth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Sulayman al-Musta'in Billah (965–1016), fifth Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba
  • Abbas al-Musta'in Billah (1390–1430), tenth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo.
  • one of the names of Ahmad Shah of Pahang (1930–2019), Sultan of Pahang, Malaysia
• Al-Mustakfi Billah (ar|المستكفي بالله|al-Mustakfī bi-ʾllāh), desirous of being satisfied with God alone
  • Al-Mustakfi Billah (905–949), twenty-second Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Muhammad III al-Mustakfi Billah (976–1025), tenth Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba
  • Al-Mustakfi Billah I (1285–1340), third Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
  • Al-Mustakfi Billah II (1388–1451), twelfth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
• Al-Musta'li Billah (ar|المستعلي بالله|al-Mustaʿlī bi-ʾllāh), exalted through God
  • Al-Musta'li Billah (1074–1101), ninth Fatimid Caliph
• Al-Mustamsik Billah (ar|المستمسك بالله|al-Mustamsik bi-ʾllāh), one who restrains himself through God
  • Al-Mustamsik Billah (died 1521), sixteenth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
• Al-Mustanjid Billah (ar|المستنجد بالله|al-Mustanjid bi-ʾllāh), one who implores for help through God
  • Yusuf al-Mustanjid Billah (1124–1170), thirty-second Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Yusuf al-Mustanjid Billah (died 1479), fourteenth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
• Al-Mustansir Billah (ar|المستنصر بالله|al-Mustanṣir bi-ʾllāh), one who asks for victory through God
  • Al-Hakam II al-Mustansir Billah (915–976), first Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba
  • Al-Mustansir Billah (1029–1094), eighth Fatimid Caliph
  • Abu Ja'far al-Mustansir Billah (1192–1242), thirty-sixth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Ahmad al-Mustansir Billah (died 1261), first Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
  • Ali Shah al-Mustansir Billah (died 1480), thirty-second Nizari Isma'ili Imam
  • Gharib Mirza al-Mustansir Billah (died 1498), thirty-fourth Nizari Isma'ili Imam
• Al-Mustarshid Billah (ar|المسترشد بالله|al-Mustarshid bi-ʾllāh), one who seeks direction through God
  • Al-Mustarshid Billah (1092–1135), twenty-ninth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Musta'sim Billah (ar|المستعصم بالله|al-Mustaʿṣim bi-ʾllāh), he who holds fast through God
  • Abd Allah al-Musta'sim Billah (1213–1258), last Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Zakariya al-Musta'sim Billah (died 1389), eighth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
• Al-Mustazhir Billah (ar|المستظهر بالله|al-Mustaẓhir bi-ʾllāh), one who knows by heart through God
  • Abd al-Rahman V al-Mustazhir Billah (1001–1024), ninth Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba
  • Al-Mustazhir Billah (1078–1118), twenty-eighth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Mu'tadid Billah (ar|المعتضد بالله|al-Muʿtaḍid bi-ʾllāh), seeking support in God
  • Al-Mu'tadid Billah (853/4 or 860/1 – 902), sixteenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Al-Mu'tadid Billah I (died 1362), sixth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
  • Al-Mu'tadid Billah II (died 1441), eleventh Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
• Al-Mu'tasim Billah (ar|المعتصم بالله|al-Muʿtaṣim bi-ʾllāh), abstaining from sin through God
  • Al-Mu'tasim Billah (796–842), eighth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • one of the names of Abdullah al-Mutassim Billah Shah of Pahang (1874–1932), Sultan of Pahang, Malaysia
  • one of the names of Abdul Aziz al-Mutasim Billah Shah of Perak (1887–1948), Sultan of Perak, Malaysia
  • one of the names of Abdul Halim of Kedah (1927–2017), Sultan of Kedah, Malaysia
  • Proper given name of Mutassim Gaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
  • Motasim Billah Mazhabi (born 1964), Afghan politician
  • Qazi Mu'tasim Billah (1933–2013), Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and teacher
• Al-Mu'tazz Billah (ar|المعتز بالله|al-Muʿtazz bi-ʾllāh), he who is strengthened by God
  • Al-Mu'tazz Billah (847–869), thirteenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Muqtadir Billah (ar|المقتدر بالله|al-Muqtadir bi-ʾllāh), mighty through God
  • Al-Muqtadir Billah (895–932), eighteenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Qadir Billah (ar|القادر بالله|al-Qādir bi-ʾllāh), powerful through God
  • Al-Qadir Billah (947–1031), twenty-fifth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Qahir Billah (ar|القاهر بالله|al-Qāhir bi-ʾllāh), victorious through God
  • Al-Qahir Billah (899–950), nineteenth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Radi Billah (ar|الراضي بالله|al-Rāḍī bi-ʾllāh), content with God
  • Al-Radi Billah (909–940), twentieth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Rashid Billah (ar|الراشد بالله|al-Rāshid bi-ʾllāh), rightly guided through God
  • Al-Rashid Billah (1109–1138), thirtieth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
• Al-Wathiq Billah (ar|الواثق بالله|al-Wāthiq bi-ʾllāh), he who holds trust through God
  • Al-Wathiq Billah (812–847), ninth Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
  • Al-Wathiq Billah I (died 1341), fourth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
  • Al-Wathiq Billah II (died 1386), ninth Abbasid Caliph of Cairo
  • one of the names of Taimur bin Feisal (1886–1965), Sultan of Oman
  • one of the names of Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu (born 1962), Sultan of Terengganu, Malaysia

References

• Book: A Dictionary of Muslim Names. Salahuddin Ahmed. Hurst & Company. London. 1999.
• Book: A Dictionary of Muslim Names. S. A. Rahman. Goodword Books. New Delhi. 2001.