The meaning behind Iman, the name of Jordan's royal baby

The birth of Princess Iman bint Al Hussein bin Abdullah Il was announced on Saturday

This handout picture released on August 3 by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (C) holding his their newborn granddaughter Iman next to his wife Queen Rania (L) in Amman. SauShow more

Jordan's royal baby has been bestowed a name whose meaning spans the temporal and spiritual worlds.

The arrival of Princess Iman bint Al Hussein bin Abdullah Il was announced yesterday in a video shared by the Royal Hashemite Court. She is the first child of Princess Rajwa and Crown Prince Hussein and first grandchild of King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Rania.

"I thank God for giving us our first granddaughter Iman bint Hussein. I congratulate beloved Hussein and Rajwa for their new-born. You have lit up our family," King Abdullah posted in Arabic on Instagram, referring himself as "grandpa".

Queen Rania also shared her best wishes, adding: "Iman, you’ve already got a hold of my heart. Our family has never been happier!"

Meaning faith or belief in Arabic, the name Iman symbolises the sense of conviction and belief in God, which is central to the Muslim faith.

Iman has been mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed in one his recorded sayings, also known as a hadith, where it is described as strength of faith manifested through "a knowledge in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs".

A derivative of its root word amn is mu'min, which is one of the names attributed to God in Islam.

Iman is also used in Islamic theology as a name describing the six articles of faith, also known as arkan al iman, which lays the fundamental beliefs Muslims hold such as the oneness of God.

Iman is also used in everyday circumstances when referring to someone's belief, trust, conviction and confidence. At the ongoing Paris Olympics, Arabic television commentary has often used the word eman al fareeq in reference to a "team's belief" in victory.

Used mostly for females and widely in the Middle East and North Africa and Turkey, variants of the name include Imane, Eman and Emine.

There’s already one Iman in the Jordan royal family: Prince Hussein’s sister. The second child and eldest daughter of King Abdullah, Princess Iman married Jameel Thermiotis, a venture capitalist who lives in New York, at a grand wedding in Amman last year.

On Sunday, The Royal Hashemite Court launched a website where Jordanians can wish the new parents well.

"Our joy is indescribable for the arrival of Princess Iman bint Al Hussein bin Abdullah Il," on guest posted, while another adds: "We ask God to bless her with health and happiness and make her a source of joy for you both".