‘Abd’ (عبد) is an Arabic word meaning ‘servant’ or ‘slave,’ expressing complete devotion and submission. ‘Abdul’ is this same word combined with ‘al’ (the), and by convention is always paired with one of Allah’s 99 Beautiful Names to form a complete name — for example, Abdullah (servant of Allah), Abdur-Rahman (servant of the Most Merciful), Abdul-Kareem (servant of the Most Generous), or Abdul-Aziz (servant of the Almighty). These names are strongly recommended in Islam because they directly express Tawheed (the oneness of Allah) and humility, and are reinforced by the hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) named Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman as the most beloved names to Allah.