نعيما
Naʿīman
“May you be blessed.” It is said to a person who has just bathed, shaved or had a haircut.
What it means
Naʿīman is a short good wish said to a person who has just finished a bath, a shave or a haircut. It carries the sense of comfort and well-being, and the speaker is wishing that the freshness and ease of the moment be a blessing for the other person. It is a courtesy of everyday life. A Muslim who sees a friend or relative freshly groomed says it as a greeting, and the one addressed answers with a prayer of his own for the speaker. It belongs with the many ordinary expressions by which Muslims turn small occasions into a remembrance of God’s favour.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 62, listed as NA‘ĪMAN.. The definition is restated here.
