Ilya

This name derives from the Hebrew “‘êlı̂yâh / ‘êlı̂yâhû > Eliyahu,” Ancient Greek “Hēlías (Ἡλίας),” meaning “my God is the lord.” Eliyahu was a famous prophet and a miracle worker in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab (9th-century BC), according to the Biblical Books of Kings, as well as the Qur’an. In Islam, the Qur’an describes Elijah as a great and righteous prophet of God and one who powerfully preached against the worship of Ba’al. In Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania, he is known as “Elijah the Thunderer,” and in folklore, he is held responsible for summer storms, hail, rain, thunder, and dew.