hadrat

Hadrat, also transliterated as Hazrat or Hadhrat, is an honorific title used in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and related languages to address or refer to persons regarded with reverence. The term derives from the Arabic حضرة (ḥaḍrah), meaning presence, dignity, or majesty, and is used to signal respect toward individuals considered virtuous, learned, or holy.

In usage, Hadrat prefixes the name of a person to denote esteem. It is commonly applied to prophets, saints and Sufi sheikhs, revered scholars, religious leaders, and elder statesmen. For example, many Muslims will say Hazrat Muhammad or Hazrat Ali when speaking in formal or devotional contexts. It is also used in everyday speech and in religious literature, and at shrines or dargahs devotees may refer to a resident saint as Hazrat [Name]. The term is not the name itself but a title of honor, and would often be accompanied by other honorifics or postnominal salutations.

Variants include Hazrat, Hadrat, and Hadhrat, reflecting different transliteration traditions from Arabic into South Asian and other languages. Its usage is widespread across Muslim communities in South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond, particularly in Urdu- and Persian-influenced speech and writing. English translations typically render the word as “His Holiness” or “The Honorable,” depending on context, but many texts retain the original form Hazrat before a name.