To choose a suitable name for a child has always been a matter of interest for Muslim family. Whenever a child is born, parents search for a good name for him or her. Islamic teachings have also encouraged the Muslims to select a meaningful and good name for their children. The Holy prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) has changed the names of several persons, because they carried a bad sense.
lt is reported by Abdullah ibn Umar the well- known Sahabi (Companion of Holy Prophet), that one of his sisters was named عاصية (Asiyah) which means ‘disobedient’. The Holy Prophet changed her name to ‘Jamilah’ (beautiful).
Impact of Name on a Person’s Life
Many scientists today have admitted that the name of a person may influence his life but the Holy Prophet has revealed this fact to his followers 1400 years ago when he advised the Muslims to select good names for their children.
The names are also a source of identity of one’s religion. Therefore, the Muslims have been naming their children after the prophets, the Sahabah (Companions of the Holy Prophet) and the pious persons of the Islamic history. Their names have thus been reflecting their Islamic identity. Such names mostly belong to the following categories:
Nabi: All Prophets sent by Allah starting from Aadam to Muhammad.
Sahabi: A male companion of the Holy Prophet who has the honour of seeing him in the state of Islam. Plural. Sahabah
Sahaabiyyah: Feminine of Sahabi- who has the honor of seeing thc Holy Prophet iMP in the state of Islam. Plural. Sahabiyyaat
Tabi : A pupil of a Sahabi.
Taabiyyah : A female pupil of a Sahabi.
Raawi: A person who has reported some Traditions of the Holy Prophet.
Raawiyah: A female reporter of the Traditions.
Muhaddith: A person qualified in the science of Hadith.
Mujaahid: A Muslim who fights for an Islamic cause.
Quari: A scholar of the science of the Recitation of the Holy Quran.
Trend among Muslims of Wrong Names
Unfortunately, this aspect of our lives is being neglected by many Muslims who do not bother to pay any attention to the meaning or any other association attached to their names. In their eagerness to follow the modern trends, they sometimes select a name for their children which is totally meaningless or carries a bad meaning or has an un-Islamic background.
Consider the following names:
The female names like ‘Tahmina’, ‘Rubina’, ‘Nazli‘ have no meaning at all.
The word ‘Naaheed‘ means a woman whose breasts are fully developed, and it is a shame to call a woman with this name.
Similarly, some Muslims girls are named as ‘Naailah‘ which means calamity.
Many boys are named as ‘Parvaiz‘ while ‘Parvaiz‘ was the name of a king of Persia who had torn the letter of the Holy Prophet into pieces. It is shameful for a Muslim to name his child after an enemy of Islam.
It is also seen in some Arab countries that a person is named ‘Firaun’ which is the Arabic title of Pharaoh, the tyrant of Egypt who persecuted the followers of Sayyidna ‘Moosa’ (Moses) and was drowned in the sea as divine punishment.
Some names found in our community are not correct, because they are based on superstitions or on a false belief. The names like ‘Ghaws Bakhsh‘ or ‘Rasool Bakhsh’ are sometimes adopted to indicate that this child is a gift given by a Prophet or Sufi. This belief may be tantamount to ‘Shirk’, because it is only Allah Almighty who can bless someone with a child. Nobody else has any such power.
Sometimes the names are abbreviated in a manner that their accurate sense is totally changed and they fall in the ambit of Shirk. For example, the compound names like ‘Abdurrahman’, Abdurrazaq’, Abdurrabb‘, are often abbreviated as ‘Rahman’ ‘Razzaq’ and ‘Rabb‘ while ‘Rahman’ ‘Razzaq’ and ‘Rabb’ are the holy names of Allah which are exclusive for Him alone and cannot be used for any other person. It is not permissible to call a human being with these names without a prefix of ‘Abd’ etc. but few people attend to this prohibition.
In short, the selection of names for the children should not be taken lightly. It may bring serious results both in this world and in the Hereafter.