a guide to islamic names

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()))((

Abu Ad-Dardaa ) )narrated: The Messenger of Allah said: On the Day of Judgment, you will be called by your names and by your fathers names;

therefore, keep your good names.

A GUIDE TO

ISLAMIC NAMES

Bashir Muhammad Al-Masumi

Al-Darut TalimiyyahMakkah Al-Mukarramah

Saudi Arabia


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InthenameofAllah,theMostGracious,theMostMerciful


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Ad-Darut TalimiyyahKing Fahad National Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Al-Masumi, Bashir Muhammad

A Guide to Islamic Names, Jeddah.

p.,.. cm.-

ISBN: 9960-35-882-8

1- Names, Personal-Islamic I - Title

929.4 dc 0731/20

Legal Deposit no. 0731/20

ISBN: 9960-35-882-8

First Edition: 1990: 1410 H.

Second Edition: 1999: 1420 H.

Third Edition: 2004: 1424 H.???

Trade orders and a ll o ther inquiries should be add ressed to :

Al-Darut TalimiyyahP. O. Box: 1344

Makkah Al-Mukarramah

Saudi Arabia.

Tel.

5275362(Off.), 5274179 (Res.), Mobile 054507551

e-mail: [email protected].


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Personal inquiries should be addressed to :


Author of the book.

P. O. Box: 1344


Saudi Arabia.

Tel: 5274179 (Res.)5275362(Off.) Mobile 054507551e-mail: [email protected]

Other writings of the author:

1. Namkarone Islami Paddhati (the same book in Bengali)

2. Naam Rakhne ka Islami Tarikah (the same book in Urdu)3. Minhaj At-Tasmisah fil Islam (same book in Arabic)

4. Islamic Education (1-10): This series has been widely accepted as atextbook for Islamic schools in different parts of the world. This the

most desirable textbook for the Muslim children so far. The

translation in different languages of this series is on the way.

5. Procholit Bhul (General Mistakes) in Bengali, Urdu and Arabic

6. Articles on Islamic subject and short stories.

7. Translation of the meaning of the Quran (Juz Amma) into

Bengali.


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Dedicated to:

ALL THOSE WHO SEEK MEANINGFUL, SWEETSOUNDING, good-ISLAMIC NAMES ANDARE INTERSTED IN ISLAMIC NOMENCLATURE


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FOREWORD

Naming of persons, places, things, roads, towns etc., is as ancient as the history of

mankind. The art of naming varies from place to place depending on the religious, culturaland historical background of the group concerned. The basis and structure of Onomastics

(the science of names and naming) exposes the effects that literary, linguistic andcustomary heritage has on names.

The ancient Greeks used a fathers name to identify his son by using the genetic form orby adding a suitable element before or after the name. A daughters name was tied to that

of the man-folk but with a feminine ending. The Romans, on the other hand, had a muchmore complicated system comprising the praenomen (personal name), the nomen (family

name) and the cognomen (nickname). The Celtic and Teutonic races have a simple systembased on a common stock of words considered suitable for making names. In Africa,

especially among the Asantes and Hausas, individuals were named after the days of theweek.

Names are essentially a means of identification. A simple patronymic system developsand is detectable in surnames surviving the globe. Scholars are involved in the compilation

of books, dictionaries and references on names, notable among these in the West are A. J.Kolatchs The Name of Dictionary, F. M. Laoughheads Dictionary of Given Names

and E. G. Withycombess The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names.In the West, parents give consideration to factors like spelling, gender ambiguity,

diminutives, nicknames, simplicity, modishness, popularity and the general form of aname giving a child name. In this way, however, a child is named without any regard to

religious norms. Although the above-mentioned factors are valid and worth considering,religious traditions should not be ignored. Islam has this as the criterion in its art of name

and naming.

Unlike Jews and Christians, Muslims have a unique way of giving name, which is based

mainly on religious ethics reflecting on the linguistic, social, psychological and culturalaspects in both this worldly life and the hereafter. The basis of this is the Hadith/ tradition

of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him)

On the day of Judgement you will be called by your names and by your fathers

names; therefore, keep you good names.

The implication of this Hadith is that everybody should have a good and meaningful name.

The name of an individual bears the thought and belief of a man. Some nations regardnaming of children as merely prestigious. To a Muslim, however, it traverses prestige to

include not only social and cultural aspects but also religious responsibility. ProphetMuhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) Hadith attests to this fact:

Ibn Abbas narrated that the companions of the Prophet said:


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O Messenger of Allah! We have known the rights of parent, but what are therights of children? He replied: The father will give a good name and properupbringing and education to his children.

Naming of not only persons but places, things etc., has a clear-cut method in Islam

which basically depends on the good omen that name denotes or connotes. Itbecomes a nexus between t he meaning and its reflect ions on the person, place or

object in beauty or ugliness. So, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah

be upon him) said:

Keep names after the names of the Prophets; the dearest names to Allah

are: Abdullah and Abdudr Rahman; the true names are: Hareth and

Hammam; the worst are: Harb and Murra.

It is, therefore, of utmost importance for a Muslim father to consider carefullyIslamic thoughts and teachings when naming his children and this is what this

present book intends to discuss

Mr. Bashir ibn Muhammad Al-Masumi in t his book excelled in int roducing t heMuslim readers (especially in countries where little attention is paid to Islamic

teachings) to the significance of name and naming children in Islam. The impetusfor his writing this book came from the experience he went through for having an

objectionable name as Khairul Bashar, which is due to Prophet Muhammad

(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) only. The book consists of t wo parts:the first part contains informative material on the art of names and naming in

Islam as explained in the Holy Quran, Sunnah and other Islamic sources, and the

second part provides the readers with names related to Allah, the Almighty, andthe names of t he companions of Prophet Muhammad. The book concludes with a

comprehensive list of acceptable Arabic names in Islam.

Mr. Bashir Al-Masumi has, through this book, contributed to the cause ofDawah t o enlighten his Muslim brethren on an import ant issue in life. The book

in general is informative in many respects with citat ions and quotations, Quranic

verses, Ahadith , proverbs, and poetry from different languages. In my view, thework is of a scholarly caliber regarding the art of naming in general and in Islam

in particular.

This book is really a breakthrough that would be of immense benefit to manyMuslim parents (especially English-speaking Muslims) in helping them find

befitting names for their children. It has no doubt filled a gap in the literature ofnaming and provided a comprehensive dictionary of names found in the IslamicWorld.

Dr. Adnan M. A. Wazzan

Ex-Deput y- Min ist er of I slamic Affairs & Endow ment s

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


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Preface to the First Edition

It can be said that there i s no reliable literature that provides Islamic principles toguide Muslim parents to name their children properly. The Ulama (IslamicScholars) seem to be indifferent to this subject. Ordinary Muslims are ignorant ofthis. In addition, due to the so-called Nationalism and an extreme Modernism, anew Non-Islamic trend has developed in naming Muslim individuals. Therefore,many mistakes are noticeable in the names of the Muslims. In the past fewdecades, as a resul t of i nteractions between Arabs and Non-Arabs in the MiddleEast, the mistakes in their names become obvious. With the goal of correctingsuch mi stakes in Muslim names, this book discusse s various aspects related tocorrect naming of Muslim individuals. Because of the interest and encouragementof friends and well-wishers, I felt obliged to have this book printed in a hurry. As aresul t of this hurried printing, i t has not been possib le to provide many names andtheir meanings although it was my intention to further expand the scope of thisbook. Under the present circumstances, it was not possible to do so. However, Iwould like to further edit and expand the book in the future if the readers showinterest in, and appreciation for, this book.

Adequate attention has been given to the subject. I have tried my best so that theutility and popularity of this book increases. I leave it to the kind readers to judgethe merit of this book. I will be grateful if the readers do not hesitate to send metheir well thought out comments and critiques, which I would be happy to

incorporate into the future edition, In Shaa Allah.

Finally, I express my thanks and gratitude to Allah, the Almighty without whosefavors and blessings it would not have been possible for an ordinary person likeme to write and publish this book. He is the One Who favors whom He wishes andgives knowledge.

dAsy6s9$#t!$to4tu|Nsy6s9$#s)szA[yz#[W23)(Allah, the Almighty teaches us to ask Him:

d% ub>$V=)(

" Say, O m y Lord! I ncrease my k nowledge (of I slam ). "

Bashir Muhammad Al-Masum i.

Makkah Al-Mukkarramah.

Ramadhan, 1410 H. / 1990.


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Preface to the Second Edition

The first edition of A Guide to Islamic Names has been appreciated bythe readers. Critiques of this book have been published in variousnew spapers. The Bengali version has gone into several editions and thesecond edition of Urdu is going to come out soon. An Arabic version of thisbook and Pustu translation are ready for printing.

As a result of the interest, encouragement and request of the readers, Irealized the need for the second edition. In this edition, the subject matterhas been modified and expanded. Names and their meanings, w hich w erenot provided in the first edition, have been included in this edition.

Although I have made careful efforts to rectify the errors in the previousedition, I take full responsibility for any errors that may be noticed. I w ill begrateful if any conscientious reader points out any errors that he may f indsin this edition.

Finally, I express my gratitude and thanks to Allah, the Almighty w ho hasled me from darkness to light, from ignorance to know ledge. Therefore, Iask Him to guide and lead me to the right path. Amin!!!

Bashir Muhammad Al-Masum i.


Safar, 1420 H / 1999.


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Preface to Third Edition

Many errors of the previous edition have been corrected and

suggestions of the conscientious readers have also been incorporated.

A new Chapter has also been added. It is expected that this edition

will be accurate and in the future this version will be reprinted - In

Shaa Allah All the facilities of the millennium age have been utilized such as the

use of the Quran and Hadiths text directly from the CD; so the

present edition will be more presentable, reliable and attractive.

I must thank Umm Muhammad who read this book very carefully and

made valuable suggestions and corrected some mistakes. Jazaaha

Allaha khairal jazaa.

Finally, I express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to Allah

Subhanu wa Talaa for His countless blessings He has bestowed upon

me. So, I pray to Him: O my Lord! Accept my works and make itbeneficial to all Muslims, and inspire them to keep the right name.Allah, the almighty instructs us to say:

...$u/ u7s)s?!$(y7)|Mr&9$#=y9$#)(O our Lord! Accept (this) from us. You are the Hearing, the Know ing.

(Al-Baqarah, 127)



Ramadhan, 2004 / 1426 H.


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CONTENTS

PART ONE

Prologue 1

Names in General . 9

Names in Islam. 14

Classificat ion of Islamic Names: Ism, Kunyah, Nasab, Nisbah, and Laqab. 17

Necessity of Arabic Names for Muslims 25

Arrangement of Muslim Names _..

A Fathers responsibility in giving Good Names to his Children. 28Times of Naming 30

Prophet Muhammads liking for Good Names and dislike of bad names. 34

List of Names changed by Prophet Muhammads . 40

Influence of Good or Bad Names ... 47

The Best Names 56

The Worst Names ... 59

Ruling concerning naming after the Kunyah of Prophet Muhammad 71

More than one Name 76

Superstition in Nomenclature 79

A survey of Muslim Nomenclature with special reference to

The Indo-Pak Sub-cont inent and The Muslim Ummah in general 88

PART TWO

GLOSSARY OF NAMES

The Excellent Names of Allah (Al-Asmul Husn) 98

Names of the Prophet.. 105

Names and attributes of the Messenger of Allah 108

Names of the Wives of the Messenger of Allah and his Descendant s 111

Names of the Sahabah / Male companions of Messenger of Allah 113

Names of the Sahabiat / Female Companions of the Messenger of Allah 126

List of Names of according to the Arabic Alphabetic order . 129

Bear in mind 228


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1

PROLOGUE

.

After I was admitted into the Aligarh Muslim University, the Dean paida visit to our hostel to meet the freshers. Upon entering my room he askedme in chaste Urdu: "What is your sweet name?" I replied: "KhairulBashar". "Wah, Wah! Its a very good name, brother! exclaimed theDean in commendation of my name. Thereafter, as long as I remained inAligarh, the name Khairul Basharwas uttered with zest by Urdu-speakingfriends and acquaintances be it in the department, in the offices or in othercircles. Bengali Muslims used to call me simply Bashar, while my Hinduclassmates used to refer to me as Khairul. No reaction was noticed among

the Bengalis against this name, as few Bengalis know the meaning of thewords Khairul Bashar. The meaning of Khairul Bashar was known to all inUrdu-speaking circles, so they used to appreciate it very much. In Aligarh,Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Hydrabad, indeed in all Urdu-speaking areas thatI had the occasion to visit, my name appeared excellent to all. No troublearose over it during my stay in India. I was rather happy with my name. Itwas given me by my paternal grandfather; who was an lem (Islamicscholar) and my maternal grandfather who was also an Alem liked thisunusual name. I had the opportunity to enjoy the company of Ulm, but

none of them made any adverse comment to my name. My father alwaysused to address me as Bashr in his letters from Saudi Arabia. Once headvised us to use the name Bashr, while conveying the meaning of nameslikeBashar, Bashr, Mubashsher, Bishr, Beshra etc. My grandfather wasstill alive at the time but he did not attach any importance to this matter. Iwas a young boy at that time and did not realize the real significance of my


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fathers suggestion. What trouble this non-compliance caused me will bedealt with later on.My name was entered into the school register as Muhammad Khairul

Bashar Shaikh. It was the day of smart tight-fitting dress and all that wentwith it. Following the drift I pruned away Muhammad and Shaikh andretained only Khairul Bashar prompted by an eccentric desire to provemyself smart. I deem it necessary to narrate in brief the troubles I broughtupon myself in later life due to this thoughtless eccentricity of adolescence.

We came to Makkah Al-Mukarramah before Hajj in 1978 andperformed Hajj in the warm hospitality of Shaikh Abdul Azz binAbdullah bin Bz, an eminent Islamic scholar of Saudi Arabia. During theAyym At-Tashrk (11th to 13th Dhul Hajja) in Mna, my father introducedme to the venerated Shaikh during an hour of close intimacy. When heasked me what my name was, I replied: Khairul Bashar. He was startled onhearing my name, his countenance turned red in disgust and anger. However,overcoming his anger he said to my father in a tone of admonition: How is itthat you have given such a name to your son, being yourself an lem?

What have I taught you then all these years! Anticipating such an adversereaction my father had kept ready a face-saver and said in reply that thisname had been given by his father and not by himself and at that time hewas not yet an lem, but this name caused the valuable company of theShaikh rather to be short-lived.

Upon my subsequent inquiry about the disp leasure and anger of Shaikh binBz I came to know from my father that the meaning of the words Khairul

Bashar is the best human being. This is a special attribute of ProphetMuhammad and can apply only to him . It is not permissible foranybody else to take such a name. When we went to see the Shaikh afterthe Hajj he advised me to accept the name Abdullah or Abdur Rahmaninstead of Khairul Bashar. But alas! Many were the obstacles that stood inthe way. My certificates, passport, Iqamah everything was in that name,and it was not easy for me to effect a change in those documents. In sp ite ofthat I went to the Indian Embassy in Jeddah to make the necessary inquiriesin this regard. The official formalities that they spoke of were tortuous and


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time-consuming. Circumstances thus compelled me to retain thatobjectionable name on paper, although I came to be known as Bashr in allnon-official circles.

After some time, I was admitted to the Arabic Language Center in theUmm Al-Qur University at Makkah, but troubles arose here also. Theteachers exclaimed, My son! This name is not a permissible one. Someothers said bluntly, This is unlawful, my brother. Are you Khairul

Basher, i.e., the best human being? Some said sarcastically. There were

still others who said with great disgust, This is prohibited. My disgraceand sense of injury knew no bounds when still others topped the list ofharsh criticism with these words: He is not Khairul Bashar (the besthuman being), he is Ghairul Bashar (non-human being). My knowledgeof Arabic was rather meager at that time, but I memorized this sentence tocombat such extremely upsetting situations: Laqad ghayyartu ismi fal ansirtu Bashran (I have changed my name, and I am Bashr now). Later on, Iworked in the Central Library of Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, but Ifaced the same predicament there. The Dean of the Library told me that he

would not call me Khairul Bashar. He used to address me as Khair Bashrinstead. I did not tell my colleagues my real name. If some one wantedKhairul Bashar over the telephone, the receptionist used to reply that therewas no such man bearing that name. I had to face many troubles because ofthis name; the greatest of which used to crop up at the time of drawing mysalary. At that time the employees of the University had to assemble in theFinance Department to receive their salaries. The cashier used to call thenames of all loudly. The announcement of my name used to be followedinvariably by a murmur by the Arabs. They used to make comments eitherin disgust or in jest or in a tone of advice. I used to draw my salary last ofall to avoid this embarrassment. Sometimes my salary used to be returnedto the Accounts Department because of my delay in attendance. Insultingtelephone calls used to follow from there, and I had to draw my salary fromAccounts Department alone in a secretive manner. The disgust of thepeople at the counter did not escape my notice. But alas! I could hardly tellthem that my name was the root of this problem.


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Later on I worked as a teacher at Manart International School, Jeddah. Thecheque given to me for the first months salary bore the name Bashr bin

Muhammad. The encashment of this cheque might well have put me inpolice custody. I had, therefore, to get the name changed after lots oftrouble. The man who wrote the cheque used to know me as Bashr. Thefault therefore lay not with him but with my name.

I had to face difficulties everywhere in Saudi Arabia. Once I met a managerof a particular department for an interview. The manager inquired about my

qualifications, experience and other knowledge etc. I saw a ray of hope. Butalas! It was soon extinguished by the storm of admonitions on hearing myname Khairul Bashar. All my pleadings fell on deaf ears. The possibility ofgetting the job was thus spoiled because of my name. I had no otheralternative but to slip out after being heckled all around.

My story will be left incomplete if I do not relate the following dramaticanecdote involving my name. I only hope the readers will listen to that sadexperience of my life with a sympathetic mind.

Once while I was sitting in a marriage party with a copy of this book in myhand one of the guests wanted to have a look at it. He was speaking goodEnglish. So, we went on discussing various subjects. For some reason I hadto show him my identity card. On getting the card in his hand the man losthis temper, because the authors name was printed in the book as Bashrbin Muhammad H. Kabir, but on the card it was printed as KhairulBashar

Muhammad Humayun Al-Masum. There was no similarity between thetwo names except the only common word Muhammad. So, I must be a liarwho was claiming to have written the book, which was really written byanother person. So my authoring the book and my Saudi nationality were allfake and false. The explanation for this dual identity on my part had beenall given in the Prologue but he had no patience to look at that. While wewere arguing the man was about to tear my card to pieces, which I wrestedfrom him after a fight, but the card, had changed into a different shape. Inthe meantime people had gathered around us. My in-laws had also gatheredby my side too. Everybody seemed to have been thunder struck. I wanted


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to report the matter to the police but that would be unbecoming for a housecelebrating a marriage. So all relatives requested me to forgive the man and Iwas compelled to do so because the man was related to my in-laws and alsohe was known to have been a mental case. He had studied for twelve yearsin the United States and failing to obtain the desired Ph.D., had returned toSaudi Arabia empty handed consequently he had some mental problems.An unbalanced person can do or say anything. So, he cant be blamed. Myname was the root of this trouble. If the two names had not been sodifferent this man would not have behaved in such a way. I was so ashamed

for creating such a scene at the wedding party.

The incident at the wedding party must have been relayed to the ladies atthe home front. I could guess the terrible quarrel that I was going to have.On my return home I found a sultry and sad atmosphere, which was aforecast of the impending storm. The storm began after a while; thunderscame in and reached its conclusion with the rainfall of tears. I was like acriminal whose crime was this objectionable name. Who listens to thearguments of a criminal! So, I had to take in all this quietly; even that was

not good for an acquittal. The sultry atmosphere was not settling down. Nodevoted husband can stay calm and quiet on seeing the sullen face of hiswife. So I promised and swore to her to correct the mistake of my name.Then I rushed out of the house flapping my slippers nosily as if I was goingto throw my name in the dustbin.

In fact, changing a name is not so easy. One has to work laboriously forthis. On the identity card my name was printed as Khairul Bashar

Muhammad Humayun Kabir Al-Masum. According to the Islamic andArab custom Khairul Bashar should be my name Muhammadshould bemy fathers name andHumayun should be my grandfathers name. In fact itwas Humayun that was my fathers name and both Muhammad andKabir were extras. As a result Abdul Hamd my grandfathers name and his fathers name Ibrahim were dropped because of the mistake andunnecessary addition in my fathers name. According to the practices here

Muhammad Humayun Kabirwere considered to be three names, and thename Al-Masum added to that seemed to be an extra trouble. Masum


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means: spotless, innocent; and only the Prophets can be given that title.No one else should have this name. That also must be changed. So I went tothe Higher council of Ulam and took the written Fatwah (verdict) of twowell-known lem and went to Sheikh Bin Bz, the Grand Mufti of SaudiArabia and sought his advice on this. I presented to the Sheikh the copiesof this book in English, Bengali and Urdu authored by me and discussed theproblem with him. On the basis of that discussion and in the light of theverdict of the two lems and my knowledge on the subject. I decided tohave my name Bashr bin Muhammad bin Abdul Hamd Al-Masumi.

Masum was changed to Masumi to make the mistake a minor, so that thedefect would be lighter. Since that was the name of my great grandfather andI would not be held guilty in any way. Such a thing happened in case ofmany companions of the Prophet e.g. Amr ibn Al-as. as is anundesirable name. The Messenger of Allah changed as which wasthe name of many of his companions and gave the good names instead. Thefather of Amr, famous companion of the Prophet was not alive at thattime and so his fathers name (Al-as) could not be changed.However, an application seeking approval for changing my name was

submitted to the Saudi government. After that began the romping fromMakkah to Riyadh and from one office to another. Then came theadvertisement in a newspaper for publicity, police report, examining thefingerprints, verification of all papers and such other formalities. Thenbegan the dilly-dallying come tomorrow and then the day after. For allthis I had to spend a lot of money and a lot of time was wasted. I had tosuffer physical and mental stress, however finally all tension was released.

Although, my previous name Khairul Basharwas changed intoBashir, butother names remained unchanged. I took this matter to the concerningauthority and asked them about omittingHumayun and Kabirand addingAbdul Hamid and Al-Masumi instead. I was informed that the changing oralteration of the last of part of my name does not come under my

jurisdiction. It is my father who can shorten his name omittingHumayunKabir. If he did so, the name Abdul Hamid bin Ibrahim will be addedautomatically. So, my father should apply for changing his name. If it isapp roved then the disorder of our names will be rectified. I brought this


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matter to my fathers attention and urged him to omit Humayun and Kabirso that my grandfathers name could be added. He was so fascinated withthe name Humayun that he became adamant about changing it and did notshow any interest to add his fathers name to his name. I suggested to himagain and again but all my pleadings fell on deaf ears. I also predicted thatwe were going to face problems in the future if these names were notchanged.

After some time, it happened as I predicted. One day, Police from the

Immigration Office 'arrested' one of my cousins, from my fathers office dueto a misunderstanding of our names and detained him in Police custody for24 hours and fined him 2000 Saudi Riyals. At that time, I was out ofMakkah; so my father had to go there any pay this fine. The incident wasas such: In Saudi Arabia Al-Ism Ar-Rubayi - four/categories of names i.e.1 Name; 2 - Fathers name; 3 - Grandfathers name and 4 - Family name,must be mentioned in all official papers. When I applied for Iqamah of mycousin, I wrote our grandfathers name Abdul Hamid with his name andthat of myself. On the Iqamah both names of the sponsor and the

sponsored must be mentioned. My fathers name Muhammad HumayunKabir is a compound name as in Indo-Iranian practice. Due to his long nameAbdul Hamid bin Ibrahim has been omitted. So, I wrote my third name ofAl-Ism Ar-Rubuyi, the real name of my grandfather at that time. Accordingto my identity card Humayun becomes my grandfathers name and Kabirmy grand grandfathers name. So, how can I write my grandfathers name asHumayun when in reality it is my fathers name? When the Police enquiredfrom my cousin about his Iqamah and what he was doing in my fathersoffice; he told them that it was his sponsors fathers office and that helived adjacent to this building. He showed them his Iqamah and fathersidentity card. They found dissimilarities in our names. My name waswritten on his Iqamah as: Bashir Muhammad Abdul Hamid Al-Ma'sum,and that of my father: Muhammad Humayun Kabir Al-Masum. Thisshows that Bashir is the son of Muhammad son of Abdul Hamid of Al-Masum clan and Muhammad is the son of Humayun - son of Kabir of Al-Masumi clan. Therefore, Muhammad is two persons of the same family.This made them suspicious. The Saudi Immigration Police are so over-


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burdened with immigrant problems that they generally do not scrutinizemany things. They pay little attention to these matters. It is due to theirineptness, ignorance or arrogance. After this incident, I had to keep the thirdname of Al-Ism Ar-Rubayi blank. Many times, it created problems and Ihave to answer to concerning authorities for not mentioning my third name.If I write the fact, I have to pay for this, if I write according to my identitycard that is wrong but right legally. What a pitiable situation it is!

If the writer of the book - A GUIDE TO ISLAIMC NAMES himself can

not correct his own name then how can his sugges tions for namesbe effective on others!

I suggested to my father many times to get his name rectified but he paidlittle heed to my words. However, after some time, he authorized me to gethis official work done. When he gave me his renewed identity card, I foundthat his name was written as: Muhammad bin Humayun bin Kabir Al-Masum; the bin i.e. son ofwas not written before. At the last renewal ithas been written in that way. Now it shows that his name is Muhammadand Humayun is his fathers and name and Kabir- his grandfathers name. Itgoes against the reality. After the renewal of his card he did not notice thisdiscrepancy. I brought this matter to his notice. Now, he has acknowledgedthis fact and has agreed to change his name but tried to authorize me in thisregard. I told him that as far as the changing of his name is concerned, theOffice would accept no authorization from me. Upon my insistence, he atlast agreed to go to the concerning office for changing his names. When heapproached the concerning officer, he was asked sarcastically: What crimehave you committed in this old age that you want to get your nameschanged? When it was related to him the problems we were facing with

these names, he replied more bitterly: Why did you keep quiet for such along time? At last, he advised us to go the Head-Office at Riyadh. Myfather was not in a position and mood to go to Riyadh for changing hisname. I have tried my best to get my names changed according to theprinciple of Shariah, but I succeeded partially. I only succeeded in changingmy name Khairul Bashar to Bashir. As far as my fathers name, I could donothing if he does not change his name himself. I dont know how long he


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will be indifferent to changing his name and how long we have to bear theseinvalid names.

My grandfather made a mistake in naming me and it was I who had to payfor that. It is like one doth the scath and another hath the scorn. I couldaccept all this considering his contributions to my life, but is it possible toaccept the mistakes made by an lem that he was! Coming to think of thiscomprehensively, I discovered this malaise is found in the house of themost lems in the Indo-Pak sub-continent. When I was in India nobody

objected to this name. On my first arrival in Saudi Arabia, I realized thatthis name was not right. I have heard objections and antipathy to thesewords as a name from the learned men to the ignorant ones, even fromordinary Saudis or other Arabs. I dont think it is without any justificationthat the Arabs are given preference over the non 'Arabs.

There are many foreigners in the Arab World with objectionable names likemine, I dont know whether they had to face troubles. I have heard lot ofcriticism in Saudi Arabia over the names of Indian and other non-Arab

Muslims; although the Arabs themselves are not always hundred percentcorrect in the matter of naming. The difference is that the mistake is due toindifference in the case of the Arabs, while it is due to ignorance of theArabic language in the case of the non-'Arab. People from different cornersof the world have thronged here in search of a livelihood, driven by theattraction of liquid gold. There has been wide scope and plenty ofoccasions for contact between Arabs and non-Arabs. This long co-existence has enabled the non-Arab to realize what great mistakes theycommit in matter of naming. This realization prompted me to write thisbook on Islamic nomenclature particularly because prevalent names of theMuslims smack of Shirk (polytheism), Bida (innovations in Islamicreligion), and meaningless, impermissible, inauspicious and super-hyperbolic appellation. The Ulm (Islamic scholars) who are consideredto be Neb An-Nab / Inheritors of the Prophet are indifferent to thissubject. What is more, even the names of some of the Ulm in Indo-Paksubcontinent are objectionable. I have hardly come across any discussion onthe Shari'ah guidelines regarding nomenclature, the importance and the


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meaning of names, and what names are good or bad and so on. No book hasbeen written in the Indian languages about Islamic nomenclature. In theUrdu language a few books have been written on this subject, but all thesehappen to be inadequate. In English we find some books, but the writers orcompilers of these books have given only a list of names; and some of thelisted names are objectionable in the light of Shari'ah. So, I cherished astrong desire to write a book on Islamic nomenclature from that very daywhen I was humiliated by Shaikh bin Bz. When I expressed the desire toan acquaintance of mine he bluntly remarked that a haberdasher should not

venture into the shipping business. I had little knowledge of the Arabiclanguage at that time and had therefore to swallow the bitter comment. Iremained firm in my determination to undertake such a task on some futureoccasion. After gaining some experience in Arabic I addressed myself to thecollection of materials from different sources.

On the eve of writing this book I have had close discussions in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and elsewhere on Islamic nomenclature. Many people listenedwith great interest. Some of enthusiastic people sought my advice

concerning names for their children, while those with objectionable names,either their own or their children's have promised to change them. Some ofthem started renaming themselves and their children in accordance withIslamic principles. Some of my close acquaintances have come to myresidence, selected names for their children or relatives from my manuscriptand conveyed these to the persons concerned in their countries. All thesehave assured me of the usefulness of this book, giving me greatencouragement, and I have received frequent reminders to publish it at theearliest opportunity.

However on some other occasions, the contrary proved to be the case.People with objectionable names sometimes entered into unreasonablearguments over their names. Even the clear, documentary evidences fromthe Qura'n and Hadith could not dispel the accumulated darkness from theirminds, steeped in ignorance and false notions. Reason and evidence canhardly free a mind fettered by prejudice. How many people have thementality to accept the hard and unpleasant truth?


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In words of Spinoza: The truth is cruel, but it can be loved and itmakes free those who love it.

According to an Arabic proverb:

Truth brings salvation; untruth leads to disaster.

Truth is always hard, stark and bitter, but eternal and abiding. Prophet

Muhammad bin Abdullah said: ))(( Speak the truth although it is bitter.

According to some schools of medicine bitter things aid digestion, and it ishoped that the bitter words contained in this book will help to cure theendemic indigestion in the Indo-Pak sub-continent and the Muslim World

over nomenclature.

These are some of the predicaments of my name. I am afraid this story hasrun to quite a length, however before concluding, I would like to present tothe readers a Misk (nectar). After reading the tragedy of my name, somebecame sad, sorrowful and depressed. The female readers eyes were filledwith tears. So, I would like to tender a solace to their touching hearts. Iwould like to say to them that my objectionable name has ushered inblessings in my life. It is for this reason; I was compelled to write this bookin the middle of the 80th. When it was published, I took some copies toLondon and sold them to the Central Mosque of Regent Park, London andother Islamic Book stores; from there and from the KSA this book has

reached to different parts of the world. This book has been so appreciatedby the readers that many letters, faxes and e-mails have been sent to meregarding this book. Due to this book, I became acquainted with manyoutstanding Muslim personalities; one of them was Dr. Muhammad AbduhYamani, former Minister in the Saudi Government and now President ofIqraa Charitable Society , Jeddah. This book moved him so deeply that heauthorized me to write a series on Islamic Education. When the series was


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ready, it was so desirable that Iqraa Charitable Society spent a considerableamount of money to publish this series. As soon as it was published, manyInternational Schoolsof Saudi Arabia accepted this series as a textbook fortheir schools. Within a short span of time many Muslim schools andinstitutions included this series in their curriculum. The Ministry ofEducation of Saudi Arabia also appreciated this series so much so, thatthey directed all International Schools in Saudi Arabia to accept this seriesas a textbook. Walillahil Hamd wa Ashshukr.

My grandfather committed a mistake in naming me and as a result I had toencounter many problems. The objectionable name was my main incentiveto write a book on Islamic nomenclature. What we think as bad may bringgood for us. Allah says in the Quran:

d#|tur&(#u3s?$Zxu uyz69(#|tur&(#6s?$Zxuu@393!$# un=tFr& un=s?)(

"And perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; andperhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah

knows, while you know not." (Al-Baqarah, 216).

Now, before ending I should thank Allah, the Almighty, Who has bestowedHis favor on me to write this book. I also owe a debt of gratitude to myfriends and colleagues at the Central Library of Umm Al-Qura University inMakkah, both Arab and non-Arab who have extended valuable assistancein writing this book. I am also thankful to Shaikh Uzair, a research fellowof that Universiy for his constructive criticism, scholarly and realisticsuggestions, although we differed on occasions. Thanks are due to Shaikh

Muhammad Jamil Zeenu, an outstanding writer on Islamic subjects for hisvaluable suggestions. I also thank to Shaikh Abdullah Ullus, an Alem ofDamascus and Shaikh Abu Muhammad Alimuddin of Bangladesh for therevision of the Arabic text. I must also put on record my special debt toMuhammad (Ruhul) Amin of Bangladesh, a noted Islamic thinker and writerfor his keen interest in editing the manuscript of this book. I also thankProfessor Abu Musa of Umm Al-Qura University and Umm Muhammad


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of Jeddah for their valuable suggestions and corrections. Brother DaudAbdul Majid, a reverted Muslim from England, has made the final editingand endured painstaking labor to check all text and arranged itconventionally to give the book an aesthetic appearance. Jazaka AllahuKhairan. Then I thank my parents whose financial support went intopublishing the first edition in different languages. May Allah grant themlong lives. I also pray to Allah for those of my colleagues, classmates,different learned men and others from whom I have received cooperation.May Allah reward them with the best.

At the end, I would like to say that my work would be successful if thereaders of this book become aware of Islamic nomenclature and practice itinto their lives in naming their children properly.

.Allah is the best Motivator and Guide

Bashr Muhammad Al-MasumiMakkah Al-Mukarramah

Al -Awali (west)Al-Fariq Street, House No. 3P. O. Box 1344Saudi Arabia

Tel: 5274179, 5375362, Mobile 054507551

Grief and gladness remains not; but the recompense of virtuous deeds and

memorials of good name - they remain. (Sheikh Sadi of Bustan)


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NAMES IN GENERAL

Names owe their origin to the necessity of identification; names have beengiven to all created beings for this purpose, from the Holy Quran we knowthat Allah taught Adam the names of all things.

z=t ut y# uu!$oF{$#$y=....)(And He taught Adam all nam es. (Al-Baqarah, 36)

Every name conveys a special meaning and carries a clue to thedistinguishing features of the named. Allah has named manAdam and

Insan, both of which are in consonance with the distinctive characteristic ofhuman beings.

Identification is, however, not the only purpose of naming, had it been so,mere numbers would have sufficed in place of names. A house or an officecan be located by its number. The postman can easily deliver a letter to itsrecipient by reading an address consisting mainly of a number. Even so, the

owner of a house gives his newly built abode such significant and salutarynames as Shantikuthir(abode of peace), SnehaChhaya (shelter of affection),

Ashirbad (blessing) and so on. Even more imaginative names likeMalancha, Mitali, and Balaka are given to houses. These are notmerely names but embellishments as well.

If there had been no other purpose besides identification in regard to namingthen mere numbers would have served the purpose just as well. Parentswould not have to worry so much about selecting names for their children

or seeking the assistance of the Ulama for this purpose.

Naming in literature is more important than it is in life. Literature is born ofthe tender attributes and the fine sensibilities of the human mind and itgrows around them. Its charm is indescribable; that charm does not exist inthe pages of book but rather it extends by way of deep feelings into theheart of the readers. We do not keep the heroes and the heroines of novels


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confined within the boundaries of the authors writing, we paint them withthe colors of our own imagination and it is the name that helps us in thatpainting. It is no wonder that writers and poets take special care in namingtheir characters of their heroes and heroines in their writings.

Carlyle was right in saying: Giving a name, indeed, is a poetic art;all poetry if we go to that with it, is but a giving of names.

Man tries to give an extra-ordinary touch even to common inanimate objects

by giving them highly imaginative and sweet-sounding names. The wordTrain speaks for itself. It is merely materialistic. But when a train is given aname then it assumes an aura of distinctness peculiar to it alone. Even so,that name is only a way of identification. There is little difference between20-Up and 137-up in respect to speed and destination, but a special namecontains something that goes beyond name. Such names reach out to theworld of ideas beyond the frontier of the material. They give the train notonly identity but also a personality .

Personification of material objects is an expression of the creative mind ofman. Mangos are sold in crates in mango growing areas merely asmarketable commodities. There are many sweet and imaginary names ofmangoes which convey idealistic connotations of sweet, regal association.Names like Jannatul Ferdous, Hasnahana, Evening in Paris, Lavender

Dew, given toItar(scents) and perfumes cast a magic spell.

Shakespeare said that the rose looks beautiful whatever name is given to it.He did not perhaps have the opportunity to know that a thousand nameshave been given to the rose by the lovers of this flower. The beauty of therose as an inanimate object is confined to some sensible properties, whichmay not need spectacular names, but names like Piccadilly, Montezuma, andFlaming Sunset - contain super sensuous connotations which invest therose with a serene sublimity which is far above its sensible beauty orfragrance. Behind these names there is not the hand of the botanist but thefiner feelings of the poetic mind that take the physical beauty and charm ofthe rose into the realm of the ethereal and heavenly.


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Unlike material objects the characteristics of a person are not confined to abundle of sensible properties. Many are the facets of this identity. Theystand for different things in different fields and circles. A person may befound shopping in the morning, teaching at noon and shouting from thegallery of a stadium in the afternoon. He may be a dreaded boss in the officebut submissive husband to an over bearing wife at home. When, however, itcomes to the question of social relations, the name is determined by socialcustoms. We address different persons by different appellations according

to our relation to them. Such appellations vary from community tocommunity and from language to language; but these are in vogue from timeimmemorial. These are indeed forms of address, not names proper.

However valuable the name of a person may be for official identificationand transaction of mundane business, this does not exhaust all the shadesand traits of a personality. A particular name may fail to give expression tothe personalityof a man beyond his biological identity. Little beyondpungency, sharpness and tune can be expected from the chili, a sword and a

flute. But many are the facts and special qualities of human beings likeappearance, merit, courage, love, poise, patience and fortitude. Thepersonality of a man ranges across the entire spectrum of his materialconditions and spiritual yearnings. A single epithet cannot adequatelyconvey all the shades and nuance of personality. A single person has oftenhad many attributive names and epithets in the history. ProphetMuhammad () had many attributive names like Mustafa, Bashir, Nazir,Rasulullah and so on. Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) was Khalilullah (friend ofAllah), Moses (Musa) was Kalimullah (who converses with Allah), andJesus (Isa) was Ruhullah (soul of Allah). Ab Bakr became As-Siddq(strictly veracious); Umar bin Al-Khattab became Farq (he whodistinguishes truth from falsehood). Yusuf Al-Ayyubi is known asSalahuddin (reformer of the religion). The famous Ibn Taymiyyah is knownas Shaikhul Islam (spiritual head of Islam). These are not proper namesgiven by their parents, but attributive epithets and appellations that theirglorious career earned them. Many names in the world are thus earned.


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A mans name bears his religious identity. We may not know anythingabout Muhammad, Abdullah but at least we know that he is not a non-Muslim. In many cases the title of a man tells us about his occupation. Wemay have difference of opinion about the knowledge of a Moulavi orMoulana or about the honesty of a so-called Pr Sahib (a religious leader)but we have no doubt about what they do for a living. They must havesome other names like Abdullah or Abdur Rahman which can only befound out from a voter-list. The names of Hafezzi Hujur, Judge Sahib,Professor Sahib, Doctor Babu or Manager Babu remain concealed under the

position they hold and there remains no distinction between their positionsand titles. So names may have their origin in the occupations of people too.

Naming is a testimony to the thoughts and beliefs of man. Has anyoneheard the Shiah (Shiite) giving their children names like: Ab Bakr, Umar,Uthman, Mu'awiyah, Yazid, yeshah, Hafsa, etc. When a Madrasa(Islamic School in the Indo-Pak sub-continent) is set up by the Sunni, aname is added to it like Darul Ulum by a group, and Darul Hadith orSalafiah by another group. Giving such names shows the difference of

vision and attitude of the two groups although they are not differentfundamentally.

A name is such a common thing, like air and water that we do not botherabout its significance. A name is necessary for the transaction of worldlybusiness, from the office attendance register to the ration card, voter list andtitle deeds of property. A person without a citizenship is not inconceivablenow a days, but a person without a name finds himself nowhere in theworld. A name is also required after death; on the day of Resurrectioneveryone will be summoned by his or her names.

Only a few inherit material fortune at birth, but all children receive a nameafter coming into the world. Needless to say, a child has no part to play inthe selection of its name. Material affluence may enable one to havebeautiful clothes, valuable ornaments or cars of the latest model and even aspouse to ones liking; but we have no choice in the matter of names givenby the family. All of us are dependent on our parents in this respect. But


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names can undergo changes, corrections and refinement like later editions ofa book. Prophet Muhammad changed the names of many of hiscompanions/Sahabah. In keeping with that Sunnah (my humble self),Khairul Basharbecame Bashir.

Generally p eople take little responsibility over naming. Parents have to facecriticism for the faults, lapses and misdemeanor of their children, but noneof the kind for the names given to them. Of course, sometimes people areheard telling a person: Your parents have given you an appropriate name

indeed! But such remarks are made sarcastically. In fact, few people canlive up to their names. For this reason parents are rarely blamed ifAbdullah (servant of Allah) becomes grave-worshipper, Saleh (virtuous)commits murder, Sadeq (truthful) bears false witness or del (just) isfound guilty of injustice or felony. Parents are naturally affectionate, but itwould be naive to expect them to be seers of the future. A devout MuslimperformsIstakhara (asking Allah for proper guiding), but parents as carefuland chary as this in choosing the names of their children are rarely to befound.

Early people bestowed a name with definite consciousness of its meaning.In the Bible, a widow exclaimed:

Call me not Nomai (Pleasant), call me Mara (Bitter): for the

Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. (Ruth 1:20)

Today, people give little thought to meanings. A one-eyed son issometimes named Padmalochana (the lotus-eyed), as is evident from anoft-quoted Bengali proverb. An ugly-looking son is sometimes named

Hasanuzzaman (beautiful of the age) or Jaml (handsome), a dark-complexioned daughter is named Gouri (fair-complexioned). One comesacross such misleading names everywhere in the world.

Now-a-days people have a tendency of giving a name that no one else has;not at least in the locality or in word it will not be encountered anywhere.In this very way the desire and dreams of the self-conceited and


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competitive middle class people to be unique is encouraging them to indulgein giving peculiar, strange and difficult names. Sometimes the extension ofthis tendency leads to meaninglessness. A daughter is named Aniketa(homeless), Czarina, Rubina orRosina on the plea that it sounds good andno one is named like that anywhere. Parents in thiswaytry to triumph overtheir neighbors ortheir known circle but they neverthink what the meaningof the name is or whether such a name would be desirable for their daughter.With this purpose in mind someone has been named Niva (extinguish),which has no meaning or a ridiculous name like Qamrunnahar(the moon of

the day). A girl may have a name like Shelley orMummy, which is sad, butpleasing to the ear. Names like these may be pleasing to the ear but they arenot acceptable.

It is possible to avoid indecorous situations by following Islamic principlesin naming. It is futile to have fad names like Shah Alam (King of theuniverse),Jahangir(conqueror of the world), and Shah Jahan (emperor ofthe world) and so on when kingship withers away nowadays. Does it notsound fanciful to give names like Almas (diamond); Marjan (pearl) when

even gold is beyond the reach of most p eople? Affection is admittedly blindand imagination knows no bounds, but these should not be totally devoid ofa sense of p roportion.

Fantastic, impermissible names that smack of Shirk (polytheism) areassociated with over-adulation are found in plenty everywhere in theMuslim world, particularly the non-Arab Muslim countries due toignorance of the Arabic language. Unpleasantand ludicrous situations canbe avoided if one takes care to select suitable names for children afterconsulting the Ulama or authentic books on Islamic nomenclature like thispresent work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"A name fast anchored in the deep abyss of time is like a star twinkling in the firmamentcold, distant, silent, but eternal and sublime." William Hazlitt .


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NAMES IN ISLAM

Some people ignore the importance of a name. They quote fromShakespeare in support of their contention:

Whats in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

Juliets beautiful speech, which in context is a passionate plea for what isknown to be a lost cause, is often misinterpreted. Juliet does not believewhat she says even as she says it, and Shakespeare certainly did not believeit. He gives quite a different answer to his own question many times in hisplays and poems. With his usual genius, however, he makes Juliet askherself a timeless question, towhich there is an infinity of answers. Theinnumerable sub-editors who have echoed the question at the head of a

thousand columns simply acknowledge the fact.We must alsoacknowledge it, and attempt to find some answers.

To the Muslims a name is a very important thing. Every Muslim has toremember the name of Allah before beginning anything, saying:

0!$#uq9$#m9$#In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

We have to say immediately after Tahrimah:

.

O Allah, Glory to You! With Your praise and holiness, hallowed be

Yourname, Your Name is most blessed. There is no god except You.


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The name of Allah is so full of grace that one can be free from mishaps byrepeating this prayer in morning and the evening:

.

In the name of Allah (we begin), nothing can harm in the earth

and the sky for the grace of His name and He is the Hearer and the

Seer.

Not only that, when an animal is slaughtered with these words:

In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest - the meat becomes lawfulfor Muslims. If an animal is slaughtered in a name other than Allah it

becomes unlawful for Muslims. It is Shirk (polytheism) to pray or toinvoke in the name of any other deity other than Allah; and it militatesagainst Islamic Tawhid (monotheism). Allah declares in the Holy Quran:

d!u!$oF{$#4o_t:$#$$s$p5...)(The most beautiful names belong to Allah; so invoke Him by them. (Al-Araf: 1 80)

Allah is pleased if He is addressed by those names. Prophet Muhammad

said in this connection:

))((


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Abu Hurairah narrated: The Messenger of Allah said: Verily, thereare ninety-nine names of Allah; One hundred except one and who recites

them shall enter into Jannah (heaven).1Names are so important that Allah taught Adam () the names of allthings first. The Holy Quran testifies:

dz=t uty#uu!$oF{$#$y=.Oy ztn?ts3n=y9$#t$s)s6/ r&!$y r'/Iy

)F.t%|(#9$s%y7sys6z=!$us9)$t!$stF=t(y7)|M r&=y9$#3ut:$#t$s%y$tt;/ r&!$o r'/(!$n=s r't6/ r&!$o r'/t$s%s9r&% r&39o)n= r&|=xN uu9$#

F{$# un=r& u$tt7?$tuF.tF3s?)(And He taught Adam all names, then placed them before the

angels and said: Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.

They said: Glory be to You; we have no knowledge, save what you

have taught us: Verily it is You who are perfect in knowledge and

wisdom. He said:O Adam! Tell them their names. When hehad told them their names. Allah said: Did I not tell you that I know

the secret of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal

and what you conceal? (Al-Baqarah: 32-33)

The superiority of Adam was thus established over the sinless angels by histelling the names of all things. Allah will assemble all human beings on theDay of Judgment with distinctive names and identities. Ibn Umar related:

))][((

The Messenger of Allah said: When Allah brings together the firstand the last (groups of people) on the Day of Judgment, a flag will be raised

1 Bukhari, no: 2736, 6410, 7392; Muslim, no: 2677; Ahmad (Musnad), no: 2/267;At-Tirmidhi, no: 3507 &Ibn Majah no: 3860.


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(by Allah) for each for the persons guilty of breach of trust on that day, and

then it will be said: This is the perfidy of so and so, son of so and so. 2The Prophet further said:

)))((

Abu Ad-Dardaanarrated: The Messenger of Allah said: On the Day of Judgment, you will be called by your names and by your fathersnames; therefore, keep you good names.3 It is evident from the above quoted texts of the Quran and the Hadith thatnames are very significant both in this world and the hereafter, but it is anunpleasant truth that Muslims attach little importance to names and namingnowadays. A name is not only a means of identification of a person but alsobears testimony to his mentality and philosophy of life. Whenever a personcame to the Prophet , he invariably used to ask his name. He used to bepleased if the name was to his liking and changed it, if it was not. This

subject will be dealt with in greater detail in the next chapter.

2 Bukhari, (Adab) no: 6177, 6178; (Jazia & Muadia) no: 3188 and other places; Muslim(Jihad) no: 1735; Ahmad (Musnad): 1/441, 417; &Ibn Majah (Jihad) no: 2872.

3 Abu Daud (Adab)no: 4948; Ahmad (Musnad): 5/194; Daremy (Estadhan) no: 2697; &Ibn Hibban (Muarad) no: 1944.


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INFLUENCE OF GOOD OR BAD NAMES

Ibn Qayyem al Jauziah said in his famous book Tuhfatul Maudud fi

Ahkamil Maulud: A persons behavior, character and conduct follow a

pattern in consonance with his name. The Prophet was calledMuhammad (praised, commendable) and Ahmad (more laudable, more

commendable). In fact, he was the most praised person for his character;

the best in praising of Allah, and his followers had the best quality in

praising their Lord. He has, therefore, stressed the need for keeping good

names as a person bearing a good name refrains from evil deeds due to hissense of shame, and is prompted to act in accordance with the meaning of

his name. The people of upper classes of the society are found to have good

and excellent names while those of the lower strata have evil and bad

names consistent with their standard of life and status.

Stren Tristram, a modern English novelist rightly said: There is a strange

kind of magic bias which good or bad names irresistibly impress upon our

character and conduct. The Messenger of Allah was aware by virtueof his deep wisdom that a name can exert influences upon a mans

character. He, therefore, used to change the name of a person bearing a bad

name as soon as he came in contact with him and give him a good name.The following Hadith testifies to the influence of a bad or evil name upon a

person:

))((:))((:

.

Said ibn Musayyeb narrated through the chain of authority of his father

and grandfather. He (grandfather of the narrator) said: Once I went to the

Prophet He asked me: What is your name? I replied: Hazn (hard orrough ground). He said: You are Sahal (soft ground). He said: I will notchange the name given to me by my father. Ibn Musayyeb (grandson of the

man) said: Hardness persisted in the character of the people of our clan

since that time.32

32Bukhari (Adab) no: 6190, 6193; Abu Daud (Abad) no: 4956


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The pitiable consequence of evil and inauspicious names has been

mentioned in the Muwatta of Imam Malek:

)() (:)(:)(:

.)(:.:)(.

Yahya bin Said narrated: Umar ibnul Khattab asked a man: Whatis your name? He replied: Jamrah (firebrand). He again asked: Whose

son are you? He replied: Ibn Shihab (son of flame, blaze). He asked

again: To which clan (do you belong)? He replied: Minal Hurqah (from

burning). He asked further: Where is your abode (home)? He replied: Bi

Harrathin Nar (in extreme heat of fire). He asked finally: Which part ofthis? He replied: Bi Dhatel Laza (the flaming part). Umar said: Go and

see that your people have been burnt to ashes. It was as Umar said.33

The narrator said that he really found them burned to ashes on his return.

Umar ibnul Khattab realized by his wisdom and foresight that theburning of this family was inevitable because all of their names bore the

connotations of burning. As the prediction came out from the lips of a

truthful and righteous man like Umar it became true. The above

episode bears startling testimony to the disastrous consequences of an evil

name.

The bad or inauspicious name of a place may throw its people into dire

distress. Al-Husain reached a Maidan or field on the bank of theEuphrates after proceeding towards Kufa from Madinah, and inquired

about the name of the place. He was told that it was Karbala. He saidsurprisingly: Karb (grief, distress, torture) and Bala (tribulation, affliction)!

The episode of the great tragedy at Karbala stands out as a pathetic

commentary on the meaning of the name of the place.

33Imam Malek (Muatta) 2/973; Abdur Razzaq (Musannaf) no: 19864


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The Messenger of Allah disliked a person named Wahshi (means:wild, savage, brutal, ugly) for his actions which was as evil as his name.This was the man who succeeded in killing lion-hearted Hamzah in thebattle of Uhud. After embracing Islam he penitently took the vow of doing

something that would atone for his former misdeed. Allah, the Almighty,

accepted his remorseful prayer. It was this Wahshi who adroitly killed

Musailama, the liar (who claimed false prophet-hood during the life time ofthe Prophet) at the battle of Yamama, and commented: A great Muslim

was killed by me before I embraced Islam; I hereby compensate for it by

killing a notorious enemy of Islam.

The above episode shows that names of places and persons can have a greatimpact on the life of the man. So, it is important to take a great care and

caution in the selection of names. Bad or evil names, which a person has,

have an impact on his or her life. It is, therefore, rightly said that any evil or

bad words uttered by any form may bring difficulties and misfortune to

him. Abu Umar narrated:

)()))((:

The Prophet said: Words coming from ones mouth are largelyresponsible for (ones) tribulation and affliction. 34

A Hadith testifying to this runs thus: The Prophet went to see an oldman attacked with fever, and said to him in a soft affectionate tone: In-

Shaa-Allah, you will soon come round. But the old man said: This

disease in my old age will send me to the grave. The Prophet said:Be it so then.

35

The Messenger of Allah has enjoined us to keep good-hope, good-intention and

optimism. In line with this Ibn Qayyem Al-Jauziah said: "Nobody knows what is instore for him/her. High expectation can, therefore, yield some benefits." Many

ambitious people have gained something by virtue of their high expectation and hopes. Itis, therefore, important that a name should reflect good intention, hope and optimism. Themeaning of a name should not be bad or inauspicious.

Abu Bakr As-Siddique has warned in his Bayat (a Poem):

34Al-Khatib Baghdadi (Tarikh) 7389, Tuhfatul Mahdud p. 78

35Bukhari (Al-Manaqeb) no: 3616; (Mardaa) no: 5656, 5662; (Tawhid) no: 7470; Nasaey

(Al-Yam wal Laila) no: 1039. (At-Tarikh) 7/389


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Keep your tongue restrained otherwise evil utterances will make your

misfortune enduring. Surely, utterances of the mouth are responsible formany afflictions.

The author has heard a story from reliable sources illustrating this point.

No child was born to a certain woman for a long time. However, at last a

son was born to her and she became a widow after that. She, therefore,loved her only son very much and used to say out of excessive affection: O

my son! When you come of age, you will bring a bride who will quarrel

with me and will turn me out of the house, and so on... It happened that herdaughter-in law subsequently turned her out of the house. When people

asked the widow why she once uttered such evil and inauspicious words;she blamed her misfortune. People remarked: What this foul-mouthed

widow uttered has come to pass. Intelligent mothers admonish their

children in good words and never utter evil or inauspicious words and

expressions. Ahadith of the Prophet also asserts this point

))(( Let none of you say: my heart has become ill; one should rather say I

am not feeling well.36

It is evident from all these Hadith that the Prophet has eschewed theevil and the inauspicious, and has accepted the truth, beauty, and good. Hehas urged us to do the same. He has given clear instruction to always

express good intentions.

People used to say meaningful, auspicious farewell-greetings while taking

leave of near and dear ones. As the word Go sounds inauspicious sopeople say in Bengali:Accha Esho or Ashi (all right, come again or I may

come again); in Hindi the words: Fir Milenge (we will meet again); in

Urdu: Khuda Hafez (Allah is the Protector),Maas-Salama (with peace and

security) is used in Arabic. In English: Goodbye an abbreviated form of

God be with you; in French:Au Revoir(see you again);Auf Fider Jen (wewill meet again) is used in German.

Greetings are universally an expression of good will. It seems rather

puzzling why people do not exercise the desire for what is good and

36Bukhari (Adab) no: 6179; Muslim (Alfaz) no: 2251


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auspicious when selecting names for their children; why people invitemisfortune by giving them inauspicious or bad names!

Ibn Qayyem al-Jauziah wrote:

...Allah, the Almighty, through His Wisdom, Justice and Power inspires in

the minds to give names, and this is consistent with His wisdom and or itsmeaning as cause is consistent with its effect.

lbn Jinni wrote:

:.

Many times past, I heard a name but I did not understand its meaning; but

I derived a meaning from the letters and found later that it was identical or

near to the actual meaning.

When it was mentioned to Shaikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, he commented:

:.Such as this has happened to me many times.

It would not be inappropriate to cite some instances directly experienced by

the author. We had a classmate belonging to a rich family, good at studies

and games, a bit philosophical in attitude; but his nickname was Pacha (the

rotten). I used to joke with him over his name and he naturally used to be

annoyed with me. When I returned to my place of birth after a long stay

abroad, I heard the man had been turned out of the locality as people werevery much annoyed with his rash and indiscreet activities. What great

troubles his bad name thus brought to him! (Allah knows best). It is found

that people bearing names, which connote unhapp iness or bad omens often,

come to grief. Those having names that connote dullness, uselessness,fatness etc., have been found to be hardly better than their names.


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Good names bring fortune to men. A person having a beautiful name isfound to have a beautiful life. The name of the Prophet found itsauthentication in the unprecedented plenitude of his sacred life. After thebirth of the prophet, his grandfather Abdul Muttaleb brought him to the

Kaaba. People present there asked about the name of the child. Abdul

Muttaleb said in reply; Muhammad (most praised one). The Quraish

leaders remarked in wonder: We have not heard such a name before; names

are generally given after those of the gods and goddesses. AbdulMuttaleb replied: He will be praised and honored by all more than anyone

else. The desire of Abdul Muttaleb has been fully vindicated by the fame

and renowned earned by Muhammad . In the eyes of mankind he wasthe best of men for all times.

After the birth of Muhammad bin Abdullah a Bedouin woman cameand offered to be his wet-nurse. Abdul Muttaleb asked about her name.

She replied: Halimah. He then inquired about her clan. She replied that she

belonged to the Banu Sadclan. Excellent, excellent! exclaimed Abdul

Muttaleb in appreciation of the names and said: Halimah (Soft, patient) andSad (good luck, good fortune), both these names are combined in her; so

there is much good in her. Therefore, he entrusted Halimah with the

nursing of baby Muhammad.

The Prophet was compelled to migrate from Makkah to Madinah dueto the oppression of the unbelievers. A bounty of a hundred camels was

offered for the heads of Muhammad and Abu Bakr Siddique. The Prophet

quite understandably had to go by inaccessible places, deserts andhills with great caution and circumspection on his journey. Upon reaching a

certain place after encountering various difficulties, the Prophet haltedto take rest. A man appeared before him at that place. When the Messengerof Allah asked his name, he replied: Buraidah / (coldest; cool place).

Then the Prophet said to Abu Bakr; We have then reached a coolplace and our troubles became cold, He again asked him about his family

name. He replied:Banu Aslam / (safer). He said to Abu Bakr: We

are safe now. He further asked about his clan whereupon he replied:Sahm / (arrow). The Prophetsaid to Abu Bakr: Your arrow (of

danger) has passed.

When the Prophet reached Hudaibiya on his way to Makkah toperform Umrah with some of his companions, he sent Uthman bin Affan


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(may Allah be pleased with him) to the Quraish to explain the purpose oftheir journey, and waited there for his return. When there was an

unconscionable delay in his return everybody thought that the Quraish hadkilled him. They, therefore, took a firm pledge (baiyat) to avenge the killing

of Uthman by putting their hands into those of the Prophet under atree. At that crucial moment Uthman arrived back and with him came a

Quraishi leader with a proposal of peace. The name of this man was Suhail() means - the easiest. The Messenger of Allah said to Abu Bakr:Your task has become easy. This was followed by the famous Al-

Hudaibiya Truce between the Muslims and the Quraish. The influence of a

name is markedly noticeable here. Although the terms of the truce appearedunfavorable to the Muslims at first sight, it contained the potential of agreat victory. Allah has described this truce as Fathum Mubin/ Clear

Victory.

Awana bin Hakam narrated:

::

::.

When Ibn Zubair claimed himself to be the Khalifah, Abdullah bin Mutiestood up to take the Bayat (pledge, allegiance). Abdullah Bin Zubir

withdrew his hand and asked Ubaidullah bin Ali bin Abi Taleb to pledge

allegiance; but Ubaidullah said: O Musaiyeb! Stand up and pledge

allegiance. So, he stood up and pledged allegiance. The people

commented: He has refused to accept the Bayat of Ibn Mutie (obedient,loyal) and has accepted the Bayat of Musaiyeb (hardship, adversity); he

will, therefore, meet with hardship and difficulty in his affair.37

History bears testimony to the failure of the attempt of Ibn Zubair who waseventually killed. The influence of the meaning of a name is also noticeable

here.

37Tuhfatul Maulud: p. 79


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According to a narration: The Muslims met with failure in an encounterwith the non-believers during the reign of the Abbasids. At that time a

wise man advised the Muslims to change the name of their commander andto give him a good name. It was done, and the Muslims ultimately emerged

victorious.38

(Allah knows b est).

Inauspicious place names may also augur ill and may lead to disaster. The

tragedy of Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) at Karbala is known toall. Salma bin Muhareb says with reference to such an episode:

:Hajjaj bin Yusuf settled with his troops at a place named Dayer Qerra (the

stable place), and Abdur Rahman al-Ashath (commander of Ibn Zubair)settled his troops at a place named Dayer Jamajam (unstable place). Hajjaj,

therefore, remarked; the situation is under my control while his is

uncertain; by Allah! I will certainly kill him.39

The words of Hajjaj came

true.

A good and beautiful name also carries significance in oneirology or the

interpretation of dreams. Abu Umar mentioned in his Estedhkar which is

considered an authority on dream-interpretation:

))(())

((

The Prophetsaid: I have seen in a dream that we were in the house ofUqba (sequel) bin Rafe (high) and some Rutub (fresh dates) were

brought to us, from the (garden) ofIbn Taba (good, pleasant). I interpretedthis dream that we would have good sequel in this world, our position will

be high and our religion will be good and pleasant.40

38(Encyclopedia of Islam: P.

39Tahfatul Maudud p. 79

40Ahmad (Musnad) 3/213. 286; Muslim (Wasiya) no: 2270; Abu Daud (Adab) no:5025


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It is evident from the foregoing discussion that good and bad names have

their influence in the waking hours and even in sleep, in life and in death.Realizing this very fact the Prophet has emphasized the need formeaningful, auspicious and good names. Due to ignorance of Islamic

knowledge parents now a days give bad and evil names to their children

and thereby invite misery, misfortune and affliction in the lives of their

children.

Fate of every man is according to his name. (Arabic Proverb)


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A SURVEY OF MUSLIM NAMES: WITH SPECIALREFERENCE TO THE INDO-PAKISTAN

SUBCONTINENT

Names owe their origin to the necessity of identification, a need felt from

the very dawn of creation. Allah first taught Adam the names of allthings. Names, therefore, occupies a very important place in the history of

mankind. The system of naming has evolved through the ages. Names have

undergone additions, alterations and refinements with social, political,

economic and religious changes.

The Chinese were the first known people to acquire more than one name.

The Emperor Fushi is said to have decreed the use of family names, or

surnames, about 2852 B.C. The Chinese customarily have three names. Thefamily name, placed first, comes from one of the 438 words in the Chinese

sacred poem Po-Chia-Hsing. It is followed by generation name, taken from

a poem of 20 of 30 characters adopted by each family; and a milk name,

corresponding to a Christian name. In the United States, the Chinese often

follow Western practice and put the family name last.

In early times, the Romans had only one name, but later they also used the

praenomen, which stood first as the persons given name. Next came the

nomen, which indicated the gens, or clan. The last name, the cognomen,

designated the family. For example, Caesars full name was Gaius JuliusCaesar. A person sometimes added a fourth name, the agnomen to

commemorate an illustrious action or remarkable event. Family names

became confused at the fall of the Roman Empire, and single names once

again became customary.

Family names came into use again in Northern Italy about the late A.D.

900s, and became common about the 1200s. Noble families first adoptedfamily names to set them apart from the common people. The nobles made

these family names hereditary, descended from father to children. The

nobility called attention to their ancestors in this way. A family namebecame the mark of a gentleman, so the common people began to adopt the

practice too.

The Crusaders carried the customs of family names from Italy to the other

countries of Western Europe. Throughout Europe, wealthy and noble


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families first adopted family names. In the course of the evolution ofnomenclature the following categories of names p revailed in Europe:

1. Personal name2. Middle name or Christ ian name

3. Ancestral name

4. Place name

5. Occupational name

6. Title7. Nickname etc.

Before the birth of Rasulullah , Arabic names generally combined Ism(proper name), Nasab (family name), Nisbah (occupational name), Laqab

(title) and Kunyah (calling a person by adding Abu/father with his sonsname). The use of Kunyah was fairly widely prevalent among the Arabs.

Kunyah was in vogue even among the Israelites before the Arabs. The use

of Kunyah is found even in the epics like Iliad and Odyssey of Homer. But

the use of Kunyah gained the greatest currency among the Arabs. Hariri has

given an elaborate account of different Kunyah in his book Muqama. TheProphet maintained the Arab tradition of nomenclature but changedthe un-Islamic names. That tradition continued till the end of the Umayyad

period. During the Abbasid period presumptuous or highly ornamental

names became fashionable. The influence of the Persians was clearlydiscernible in this. Abbasid rulers are, therefore, found to have taken nameslike Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah (reliant on Allah), Al-Muhtasim Billah

(bound by a covenant with Allah) Al-Mustansir Billah (victorious by Allah)

and so on. Government functionaries were given special adjectival names

like Badruddin (full moon of religion), Saiful Islam (the sword of Islam),

Nizamul Mulk (order of the state) Shujauddowla (courage of the state) andso on. This Abbasid tradition nomenclature flowed into the new Muslim

society of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.

In subsequent times such ornamental and adulatory names came into

practice among the Sufis. The influence of the Persian language and Sufismwere the most important vehicle of preaching of Islam in the Indian

subcontinent. The Arabs had sown the seed of the monotheistic creed of

Islam on the polytheistic soil of India. This creed of Islam was, however,

nurtured there through the medium of the Persian language and Sufi

culture. The commentaries on the Quran and Hadith by the Muslimmissionaries were mostly in Persian language. Even the non-M uslim

citizens of India during the Muslim period learned Persian as the stage


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language. The influence of Persian in the naming of Indian Muslims is,therefore, quite natural. The Muslims of India used to give themselves and

their children Arabic and Persian names in place of the native ones. Persianused to be regarded as an Islamic language and the Ulama of that time did

not object to naming in Persian. As has been stated earlier, names reflecting

self conceit or self - glorification are most prominent in the Persian

language e.g. Shahen Shah (emperor of emperors) Jahangir (conqueror of

the world). Shajahan (king of the world) and so on. King Shajahan wasonce asked by an Alem why he bore the name Shajahan (king of world)

when he was only the king of India. The King said in reply that India was

the world to him hence he was Shajahan. The Mughal emperors had titles

attached to their names. For example: Babur bore the title Zahiruddin,

Humayun82

bore the title Nasiruddin. Akbar Jalaluddin, JahangirNuruddin, Shahjahan had the title Shihabuddin and Auragazeb bore the title

Muhiuddin. Such practice existed among the Muslim rulers both before and

after the Mughal period. The common people were influenced by this. An

Arabic proverb says:

People follow the way of their kings.

Muslims rulers of India used titles as proper names in conjunction with

words like Deen (religion), Doula (state), Mulk (kingdom) e.g.,

Nasiruddin, Alauddin, Shujauddoula, Nuzamul Mulk and so on. The

practice of giving names that contained the word Deen prevailed mostwidely among the general mass of Muslims in India. Compound names

formed by pre-fixing different names to the names of Allah were also

widely p revalent among them e.g., Habibullah, Matiur Rahman, Shamsul

Haque, Aminullah and so on. Such names were often preceded by

Muhammad, the name of the Prophet . There is no doubt that namingsomeone Muhammad is an expression of love and respect for Prophet

Muhammad , but in Islam merely love and respect to Rasulullah is

not enough. His Sunnah should be reflected in our deeds and actions.Adding Muhammad before a name is not a Sunnah of naming. Muslims,

82Humayun a historical name widely found in India and other countries, but it is an oddname in the Arab world. When my father came to Saudi Arabia in 1955, he became known

as Abdur Rahman instead of Muhammad Humayun K abir. In order to avoid offi cialentanglement he decided to keep his former name. Humayun has not been in cluded in the

list of names that appear in this book. Humayun is a Persian word, which means blessed. Ifthis is the case then it is objectionable. Please see chapter: Worst Names.


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during the great epoch of Rasulullah and in the later ages of theRightly Guided Khalifahs and later on, never p refixed Muhammad or

suffixed Ahmad (Ahmed- corrupted form) to their names. They rather usedMuhammad or Ahmad as an independent name, which is laudable.

Muslims in the Indo-Pak subcontinent prefixed Muhammad to their names

to distinguish themselves from the Hindus and to show their identity. In

this tradition Musammat is prefixed to womens names e.g., M usammatFiroja Khatun. It is reasonable to prefix Muhammad to the names of the

followers of Prophet Muhammad but the word Musammathas beenprefixed as an alternative to the word Muhammad and with the aim of

expressing ones Islam. The word Musammat is not at all a feminine form

of the word Muhammad. It is a corrupted form of the word Musammah,that means: named or called, andMusammatis its plural form. This word

is used for both genders. The Mullahs of the Indo-Pak subcontinent have

derived this word Musammiat by adding the Arabic feminine ending )( tothe end of Musamma. The use of Musammat before a feminine name isunnecessary and meaningless.

Adding Khatun to the end of a womans name is an innovation of non-

Arabs in Islamic naming. Khatun is a Persian word that means: an

aristocratic lady- generally married. In some Muslim places it is suffixedrandomly to the name of married, unmarried or even widow. So, adding

Musmmat and Khatun as a prefix and suffix to a womans name is useless

and unnecessary.

The Shiah influence is noticeable in the nomenclature of Muslims of theAbbasid period and among the Indian Muslims. The Shiah succeeded

subtlety in foisting their particular shade of belief on these Muslims

through names. Names like Ali, Hasan, Husain command the respect and

reverence of all. Names like Abid Ali (worshipper of Ali), Abid Hasan

(worshipper of Hassan), Zakir Husain (invoker of Husain), Zakir Ali(invoker of Ali) Sajjad Husain (who prostrate to Husain) and so on, are

highly objectionable in their meanings. Such names, in this sense, are

considered un-Islamic, but names like Abid ibn Ali (Abid, son of Ali),

Zakir ibn Husain (Zakir, son of Husain), Sajjad ibn Ali (Sajjad, son of

Ali) etc., are permissible and are desirable in accordance with Islamicprinciples. Due to ignorance of the Arabic language compound names

formed by juxtaposing two or more names or words are, in most cases,


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objectionable. Such blunders in naming are committed mostly due to adisregard of Islamic principles.

Shiahs add the suffix Ali to their names according to their beliefs.

Among the Shiah, theAlawwis, Nusaiyeris and Druze sects take Ali as I lah (One whom to be worshipped). The Ithna Ashariyin (followers of

Twelve Imams), the largest Shiah sect ascribe pre-eminence to Ali over Abu Bakr As-Siddique , Umar and Uthman . Therealization of this creed is seen in different sphere of their lives. The

addition of Ali in naming shows a clever manipulation of that creed. The

Sunnis are trapped in their manipulation. So, names like Band-e- Ali

(Slave of Ali), Hedayet Ali (Guided by Ali), Kudret-e-Khuda (Power ofGod) etc., are not only objectionable but are contrary to Islamic belief. In

the same manner, naming people by adding Hasan, Husain may be

objectionable if these two words are not properl

a guide to islamic names

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