The Ruling on Changing an Unpleasant Name and Advice to Parents on Choosing Names
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Question:
What is the ruling on a person’s name in this world and his name in the Hereafter, even if it is an unpleasant name? What is your advice to one who is afflicted with an unpleasant name and has no power to change it? Does he remain with this name until Allah takes his soul? And what is your advice to fathers and mothers regarding choosing good names for their sons and daughters? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Choosing a good name is among the rights of the child over his father. If he names him with an unpleasant name, he is at fault for that, and he must change the name. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed the names of some of the Companions when they embraced Islam, as their names were not good, and he changed them to good names. It is obligatory to change a name if it contains something forbidden, such as if a person is named “Servant of the Ka’bah” or “Servant of Al-‘Azah” or “Servant of So-and-So.” It must be changed, because servitude is not permissible except for Allah the Mighty and Majestic. One should be named Abdullah, Abd al-Rahman, Abd al-Aziz, and so on, from the names of Allah the Exalted.
In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best of names are Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman.” There is no harm if the questioner changes his name, or if the female questioner changes her name; this is not impossible. Rather, it is very easy. As for the Hereafter, Allah knows best. Matters of the Hereafter require evidence. Does he remain with his name from this world and keep it in the Hereafter, or does he not? This is for Allah to know; it requires evidence.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you.
What is the ruling on a person’s name in this world and his name in the Hereafter, even if it is an unpleasant name? What is your advice to one who is afflicted with an unpleasant name and has no power to change it? Does he remain with this name until Allah takes his soul? And what is your advice to fathers and mothers regarding choosing good names for their sons and daughters? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Choosing a good name is among the rights of the child over his father. If he names him with an unpleasant name, he is at fault for that, and he must change the name. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed the names of some of the Companions when they embraced Islam, as their names were not good, and he changed them to good names. It is obligatory to change a name if it contains something forbidden, such as if a person is named “Servant of the Ka’bah” or “Servant of Al-‘Azah” or “Servant of So-and-So.” It must be changed, because servitude is not permissible except for Allah the Mighty and Majestic. One should be named Abdullah, Abd al-Rahman, Abd al-Aziz, and so on, from the names of Allah the Exalted.
In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best of names are Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman.” There is no harm if the questioner changes his name, or if the female questioner changes her name; this is not impossible. Rather, it is very easy. As for the Hereafter, Allah knows best. Matters of the Hereafter require evidence. Does he remain with his name from this world and keep it in the Hereafter, or does he not? This is for Allah to know; it requires evidence.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل اسم الشخص المسمى به في الدنيا هو اسمه في الآخرة حتى وإن كان اسما غير حسن؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.