The Criterion for Naming Children
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Your Eminence! May Allah preserve you! In this time, there has been a great opening up regarding names, so people have started naming their offspring with many names, some of which are taken from the Noble Qur'an, such as the names of the surahs (like Anfal) and others, and some are names that may involve imitation and so on. Is there a criterion for a name that contains a prohibition? And what is the best?
By Allah, it appears that people have opened up to names, so they have turned away from the old names, and from the recent names close to them, to new strange names,As you said: Some of them have started naming with what is specific to the Qur'an, such as: (Bayan) or (Furqan), and some of them name: (Malak) or (Malik), and some of them name (Abrar) and so on.
So whatever resembles what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, or what he changed, it is forbidden and must be changed. And with that, the original ruling in it is permissibility; because the legal principle that a student of knowledge should understand is that (the original ruling in matters other than acts of worship is permissibility), whether in customs, or in benefits, or in others, the original ruling in them is permissibility, except for what there is evidence for its prohibition. And as for (acts of worship, the original ruling in them is prohibition except for what there is evidence for their being prescribed).
But like: (Bayan), we say: Do not name with it; because Bayan is one of the names of the Qur'an, and this woman is not a Bayan, she may not be one who clarifies, let alone being a Bayan.
And likewise (Abrar), if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed the name (Bura) to (Zaynab) or to (Juwayriyah), then (Abrar) is more deserving of change; because (Bura) is feminine and singular, and (Abrar) is masculine and plural.
And likewise (Iman), it is not named with it.
And likewise the names of the angels, so if a person wants to name with the names of the angels,We said: Do not name with them,Like a person naming: (Jibril) and (Mikail) and (Israfil).
And the best is that you return to the book (Tuhfat al-Wadud fi Ahkam al-Mawlad) by Ibn al-Qayyim, for he mentioned something valuable in it, and I think that Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd has authored a treatise on this topic.
The questioner: So is the change obligatory?The Shaykh: The name that contains a legal prohibition, the change is obligatory in it; like (Abrar), as the Messenger changed, it is changed.
By Allah, it appears that people have opened up to names, so they have turned away from the old names, and from the recent names close to them, to new strange names,As you said: Some of them have started naming with what is specific to the Qur'an, such as: (Bayan) or (Furqan), and some of them name: (Malak) or (Malik), and some of them name (Abrar) and so on.
So whatever resembles what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, or what he changed, it is forbidden and must be changed. And with that, the original ruling in it is permissibility; because the legal principle that a student of knowledge should understand is that (the original ruling in matters other than acts of worship is permissibility), whether in customs, or in benefits, or in others, the original ruling in them is permissibility, except for what there is evidence for its prohibition. And as for (acts of worship, the original ruling in them is prohibition except for what there is evidence for their being prescribed).
But like: (Bayan), we say: Do not name with it; because Bayan is one of the names of the Qur'an, and this woman is not a Bayan, she may not be one who clarifies, let alone being a Bayan.
And likewise (Abrar), if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed the name (Bura) to (Zaynab) or to (Juwayriyah), then (Abrar) is more deserving of change; because (Bura) is feminine and singular, and (Abrar) is masculine and plural.
And likewise (Iman), it is not named with it.
And likewise the names of the angels, so if a person wants to name with the names of the angels,We said: Do not name with them,Like a person naming: (Jibril) and (Mikail) and (Israfil).
And the best is that you return to the book (Tuhfat al-Wadud fi Ahkam al-Mawlad) by Ibn al-Qayyim, for he mentioned something valuable in it, and I think that Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd has authored a treatise on this topic.
The questioner: So is the change obligatory?The Shaykh: The name that contains a legal prohibition, the change is obligatory in it; like (Abrar), as the Messenger changed, it is changed.