How to name a child in islam

How to welcome new-born child in Islam

Children are a source of delight and an adornment for the world granted by Allah to their parents. They give vigour to the hearts, joy to the souls and pleasure to the eyes. They are the fruit from whom good is to be hoped for when they frequently supplicate “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.”

They are the ones in every nation upon whom hope for the future lies, and they are the youth of tomorrow upon whose shoulders the call to Islam is carried. Indeed Islam has elevated the status of children and has laid down manners for their treatment through different stages, which start with the manners of welcoming the new born child.

Our Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was a living example, educating, cultivating the Muslims upon the practices of Islam, teaching them how to worship their Lord in the best of ways. But a number of Muslims have strayed from his pure teachings and have substituted that which is gold for that which is worthless.

Encouragement to have children:

Allah, Almighty, Says (what means): “…So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you…” [Qur’an 2: 187]

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Marry the loving and fertile because through you, I will compete with the nations for superiority in numbers.”[Abu Daawood, Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan]

It is important that the parents bring up their children upon righteousness, so that the parents will benefit from them during their lives and after their death.

What has preceded applies equally to both boys and girls, and indeed Islam has encouraged the bringing up of girls, and Allah condemns those that are distressed at the birth of a girl. The Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood - he and I will come together on the Day of Resurrection (like this) - and he interlaced his two fingers. ” [Muslim]

Giving the good news of the birth:

The near of kin who are anxiously waiting should be informed so that they can stop worrying and congratulate the parents and supplicate for the baby. Allah mentions this good news being conveyed to a number of His Prophets, such as Zakariyyaa’ of his son Yahyaa, may Allah exalt their mention. Allah Says (what means): “So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, ‘Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous’.”[Qur’an 3: 39]

Calling the Athaan in the ear of the newborn:

The first practice to do is to call the Athaan in the ear of the baby, so that the first words that the baby hears is the name of Allah, and the Kalimah (There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).

It is to be called immediately after the birth, or very soon afterwards as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam did with his grandson Al-Hasan, as is related by Abu Raafi’ who said: “I saw the Prophet call the Athaan in the ear of Al-Hasan Ibn ‘Ali when his mother Faatimah gave birth to him. ” [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi and Abu Daawood]

It should be given with its usual wording in a voice which is audible to the baby, not so loudly that it risks harm to the baby or alarms it.

The Sunnah has not specified as to which ear it should be given, however the Messenger of Allah used to love to do good actions starting from the right, so it would be more appropriate to give the Athaan in the right ear.

The Tahneek:

This means to softening or chewing a date and then rubbing the palate of the new-born with it just after the birth or soon after. This is done by putting a piece of the softened date on the finger and rubbing it from left to right in the mouth of the baby.

Ibn Hajr said: “If one is not able to find a dry date, then a fresh date should be used, and if that is not available then anything sweet.”

It is not essential to chew the date rather it may be softened in any way.

It is done by the father or the mother or anyone from the people of knowledge whose supplication is hoped would be accepted. So he should perform Tahneek and supplicate for the child as was the practice of the Companions.

Imaam An-Nawawi said: “Scholars are agreed upon the recommendation of performing Tahneek upon the baby after its birth.” [Sharh Saheeh Muslim]

Aa’ishah radhiallah ‘anha reported: “New-born children used to be brought to the Messenger of Allah and he would supplicate for blessings for them, and rub a chewed date upon their palate.” [Muslim]

Naming the child:

The baby may be named on the day of its birth, third day, or later on the seventh day or past the seventh day, as this is what is clear after study of all the evidences from the Sunnah.

It is the father or the mother who choose the name for the baby. If they differ amongst themselves then it is the father who has the choice, he may name it himself or give his wife the right to choose. The fact that this is the right of the father is shown by the principle that the child is ascribed and attributed to the father, as Allah Says (what means): “Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah…” [Qur’an 33: 5]

It is also allowed for the parents to allow others to name the child, since our Prophet used to name some of the children of his Companions .

The name should carry a good and praiseworthy meaning as the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “On the Day of Resurrection, you will be called by your names and your fathers’ names, so make your names good.” [Abu Daawood]

It is recommended to call oneself Abdullaah (a servant of Allah) or the servant of any of the names of Allah. Then it is recommended to name a child after a Prophet, due to the Hadith: “Call yourselves by the names of the Prophets.” [Abu Daawood]

And the hadith: “A son was born to me this night and I called him after my forefather Ibraheem.” [Muslim]

Then it is recommended to name the child after any pious person in the hope that it will become like him/her. Then it is recommended to name by any name which has good meaning.

It is forbidden to name a child with a name that denote servitude to other than Allah, for example Abd An-Nabi, Abd Ar-Rasool, etc., just as it is forbidden to name them with names that are particular to the non-Muslims like George, Michael, Susan, etc.

The names of tyrants and evil personalities should be avoided such as Pharaoh, Qaroon, Abu Lahab, etc. Likewise it is disliked to name with the names of the chapters of the Qur’an like ‘Taa Haa’ or ‘Yaa Seen’ as is reported from Imaam Maalik and others. There is no authentic Hadith which ascribes the above two as being names of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

The ‘Aqeeqah:

After the seventh day of the arrival of the new-born, as a form of welcome for it and to give thanks to the One who gave the blessings, it is prescribed to slaughter a sheep. The Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “Every child is in pledge for it’s ‘Aqeeqah which is sacrificed for it on its seventh day, and it is named on it, and its head is shaved.” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmidhi]

If the new-born is a boy then two sheep are to be sacrificed, and if it is a girl then one sheep. This is the position of the majority of the scholars and Companions. The Prophet said: “For the boy two equal sheep, and for the girl, a single sheep. ” [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi]

The sacrifice is done by the father or a close relative, for our Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam performed the ‘Aqeeqah for his two grandsons. It is also obligatory to mention the name of Allah over it while sacrificing, and if a close relative is performing the ‘Aqeeqah then he adds, “this ‘Aqeeqah is the ‘Aqeeqah of so and so” mentioning the name of the person on whose behalf he is performing the ‘Aqeeqah, as is reported in a Hadith related by Al-Bayhaqi.

Shaving the baby’s head:

On the seventh day after the birth, the head of the baby should be shaved. So when Al-Hasan was born, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam told his daughter, Faatima radhiallah ‘anha: “Shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver to the poor.”[Ahmad, At-Tabaraani and Al-Bayhaqi]

It is not permissible to shave a part of the head and leave a part, as this was prohibited by the Messenger as reported by Al-Bukhari.

The shaving should be done after the sacrifice, and our pious predecessors liked to rub some perfume over the baby’s head after the shaving.

Then it is prescribed to give the value of the baby’s weight of hair in silver in charity, and it is recommended to give this charity on the seventh day also, but it is not necessary to do so, and may be delayed.

Circumcision:

It is prescribed that the boy be circumcised, it is recommended that the circumcision take place on the seventh day, but it is obligatory to circumcise before the boy reaches puberty.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

When we want to teach our children Tawheed (i.e. Islamic monotheism) should we have to read classical texts and books in this regard?

No, this is not needed in the early stages of their lives because this requires long hours of attentiveness and hard work, which is difficult for children.

Later in life, one can do so when their level of comprehension allows them to grasp what is being read and said to them. Initially, one can convey what he wants in the form of relating stories of the companions of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam who gave precedence to their faith and to worshipping Allah over living in their homelands and amongst their families and tribes, and highlight that this was because the companions realised that the reason why Allah created us was for the sole purpose of worshipping Him.

One may resort to other means of teaching them, such as:

Utilising Qur’anic study circles:

In such a case the parent may stop at certain verses which address a specific aspect of Tawheed and explain it. An example for this is the verses addressing the story of Prophet ‘Eesaa and that he was not crucified as the Christians claim, but the parent must choose simple phrases that are within the level of the child’s understanding and comprehension.

Relating stories of the Prophet and his companions and other heroes in Islam:

Children like hearing stories, and thus the parents should take advantage of this interest in them. One should not simply relate the story without highlighting certain matters and emphasising on the lessons one can extract from these stories.

Commenting on some events:

One can remind the children with the massacre that took place to the Muslims in Bosnia and the atrocities that are currently taking place to the Muslims in Palestine, Iraq and other places and make it clear for them that their suffering is because of their faith and because they are Muslims. This will make the child sympathise with his fellow Muslims.

Exploiting certain situations:

When the child is ill, the parent can instill in him the principle that Allah Alone is the One Who can cure and that medicine is but a means and that it is Allah Who made it a cause to cure. Clarify that Allah is The Only One who can benefit or cause harm, and He is the only One to seek refuge in to lift any harm. Parents should exploit all other situations to instill different principles of Tawheed.

Setting a good example:

A parent could be a means to instill certain values and basics of Tawheed through his or her conduct and actions. For example, a parent may praise a person in front of his children only because he is a righteous one or a one who fights Jihaad. Likewise, a parent may dispraise another person because he is a disbeliever.

This clarifies to the children one of the principles of faith, and that is love and hatred are both done for the sake of Allah and not because so and so person deprived us form a job or money that we wanted. Parents should be careful in front of their children lest the children adopt a bad habit, because it is the parents who have the most effective influence on the children.

Correcting wrong concepts or words:

During the child’s daily activities, they may utter or do something Islamically wrong or contradicting to Tawheed and it is the role of the parents to correct them. The child may swear by other than Allah, and it becomes mandatory upon the parents to clarify that this is a form of disbelief and associating with Allah, and so forth.

A child may hear at school that Santa is a nice man who brings gifts and nice things, then the parents must explain that this Santa is a symbol for non-Muslims (namely the Christians) and that he is nothing but a myth made up by them, and that the only One Who Has the power to benefit or cause harm is Allah Alone.

Likewise, if the child sees on TV that a certain character controls the wind or the rain, the parents must make it clear that this is association with Allah and that these are qualities that are exclusive to Allah.

These were some suggestions of simple and important means and methods through which parents can clarify aspects and principles of Tawheed to their children.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Cultivation in Islam is very important, for indeed all of the religion is based upon upbringing. It starts first of all with of our own selves, then of our families, and then of the community at large. But this cultivation is most important with respect to our children, so that they are brought up upon the correct path of Islam.

Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/

Chapter 24: Naming the Child | Principles of Upbringing Children

One of the prime responsibilities of the parents is the selection of a name for the new-born child. They should not treat this important thing as a triviality. Individuals and families are recognized with their names. If the name is affable the person will be well received by the people. Persons with unpleasant sounding names will not get good attention from others and sometimes even they might ridicule them. The persons who are given improper names will be victims of inferiority complex. Therefore Islam requires the parents to exercise care in selecting good names for their children.

The Holy Prophet has said:

“It is the responsibility of every father to choose a good name for his child."1

“The children have three rights over their fathers. The first is that they are given good names. Secondly, they are provided good education; and lastly, they help them to select good spouses. "2

Imam Musa al-Kadhim said:

‘The first good that a father does to his child is that he selects a worthy name for him."3

On the other hand the name of a person has a lot of social significance too. It is his name, which gets recognition to a person that he belongs to a respectable family. If the parents have high regard for a well-known poet, they may name their child after him. If the parents are fond of high learning they may select the name of a reputed scholar.

The highly religious parents name their children after the prophets, the Imams and other religious personalities. If the parents desire their children to struggle in the cause of the faith, they name them after Muhammad, ‘Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Abul Fadhl, Abbas, Hamza, Jaffar, Abu Dharr, Ammar, Saeed etc.

If the parents are enamored of any sport they like to name their children after renowned players of that sport. Similarly if the parents appreciate the art of any musician, they may prefer to name their child after that person.

When the nature of the parents is tyrannical, they take pride in naming the child after historical personalities like Alexander, Changes, Timor etc. It is noticed that while naming the child the parents generally associate themselves with certain groups and people of the past this will have a definite impact on the nature and thinking of the child when he grows up.

The Holy Prophet has said:

“Keep good names, because on the Day of Judgment you will be called by these names only. It will be proclaimed, ‘so-and-so son of so-and-so Rise and get associated with your light, So-and-so, son of so-and-so Arise that there is no light for you that can guide you!’”4

One person said to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, “We name our children after your name and the names of your revered ancestors. Is this beneficial for us. ”The Imam replies, “Yes By Allah’s faith anything else than love for the pious and hate towards the profane!"

For the propagation of their beliefs people derive benefit from every opportunity to project the names of the important personalities. They go to the extent of naming the towns, streets and other landmarks after important personalities. A responsible and devoted muslim too takes every opportunity to perpetuate the names of the great personalities of Islam and one of such acts is to name his children after them.

Yes Hasan, Husayn, Abul Fadhl, ‘Ali Akbar, Hur, Qasim, Hamza, Ja’far, Abu Dharr, Ammar are amongst the names which enliven the spirit to remember the valiant acts of the great persons and encourage the coming generations to groom themselves on those models. When a person is named after the Holy Prophets like Ibrahim, Musa, Isa or Muhammad he is bound to have a feeling that he must try to be as righteous a person as he can. When a person is named after the friends and devotees of the Holy ahl al bait like Abu Dharr, Maithum and Ammar he will realise the significance of the deeds of those great men. An intelligent Muslim will not give the names of tyrants and enemies of Islam to his children.

Imam Baqir says:

”Beware of the Satan When he hears that someone is called as Muhammad and ‘Ali, he melts in such a way as the lead melts and when he hears that someone is named after one of our enemies he is overwhelmed with happiness. "5

The Prophet of Islam said:

“Whoever gets four sons, and he has not named even one after me has been cruel on me."6

Imam Muhammad Baqir said:

“The peerless names are the names of the Prophets."

The Holy Prophet attached so much importance to names that if he did not like the name of any companion or a place, he would immediately change the name. He changed the name of Abd al Shams to Abd al Wahab. He named Abd al Uzza ( the slave of Uzza the idol) to Abd Allah. Abd al Haris (the tiger) to Abd ar Rahman and Abd al Ka’aba to Abd Allah.

1. Wasail al-shiah, v2, p. 618
2. Wasail al-shiah, v104, p. 92
3. Wasail al-shiah, v15, p. 122
4. Wasail al-shiah, v15, p. 123
5. Wasail al-shiah, v15, p. 127
6. Ibid.

Names of children for Muslims: their meaning and features of choice

One of the most significant events in any family is the birth of a child. As soon as a new person is born, his parents face the question of choosing a name. This step of the mother and father should be approached with particular seriousness.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed: “Indeed, on the Day of Resurrection you will be called by your names and the names of your fathers. So call the children beautiful names! (narrated by Abu Dawud).

Male names in Islam

It is desirable to call boys the following names (a more extensive list is given here):

1. Names that are formed by adding the particle "abd" (translated from Arabic means "slave") to one of the names of the Almighty

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Before the Lord, the best names are Abdullah and Abdrahman” (Muslim). As follows from the above hadith, the best names can be considered those that mean "slave of Allah" and "slave of the Merciful".

However, a child can also be named by adding any other of the 99 names of the Almighty to the particle “abd”. Their meaning will be similar, which means that such names are also considered good. For example: Abdul-Malik ("Slave of the Lord of all"), Abdul-Aziz ("Slave of the Mighty"), Abdul-Basyr ("Slave of the All-seeing"), Abdul-Karim ("Slave of the Most Generous"), Abdul-Hakim ("Slave of the Wise ”), Abdul-Hamid (“Slave of the Praiseworthy”), Abdennur (“Slave of the Enlightening One”), Abdul-Bari (“Slave of the Creator”).

2. Names of Prophets

Also, newborns can be given the names of prophets, who are the most worthy of people. For example: Idris, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishak, Yusuf, Musa, Harun, Daoud, Suleiman, Yunus, Yahya, Isa, Muhammad.

It should be noted that the Grace of the Worlds Muhammad (s.g.v.) named one of his sons by the name of the Prophet Ibrahim (s.a.). This is evidenced by the hadith: “Tonight my son was born, and I named him after my father Ibrahim, may Allah bless him” (Muslim).

3. Names of righteous caliphs, companions of the Prophet (s. g.v.), tabiins

The names of the greatest people who have made an invaluable contribution to the spread of Islam are also considered good. They were the righteous caliphs, companions and tabiins: Usman, Abu Bakr, Ali, Umar, Saad, Talha, Khalid, Zubair, Anas, Hamza, Bilal.

4. Names with good meaning

You can also give the child a name that has a good meaning. For example: Muslim (“Muslim”), Amir (“ruler”), Adil (“fair”), Amin (“faithful”), Zinnur (“radiant”), Ilham (“inspired”), Insaf (“educated”) , Irek ("free"), Ihsan ("kind"), Kemal ("ripe"), Mansur ("victorious"), Munir ("illuminating"), Nariman ("strong"), Nurislam ("light of Islam") , Rais ("leader"), Rasul ("messenger"), Salman ("healthy"), Samir ("interlocutor"), Umit ("desired"), Farid ("unsurpassed"), Anwar ("shining"), "Assad" (lion), etc.

Muslim female names

You can find a huge selection of desirable names for Muslim girls at the link. They can be generally grouped according to the following criteria:

1. Names formed by adding to the names of the Most High ending, characteristic of female names

In this case, the situation is similar to male names, but instead of the particle "abd" we add a female ending. For example: al-Karim - Karima, al-Aziz - Aziz, al-Malik - Malika, al-Hamid - Hamida. 2. The names of the greatest women mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and the hadiths of the Prophet (s.g.v.) Examples include Maryam, Asiya, Fatima, Khadija, Aisha.

3. Names with good meaning

For example: Aigul ("moon flower"), Jamila ("beautiful"), Camila, Camilla ("perfect"), Kadriya ("dear"), "Leyla" ("night"), Madina (derived from the name of the city of Medina ), Nazira (“blooming”), Safiya (“pure”), Tanzila (“sent down from above”), Shamsia (“sunny”), Yasmina (“jasmine-like”).

Names not to be given

1. Names of the Almighty: ar-Rahman (“The Merciful”), al-Malikul-Mulk (“King of Kings”), as-Sabur (“The Most Patient”), ar-Rahim (“The Merciful”), al -Quddus ("Holy"), al-Bari ("Creator"), al-Aziz ("Powerful"), ar-Razzak ("Giving"), al-Latif ("Insightful"), etc.

2. Names symbolizing the worship of anyone other than the Creator: Abdurrasul (“Slave of the Messenger”), Abdul-Kaaba (“Slave of the Kaaba”), Abdunnabi (“Slave of the Prophet”), Abdushshams (“Slave of the Sun”) ”), Abdul-Qamar (“Slave of the moon”), etc.

3. Names that do not have a very good meaning: Iblis ("Satan"), Himar ("donkey"), Asiya ("rebellious"), Haram ("sin"), Kafir ("unbeliever").

Names that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade to call children \ Video

It is prescribed by the Sunnah on the seventh day after the birth of a child to give him a name. Preferably, first give a name to the child, and then, for , make a sacrifice (‘aqiqa) for him. The primary right to name the child is the father, then his father (grandfather of the child), then the mother of the child.

It is the duty of parents to give their child not only a good upbringing based on the principles of piety and faith, but also a beautiful name with a good meaning. The most beloved name for Allah Almighty is Abdullah , then ‘Abdurahman. Then the best names are all names that begin with the word ‘Abdu. The value of these names lies in the fact that these names contain the name of Allah, His attributes, as well as the name that most corresponds to the slaves, that is, indicates that he is a slave - “‘abdu”.

There are especially many virtues in naming a child Muhammad . It was narrated that on the Day of Judgment, out of respect for the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), people with the name Muhammad will say: “ Get up and go to Paradise ” (except for those who are a sinner, oppressor and innovator in religion). Ahmad is also a valuable, worthy name.

It is undesirable to give children such names as Shihab (shooting star), Harb (war), Murrat (bitter). It is also undesirable to give the names Barakat (grace), Aflah (prosperous), Rabah (profit), Yasar - (welfare), Mubarak (blessed), because when someone asks: “Is he there?”, But he is not there it turns out that they will say to him: “He does not exist,” that is, there is no grace, profit, and so on.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade naming children after idols or other names that, in their meaning, contradict the canons of Islam.

Therefore, it is forbidden to give children the name Malikul-muluk (ruler of rulers), as this is the name of Allah. It is also forbidden to give children the names ‘Abdunabiyi (slave of the prophet), ‘Abdukaabati (slave of the Kaaba), ‘Abduddar (slave of the house). It is also forbidden to give children the name Shahinshah, as it means "ruler of rulers."

Some scholars say that it is undesirable to give children such names as Jarullah (neighbor of Allah), Rafikullah (friend of Allah). And other scientists write that it is even forbidden.

If a child has an ugly, bad name, then this name should be changed to a beautiful one. The hadeeth says: " On the Day of Judgment you will be called by your names, so call your children beautiful names ".

Recently there has been a tendency to call their children sonorous names that have been adopted from other cultures, in particular from the West. Some Muslims name their children after unfaithful actors, movie characters. This is a completely unbecoming Muslim act. Before giving a name to your child , you need to take an interest in its semantic meaning, to determine whether it is permissible according to the norms of Islam, you should not rely only on the beauty of sound. Are there not enough beautiful names of respectable people: Muhammad, Ahmad, Isa, Ibrahim, Musa . Also with respectable women: Khadijat, ‘Aishat, Fatimat, Maryam, Asiyat , etc.0017 Doomsday will also be called under this name.