Will the baby be harmed because of some names? Should they take him to a shaykh in order to avoid that?
Question I wants to ask something regarding zakaah and interest. Interest: I got engaged this January and my fiance told me that he have heard some Pakistani scholar on QTV (Quran tv) that one Muslim can take interest from non-Muslim, if its benefits the Muslim and his/her family . It doesnt make any sense to…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
One of the rights of the newborn over his parents, and one
of the ways in which the parent shows kindness to his child, is choosing a
good name for him, a name by which he would like people to call him, a
name that he will not be embarrassed by or feel compelled to change later
on.
One of the guidelines that may help him in naming the child
and choosing a good name is to connect it to his religion and basic beliefs.
The most beloved of names to Allah are ‘Abd-Allah and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, so
[the father] should choose for him a name like these or similar names which
are indicative of his identity and his belonging to the ummah of Islam and
his beliefs. He may also choose any Muslim or Arab name that he likes, so
long as it has a good meaning; it is recommended that the name should be of
the type that makes people feel cheerful when they hear it.
Shaykh Abu Zayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said in
Tasmiyat al-Mawlood (25):
The name connects the newborn to the guidance and etiquette
of Islam, so the child will be blessed and his name will be a reminder of
the one after whom he is named such as a Prophet or righteous slave of
Allah, so as to follow the example of the righteous forebears, preserving
their names, remembering their attributes, and so as to perpetuate a chain
of righteousness in future generations of the ummah. End quote.
Naming is the right of the father, and no one has the right
to take it away from him, but he may check the name that he has chosen with
someone who is more knowledgeable than him and has more understanding of
such matters. This is not because that will have any special effect on the
child; rather it is a kind of consultation that many people may not need, if
the father manages by himself, following consultation with his wife or one
of his brothers, to choose a good name.
Shaykh Abu Bakr Zayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said in
Tasmiyat al-Mawlood (29):
It is proven from a number of the Sahaabah (may Allah be
pleased with them) that they used to present their newborns to the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he would name them. This
indicates that the father may consult, with regard to naming the child, one
who has knowledge of the Sunnah or is one of Ahl al-Sunnah, whose religious
commitment and knowledge he trusts, to help him find a good name for his
newborn. End quote.
From the above it is clear that this belief of your husband
and his family that you mention has no basis; rather it is an innovation and
should be dispensed with, and they should stop believing in it and relying
on it. You have to choose an appropriate name for the child, either by
yourselves or in consultation with people who you think have understanding
and are religiously committed.
We advise you to refer the book Tasmiyat al-Mawlood: Adaab
wa Ahkaam, by Shaykh Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Allah Abu Zayd (may Allah have mercy
on him).
And Allah knows best.
