Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is it compulsory in islam to name our children with a traditional muslim name. We have a new baby girl and we have named her

``esha ali``.

some people say it is a common hindu name so we should not use it.

pls clarify.

regards

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Islamic name

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: Is it compulsory in islam to name our children with a traditional muslim name.

Beloved brother, a name assigned to each individual is no more than a sign or recognition of that person; and there is absolutely no obligation or compulsion in Shariah that a believer is obliged or required to give their children a ‘traditional’ muslim name.

The fact is that the absolute majority of the companions of the Prophet (saws) who reverted from polytheism to Islam retained their original maiden names given to them by their polytheist parents. Most of the names of noble companions of the Prophet (saws) like Umar, Uthmaan, Ali, Bilaal, Salman, Abu Dharr, Hudaifah, Yasser, etc. were names which were given to them at their birth by their parents and when they reverted to Islam, neither did the Messenger of Allah (saws) change their names nor did they themselves change their names.

The only names which Islam prohibits from assigning to a believer are names which connote or denote polytheism or disbelief (Abdul-Lat, Abdul-Uzza, (slaves of the pagan gods like Lat and Uzza, etc.) or names like Ramdas (slave of the Hindu god Ram), etc.; or names which have an inherit evil or vile meaning.

Other than names which connote polytheism and disbelief, or names which have an inherently evil meaning….Islam has allowed the believers the complete freedom to chose and assign any good wholesome name in any language they will and please.

Your Queston: We have a new baby girl and we have named her ``esha ali``.some people say it is a common hindu name so we should not use it.

The name ‘Ali’ is an Arabic term which means ‘high’ and is obviously a perfectly acceptable and good name for a believer. Depending on how exactly it is spelt in the Arabic language, ‘isha’ could mean the time of the night when one of the obligatory prayers is due….and if one wills to call one’s child by the name ‘isha’, there is absolutely no harm.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan