Names and naming among Muslims (III)
The use or adoption of names such as “Danladi’; “Teni”; “Talatu”; Bala” or “Lami”; etc; which literally reflects the day upon which the bearer of the name was born, are not among the prohibited nick-names described by Qur’an 49:11. Nick-names are only prohibited if they give wicked connotations. However, it is relevant to add here […]
The use or adoption of names such as “Danladi’; “Teni”; “Talatu”; Bala” or “Lami”; etc; which literally reflects the day upon which the bearer of the name was born, are not among the prohibited nick-names described by Qur’an 49:11. Nick-names are only prohibited if they give wicked connotations. However, it is relevant to add here that Muslim names have their cultural values. Muslim names make it easy for the bearer to be identified as a Muslim. Such names also serve to check bearers from indulging in sinful acts.
We mentioned last week in this column that a Muslim is permitted to change his or her name when the need arises. Some readers have asked to know the position of Islam about a woman, after marriage, changing her maiden name to her husband’s as surname. All the wives of the Prophet (SAW) were known and described by their respective father’s names. This argument is buttressed by Qur’an 33:5 (Surat ul-Ahzab verse 5) wherein Allah (SWT) states “Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is fairer in the sight of Allah…” The civilization in which a woman is required to bear her husband’s name as surname is alien to Islam and therefore discouraged among Muslims. The title “Mrs.”, which usage conventionally demands that a woman is called by her husband’s name is a tradition that is foreign to Islamic culture. The same verse just quoted above (Qur’an 49: 11) equally provides basis for the opinion of scholars who assert that the right of choosing a name for a new Muslim baby rests with the father and not the mother. However, the father is encouraged by Islam to consult with the mother since marriage as an institution is founded on “mutuality” of understanding, love and responsibility.
The first duty of the father when a new child is born in to the family is to make the call to prayer (adhan) and announcement for the commencement of the prayer (iqaamah) in to the baby’s right and left ears respectively. The significance of this act lies in the fact that not only is the innocent child protected from the evil forces of the Satan but it is similarly made to listen to the call to Allah (SWT) as his first hearing on earth. In Islam, the seventh day of a baby’s life is as significant as the first day of his life. The Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) stipulates that on the seventh day in the life of a Muslim baby, an animal (called ‘aqeeqah in Islamic jurisprudence) should be sacrificed; he/she be given a name; and his head should be shaved. This is the sum total of what Islam requires from a Muslim father in the naming of his child. Anything outside this is secondary. While some scholars including Imam Malik (RA) believe that only a goat is to be sacrificed for a Muslim baby regardless of gender, others including Ibn Abbas opine that two goats are required for a male child and only a goat is to be slaughtered for a female.
There exists the “kunyah” tradition in Arab culture in which individuals are called by names that associate them with others defined by this practice as “children”. The common Arabic appellations used and prefixed to the names of “children” in this custom are “Abu…” meaning “Father of…”; and “Umm…” meaning “Mother of…”. This is similar to what obtains in some Hausa and Yoruba Muslim communities in Nigeria. You could hear a Hausa man being called “Baba-Aisha” meaning “Father of Aisha”; or a Yoruba woman being called “Iya-Hafsat” meaning “Mother of Hafsat”.
The use of “kunyah” in the tradition of the Arabs is not restricted to only those who have given birth to children. The Prophet (SAW) authorized Aisha (RA), his wife, to be called “Umm Abdullah” even though she had no biological child of hers. The “Abdullah’ she is associated with was “Abdullahi bn Zubayr” who was her nephew (her sister’s son; and daughter of Caliph Abubakr). Annas (RA) was also called “Abu Hamzah” meaning “Father of Hamzah” even though he had no child then. “Abu Hurayrah” was so called not because he had a child named “Hurayrah” but because he had a pet cat which he always kept by his side. Abu-Bakr; Abu Hafs (ie Umar bn al-Khattab); and Abu Dharr; were called with such kunyah even though none of them had a child called “Bakr”, Hafs; or Dharr respectively. The kunyah practice also allows a person to be called by a name that associates him to a child other than his or hers. Scholars are of the view that it is better to bear one name at a time (i.e. choosing between a proper Muslim name and a kunyah). May Allah (SWT) guide us to give our children the best of Muslim names, amin. We intend to discuss circumcision, next week, insha Allah.