Muslim Names 4U

A Muslim child or a person who later converts to Islam must be given a name that reflects his or her religious identity.

Muslim names can include:

• Names of prophets

• Names combined with Asmaul Husna (Names of God)

• Names from history

• Traditional or modern Islamic names

Choosing a name with a special meaning is very important for Muslim parents. The name given to a newborn baby is supposed to have a righteous meaning. It should bring blessings to the child throughout his or her life. Remember that simply because a name stems from the Islamic culture, doesn’t mean that it has a good meaning. In fact, several of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad changed their own Arabic names because of the negative connotations. In this way, someone named Harb (”war”) would be better served by changing his name to Silm (”peace”).

It is reported that the Prophet said, “On the Day of Resurrection, you will be called by your names and by your fathers’ names, so give yourselves good names.” Some Ahadeeth suggest that a child is to be named on the seventh day along with Aqeeqah, but other narrations state the Prophet also named children on the day of their birth. Muslim parents can name their babies immediately, or wait until the seventh day if needed.

One interesting aspect in Islam is that parents are forbidden to give their children certain names, such as those which are intended to belong only to Allah.