Names and Titles among the Moors When giving names to their children, the Moors like most Muslims elsewhere are governed by Islamic norms related to name-giving. Some names are strongly recommended in Islam while others are absolutely prohibited. Names suggestive of beauty are strongly recommended. The names of the Prophet’s grandsons Hasan and Husayn suggest beauty and the Prophet is said to have changed the name of a woman named Āsiya ‘Disobedient’ and told her that she was Jamīla ‘beautiful’ (Muslim). It is also prescribed in Islam that children be given surnames or the names of their fathers following theirs. The Qur’ān states in Sūrah Al-Ahzāb (V.5) that children should be called by (the names of) their fathers and that is more just in the sight of God. Further, the Prophet is reported to have said: “On the Day of Resurrection you will be called by your names and by your fathers names, so give youselves good names” (Abu Dāwūd). The Qur’ān in Sūrah Al- Hujurāt (V.11) also cautions the believers not to defame or insult one another by nicknames, but this evidently refers to nicknames of a derogatory nature, for sobriquets are known to have been approved and given by the Prophet himself. For instance, take the name of a prominent companion of the Prophet and a prolific narrator of ahadith, Abu Hurayrah whose name literally means ‘Father of the kitten’ so called because of a kitten he was extremely fond of. Similarly, Khālid bin Wālid was called Sayfullāh ‘Sword of God’ for his military prowess and the name of Dhāt-un-Nitāqain ‘She of the two girdles’ was given to Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr on account of an incident connected with the flight to Medina when she cut a piece from her waistbelt with which she tied the mouth of a bag of provisions meant for the Prophet and her father (Bukhāri). Names suggestive of the Divinity or His Attributes are strictly prohibited and it is clear that God’s names in the definite form cannot be given to His creation unless preceded by the prefix abd meaning ‘slave (or servant)’ such as is commonly done in the Muslim world, as for instance, Abdullāh ‘Slave of God’ and Abdur-Rahmān ‘Slave of the Merciful’. In a hadith recorded by Abu Dāwūd, we find the Prophet telling a man who had the name Abu Al-Hakam (The father of justice or the Judge) to change his name to Abu Shurayh after his eldest son since Allah is the Judge and His the Judgement.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 12:44:41 +0000