Names and Titles

أَصْدَقُ الْأَسْمَاءِ مَا سُمِّيَ بِالْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَ أَفْضَلُهَا أَسْمَاءُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.

The truest name is that which expresses one’s slavery to (Allah) and the best of them are names of the Prophets.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ سَمُّوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُولَدُوا فَإِنْ لَمْ تَدْرُوا أَ ذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْثَى فَسَمُّوهُمْ بِالْأَسْمَاءِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ لِلذَّكَرِ وَ الْأُنْثَى فَإِنَّ أَسْقَاطَكُمْ إِذَا لَقُوكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ لَمْ تُسَمُّوهُمْ يَقُولُ السِّقْطُ لِأَبِيهِ أَلَّا سَمَّيْتَنِي وَ قَدْ سَمَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مُحَسِّناً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُولَدَ[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘My father narrated to me from my grandfather that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Name your children before they are born: and if you do not know they are male or female, then name them with such names that are good for both male and female. In case a child is miscarried, when that child

أَوَّلُ مَا يَبَرُّ الرَّجُلُ وَلَدَهُ أَنْ يُسَمِّيَهُ بِاسْمٍ حَسَنٍ فَلْيُحْسِنْ أَحَدُكُمُ اسْمَ وَلَدِهِ.

The first good thing that a father can do to his children is to give them good names. You must find a good name for (each of) your children.’”

لَا يُولَدُ لَنَا وَلَدٌ إِلَّا سَمَّيْنَاهُ مُحَمَّداً فَإِذَا مَضَى لَنَا سَبْعَةُ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنْ شِئْنَا غَيَّرْنَا وَ إِنْ شِئْنَا تَرَكْنَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘We name every child born to us Muhammad and after seven days if we like we change or keep the same name.’”

سَمِّهِ بِأَسْمَاءٍ مِنَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ فَقَالَ أَيُّ الْأَسْمَاءِ هُوَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ.

“I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), for advice about the name of my child and he (the Imam) said, ‘Name him with the names that express slavery (to Allah).’ He then asked, ‘Which ones are they?’ He (the Imam) said, “Abd al-Rahman.’”

مَنْ وُلِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَوْلَادٍ لَمْ يُسَمِّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِاسْمِي فَقَدْ جَفَانِي.

‘If four sons are born to someone and he does not name even one of them with my name he has done injustice to me.’”

اسْتَعْمَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ مَرْوَانَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَفْرِضَ لِشَبَابِ قُرَيْشٍ‌[1] فَفَرَضَ لَهُمْ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ مَا اسْمُكَ فَقُلْتُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ فَقَالَ مَا اسْمُ أَخِيكَ فَقُلْتُ عَلِيٌّ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَ عَلِيٌّ مَا يُرِيدُ أَبُوكَ أَنْ يَدَعَ أَحَداً مِنْ وُلْدِهِ إِلَّا سَمَّاهُ عَلِيّاً ثُمَّ فَرَضَ لِي فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَبِ

“Mu‘awiyah appointed Marwan ibn al-Hakam as his agent in al-Madinah and ordered him to pay a certain salary to the young people of Quraysh which he did. Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘I went to him and he asked, ‘What is your name?’ I replied, ‘It is Ali ibn al-Husayn.’ He then asked, ‘What is the nam

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ لَا يَدْخُلُ الْفَقْرُ بَيْتاً فِيهِ اسْمُ مُحَمَّدٍ أَوْ أَحْمَدَ أَوْ عَلِيٍّ أَوِ الْحَسَنِ أَوِ الْحُسَيْنِ أَوْ جَعْفَرٍ أَوْ طَالِبٍ أَوْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَوْ فَاطِمَةَ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ.

“I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘Poverty does not enter a house wherein a person’s name is Muhammad or Ahmad or Ali or al-Hassan or al-Husayn or Ja‘far or Talib or ‘Abd Allah or Fatimah of the women.’”

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وُلِدَ لِي غُلَامٌ فَمَا ذَا أُسَمِّيهِ قَالَ سَمِّهِ بِأَحَبِّ الْأَسْمَاءِ إِلَيَّ حَمْزَةَ.

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ariy from ibn al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet (saww) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, a son is born to me, what should I name him?’ The Messenger of Allah repli

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ اسْتَحْسِنُوا أَسْمَاءَكُمْ فَإِنَّكُمْ تُدْعَوْنَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قُمْ يَا فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ إِلَى نُورِكَ وَ قُمْ يَا فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ لَا نُورَ لَكَ.

‘You should give yourselves good names; on the Day of Judgment you will be called with your names: O so and so son of so and so, stand up to your light and stand up, O so and so son of so and so, you have no light.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا تُكَنَّى قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا اكْتَنَيْتُ بَعْدُ وَ مَا لِي مِنْ وَلَدٍ وَ لَا امْرَأَةٍ وَ لَا جَارِيَةٍ قَالَ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ حَدِيثٌ‌ بَلَغَنَا عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ع قَالَ وَ مَا هُوَ قُلْتُ بَلَغَنَا عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَنِ اكْتَنَى وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ أَهْلٌ فَهُوَ أَبُو جَعْرٍ[1] فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع شَوْهٌ‌[2] لَيْسَ هَذَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ ع إِنَّا لَن

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once asked me, ‘What is your Kunyah (father of so and so or son of so and so)?’ I replied, ‘I have no Kunyah yet; I have no son or wife or daughter.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What keeps you from having one?’ I replied, ‘It is a Hadith which is narrated from Ali (a.s.). ’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is i

أَرَادَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع الرُّكُوبَ إِلَى بَعْضِ شِيعَتِهِ لِيَعُودَهُ فَقَالَ يَا جَابِرُ الْحَقْنِي فَتَبِعْتُهُ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى بَابِ الدَّارِ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا ابْنٌ لَهُ صَغِيرٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا اسْمُكَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ فَبِمَا تُكَنَّى قَالَ بِعَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع لَقَدِ احْتَظَرْتَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ احْتِظَاراً شَدِيداً[4] إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ مُنَادِياً

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once wanted to visit one of his followers because he was ill. He (the Imam) told me to follow him and I followed him (the Imam). When he (the Imam) arrived at his door his small son came out and abu Ja‘far (a.s.), asked, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘It is Muhammad.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What i

هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي التَّسْمِيَةِ بِهِ فَمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي يس يَعْنِي التَّسْمِيَةَ وَ هُوَ اسْمُ النَّبِيِّ ص‌[5].

“Abu Ja‘far, or abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘This is ‘Muhammad’ (the Messenger of Allah) who has given them permission to name themselves with his name. However, who has given them permission to name themselves ‘Yasin’ which is the name of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad an

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص دَعَا بِصَحِيفَةٍ حِينَ حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَنْهَى‌ عَنْ أَسْمَاءٍ يُتَسَمَّى بِهَا فَقُبِضَ وَ لَمْ يُسَمِّهَا مِنْهَا الْحَكَمُ وَ حَكِيمٌ وَ خَالِدٌ وَ مَالِكٌ وَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهَا سِتَّةٌ أَوْ سَبْعَةٌ مِمَّا لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُتَسَمَّى بِهَا.

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah asked for a sahifah (a book) and he (the Messenger of Allah) wanted to prohibit the use of certain names to use. He (the Messenger of Allah) passed away but he (the Messenger of Allah) did not mention them. Of such names are al- Hakam and Hakim, Khalid and Mal

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص نَهَى عَنْ أَرْبَعِ كُنًى عَنْ أَبِي عِيسَى وَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَكَمِ وَ عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ وَ عَنْ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ إِذَا كَانَ الِاسْمُ مُحَمَّداً.

that the Prophet (sw) prohibited using four epithets; Abu ‘Isa, Abu al-Hakam, Abu Malik, and Abu al-Qasim if the name is Muhammad.’”

إِنَّ أَبْغَضَ الْأَسْمَاءِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- حَارِثٌ وَ- مَالِكٌ وَ خَالِدٌ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘The most hated names to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, are Harith, Malik and Khalid.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ يَغْشَى‌[1] عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع وَ كَانَ يُكَنَّى أَبَا مُرَّةَ فَكَانَ إِذَا اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ يَقُولُ- أَبُو مُرَّةَ بِالْبَابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع بِاللَّهِ إِذَا جِئْتَ إِلَى بَابِنَا فَلَا تَقُولَنَّ أَبُو مُرَّةَ[2].

This is abu Murrah at the door.’ Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), said to him, ‘I swear you to Allah that when you come to our door do not say, ‘This is abu Murrah at the door (it is Kunyah of Satan).”’