There is no doubt that Islam is the best present that Allah has given to us, His devotee in this world. Regardless of how we live and pray, all elements have been arranged in the proper order and way. One of the regulated and considered influential things in Islamic teaching is immediately naming a newborn child.
Naming a child has a profound effect because it is believed to have a decisive impact on the child’s development and its relationship with and interactions with the people and things around the child. That’s why parents need to know the correct rules and procedures for giving names in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
A good Muslim baby name is a fundamental right of a child and an obligation imposed on his father. In addition to being obliged to provide a child’s name that has the right meaning, parents also have to pay attention to the suitability of the gender of the child to be named. The choice of names for baby boys and girls is undoubtedly very different.
Selecting a meaningful name for a newborn baby boy in Islam is the first priority, so parents should carefully consider choosing a name with a positive spiritual and regal Islamic meaning.
Giving a good name after seven days of giving birth to a baby boy at the Aqiqah ceremony, which is marked by the sacrifice of 2 sheep or goats, as a form of welcoming and giving thanks to God who gives blessings is counted as Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
Muslim parents will usually choose Muhammad as the prefix or suffix for their baby boy. Muhammad is one of the most famous names in the Muslim community. Muslim parents who name their children Muhammad have the hope that one day their sons will be able to follow the path of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
In addition, if parents are experiencing difficulties in the process of choosing a good name for their child, it is allowed to ask ‘Aalim or religious leader for suggestions. In the Rasulullah era, shaahabah went to ask recommendations from him and brought their babies along.
Here are some categories of good names for baby boys that can be a guide for parents in choosing names:
- First (best) name category
Allah loves names like Abdurrahman and Abdullah, said the Prophet Muhammad as narrated by Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud etc. Both of these names contain worship of our Creator and have the beautiful meaning of worshiping Allah. Names in this category tend to have 2 syllables. It is known that the first sahabah who named his son with this name was Ibn Marwan Al – Hakim. - Second category
The second category of good names for baby boys are all names which express enslavement and worship of Allah, such as Abd al-Azeez, ‘Abd al-Raheem, ‘Abd al-Malik, ‘Abd al-Ilaah, ‘Abd al-Salaam, etc. - Third Category
The third category is the names of the Prophets and Messengers. It is highly recommended for Muslim parents to name their children with the names of the prophets in the hope that their children will follow the path of the Prophets. - Fourth Category
The fourth category is the names of righteous slaves of Allah, above all the companions of our noble Prophet. It is mustahabb to use their names, following their example and hoping that the children named after them could have religious knowledge and good morals.
Shahaabah Zubair bin ‘Awan radhiallahu ‘anhu has named his 9 children by the name of shahaabah who was syahid (dead) in Badr war, which are Abdullah,’Urwah, Hamzah, Ja’far, Mush’ab, ‘Ubaidah, Kholid, ‘Umar, and Mundzir. - Fifth Category
Parents are oblidge to pick a good name which has a proper and pleasant meaning for their child and not a name that will make them feel embarassed and hurt when they grow up.