Are the following reasonable Muslim names?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

 Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa- sallam has ordered us to keep good names.

Refer to the following hadeeth:[i]

إنّكم تُدعَوْنَ يومَ القيامَةِ باسمائِكُم وأسماءِ آبائكُم، فاحسِنُوا أسماءكم 

“You shall all be called upon on the day of judgement by your names and the names of your respective fathers. Keep good names for yourselves”

Naming a person is not just about naming and creating an identity. As Muslims, when we name our children after the names of the prophets, sahabi, sahabiya and pious servants of Allah, it also serves as a reminder to one of the values of these great luminaries. Keeping such names, have the potential to revolutionize the nation. When every second person is named after an illustrious prophet or illustrious sahabi or sahabiya, this will give rise to the value system of such people by studying those personalities and going deeper into what they represented. As Muslims, we should adhere to keeping Islamic names to advance the Islamic value that goes with the name. Therefore, we should try to name our daughters with the name of the wives of our nabi his daughter’s famous sahabiya etc.

The name Sophia is a reasonable muslim name and the name of one of the wives of nabi sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. The names Amelia and Maya resemble western names. They are not suitable muslim names.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ridwaan Ibn Khalid Esmail (Kasak)

Student Darul Iftaa

Katete Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

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