keep beautiful names for our children. The scholar Ibn ꜤArabī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said, “When you know Allah’s pure names are beautiful, you too should keep beautiful names.”^[1]

How will this take place? How will we select beautiful names for our children? Yet again, Ibn ꜤArabī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه further mentions, “Give your children the names of the prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام and saints.”^[2]

A hadith explains, “Keep the names of the prophets as your own. Without doubt, the dearest of names to Allah are ꜤAbdullāh and ꜤAbd al-Raḥmān.”^[3] 

Virtue of keeping the name Muhammad

Dear Islamic brothers! Develop a mindset and make intention that whenever you have an opportunity to name someone, you will only give a name that has a blessed connection.

For example, choose the name ꜤAbd al-Raḥmān, ꜤAbdullāh, Aḥmad, or Muḥammad. Similarly, keep the names of the other prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام, the Companions عَلَیْہِمُ الرِّضْوَان, and saints of Islam رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ.

 اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه You will earn immense blessings and vast reward. If one gave somebody the same name as the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, then what can be said of such a virtue!

Imam Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه relates:

On the Day of Judgement, a person named Muhammad will be presented in the court of Allah.

“O slave!”, Allah will say, “Your name is the same as that of My beloved. Yet, you sinned despite this. Were you not ashamed?”