QUESTION:
We used to see halal,haram,makrooh in our doings.Likewise whether we have to see such criteria while selecting the names.i dont want to mention the name but i am sure the meaning is “well decorated”.i come to know through some articles that such type of meaning fall under makrooh category.Even with the support of hadith,it was said even decoration is not liked.It is allowed only in least and prohibited in many instances.so it is advised to keep some other good meaning names.Is it so?whether we can keep such type of meaning names or not?? please reply me quickly about this meaning.

ANSWER:
Assalamu alikum,

Praise be to Allah,

A child is a gift from Allah, a blessing that He bestows upon the parents, and He has enjoined many duties towards them, which start with choosing a good name that he will carry throughout his life.

Al-Mawardi (May Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book Naseehat al-Mulook (p. 167), “When the child is born, one of the first ways in which he is to be honoured is by giving him a good name, because a good name will have a good impact on the heart when it is first heard.”

The parents should choose a good name for their child, One should avoid names that are ugly or those that praise their owners, according to Al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said, as quoted by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (10/577).

One should not use names that have ugly meanings, or names that imply praise of a person, or names that have insulting meanings, even though names are just markers for people and are not intended to be a description of them.

The reason why this is disliked is that when a person hears the name, he will think that it is describing the person named. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) changed names to something which, if the person was called by it, was true.

The advice for those who have Haram names is to change it, because the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when he disliked some names he change them, as the name he disliked “Aasiyah” (meaning disobedient), which he changed to “Jameelah” (beautiful), as was narrated by Muslim.

For those having Makrooh names because they suggest exaggerated praise of their owners, such as the name you mentioned (well decorated),it is allowed to keep, it because it is a lesser degree of Haram.

And Allah knows best.

Mohsen Shaker Bayoumy
Imam of Osaka Ibaraki Mosque