Islam is a totality and one great whole. It is a Din, which deals with and covers the entire conduct of human life. It is known that the name usually affects the person who carries it. and our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) changed bad names to good names. As for the importance of names in Islam more generally. Names are traits or signs so that people who are named can know themselves or be known by others. Allah says:
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“And for Allah (are) the names – the most beautiful, so invoke Him by them. And leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they used to do.” (Surah Al-A`raf 7:180)
Allah has described Himself in the Quran through His Names and Attributes. Muslims believe that studying these Names and Attributes is one of the most effective ways of strengthening one’s relationship with God. Each Name and Attribute nourishes a kind of consciousness and humility in man and their study leads one to constantly better their actions. Allah says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Say: O my servants who have acted extravagantly against their souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)
The mercy we see in this world which Allah has put among His Creation is just a hundredth of all His Mercy. Islam has the principle that one has a direct relationship with God and one should learn to have dependence, faith, and trust in Him for all their affairs.No doubt, names have clear effects on the individuals. So, persons and things are affected by their names regarding beauty, ugliness, lightness, heaviness, etc
The Effects of Names on Personality:
- The name will give a feeling of belonging, feeling comfortable, proud and feeling valuable
- The selection of children’s names has a big influence on their lives to adulthood
- The name also influences the behaviour of the child
- From a good name, one can spread goodness
- The name becomes the identity of the owner
- A good name makes a good character
- Another important side, the name can also be a sign of religion that someone embraces
- If the name given to the child is not liked by the child, it will make the child feel disturbed
- Names that have religious closeness are better than those who have non-religious names
- Keep good names, because on the Day of Judgment you will be called by these names only
- The name becomes decoration and symbol and becomes a call for in the world and the hereafter
- It can be known personality, tsaqaafah (Islamic insight) of the person who chose the name (his parents)
There is truth if people consider the name like a prayer when the child’s name is called, he will be recorded by the brain and enter into his subconscious. If the child’s name contains a positive value, it will become easier for his subconscious to bring it into a positive character as well. On the contrary, with a poor and recorded call in his subconscious, he will also form a negative image. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
“O you who believe! (Let) not ridicule a people [of] (another) people, perhaps that they may be better than them; and (let) not women [of] (other) women perhaps that they are maybe better than them. And (do) not insult yourselves and (do) not call each other by nicknames. Wretched is the name (of) disobedience after the faith. And whoever (does) not repent, then those – they (are) the wrongdoers.” (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:11)
It is the responsibility of every father to choose a good name for his child. Everyone needs a name to be called as it is a symbol for someone. By giving the name to children, the children will understand the meaning of their name, so that it will give a feeling of belonging, feeling comfortable, proud and feeling that they are valuable.
