Changing bad names

Ibn ‘Umar said :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ changed the name of ‘Asiyah and called her Jamilah.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ غَيَّرَ اسْمَ عَاصِيَةَ وَقَالَ " أَنْتِ جَمِيلَةُ " .

Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. ‘Ata said :
Zainab daughter of Abu Salamah asked him: Which name did you give to your daughter? He replied : Barrah. She said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade giving this name. I was called Barrah but the Prophet ﷺ said: Do not declare yourselves pure, for Allah knows best those of you who are obedient. He said: we asked; which name should we give her? He replied: Call her Zainab.

حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، أَنَّ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، سَأَلَتْهُ مَا سَمَّيْتَ ابْنَتَكَ قَالَ سَمَّيْتُهَا بَرَّةَ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَى عَنْ هَذَا الاِسْمِ سُمِّيتُ بَرَّةَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " لاَ تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُمْ " . فَقَالَ مَا نُسَمِّيهَا قَالَ " سَمُّوهَا زَيْنَبَ " .

Narrated Usamah ibn Akhdari:

A man called Asram was among those who came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: What is your name? He replied: Asram. He said: No, you are Zur'ah.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْمُفَضَّلِ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي بَشِيرُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، أُسَامَةَ بْنِ أَخْدَرِيٍّ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، يُقَالُ لَهُ أَصْرَمُ كَانَ فِي النَّفَرِ الَّذِينَ أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا اسْمُكَ " . قَالَ أَنَا أَصْرَمُ . قَالَ " بَلْ أَنْتَ زُرْعَةُ " .

Narrated Hani ibn Yazid:

When Hani went with his people in a deputation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he heard them calling him by his kunyah (surname), AbulHakam.

So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called him and said: Allah is the judge (al-Hakam), and to Him judgment belongs. Why are you given the kunyah AbulHakam?

He replied: When my people disagree about a matter, they come to me, and I decide between them, and both parties are satisfied with my decision.

He said: How good this is! What children have you? He replied: I have Shurayh, Muslim and Abdullah. He asked; Who is the oldest of them? I replied: Shurayh. He said: Then you are AbuShurayh.

Abu Dawud said: This is Shuraib who broke the chain, and who entered Tustar.

Abu Dawud said: I have been told that Shuraib broke the gate of Tustar, and he entered it through tunnel.

حَدَّثَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ - عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، شُرَيْحٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، هَانِئٍ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَعَ قَوْمِهِ سَمِعَهُمْ يَكْنُونَهُ بِأَبِي الْحَكَمِ فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ فَلِمَ تُكْنَى أَبَا الْحَكَمِ " . فَقَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَىْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَضِيَ كِلاَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذَا فَمَا لَكَ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ " . قَالَ لِي شُرَيْحٌ وَمُسْلِمٌ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " فَمَنْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ " . قُلْتُ شُرَيْحٌ قَالَ " فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ شُرَيْحٌ هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي كَسَرَ السِّلْسِلَةَ وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ دَخَلَ تُسْتَرَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ شُرَيْحًا كَسَرَ بَابَ تُسْتَرَ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ مِنْ سِرْبٍ .

Sa'id b. Musayyab told that his father said on the authority of his grandfather (Hazn):

The Prophet ﷺ asked: What is your name? He replied: Hazn (rugged). He said: You are Sahl (smooth). He said: No, smooth is trodden upon and disgraced. Sa'id said: I then thought that ruggedness would remain among us after it.

AbuDawud said: The Prophet ﷺ changed the names al-'As, Aziz, Atalah, Shaytan, al-Hakam, Ghurab, Hubab, and Shihab and called him Hisham. He changed the name Harb (war) and called him Silm (peace). He changed the name al-Munba'ith (one who lies) and called him al-Mudtaji' (one who stands up). He changed the name of a land Afrah (barren) and called it Khadrah (green). He changed the name Shi'b ad-Dalalah (the mountain path of a stray), the name of a mountain path and called it Shi'b al-Huda (mountain path of guidance). He changed the name Banu az-Zinyah (children of fornication) and called them Banu ar-Rushdah (children of those who are on the right path), and changed the name Banu Mughwiyah (children of a woman who allures and goes astray), and called them Banu Rushdah (children of a woman who is on the right path).

AbuDawud said: I omitted the chains of these for the sake of brevity.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ " مَا اسْمُكَ " . قَالَ حَزْنٌ . قَالَ " أَنْتَ سَهْلٌ " . قَالَ لاَ السَّهْلُ يُوطَأُ وَيُمْتَهَنُ . قَالَ سَعِيدٌ فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُصِيبُنَا بَعْدَهُ حُزُونَةٌ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَغَيَّرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اسْمَ الْعَاصِ وَعَزِيزٍ وَعَتَلَةَ وَشَيْطَانٍ وَالْحَكَمِ وَغُرَابٍ وَحُبَابٍ وَشِهَابٍ فَسَمَّاهُ هِشَامًا وَسَمَّى حَرْبًا سَلْمًا وَسَمَّى الْمُضْطَجِعَ الْمُنْبَعِثَ وَأَرْضًا تُسَمَّى عَفِرَةَ سَمَّاهَا خَضِرَةَ وَشِعْبَ الضَّلاَلَةِ سَمَّاهُ شِعْبَ الْهُدَى وَبَنُو الزِّنْيَةِ سَمَّاهُمْ بَنِي الرِّشْدَةِ وَسَمَّى بَنِي مُغْوِيَةَ بَنِي رِشْدَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ تَرَكْتُ أَسَانِيدَهَا لِلاِخْتِصَارِ .

Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:

Masruq said: I met Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) who said: Who are you? I replied: Masruq ibn al-Ajda'. Umar then said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: al-Ajda' (mutilated) is a devil.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَقِيلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُجَالِدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ لَقِيتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ مَسْرُوقُ بْنُ الأَجْدَعِ . فَقَالَ عُمَرُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ " الأَجْدَعُ شَيْطَانٌ " .

Samurah b. Jundub reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying:
Do not call your servant Yasar (wealth), Rabah (profit), Nijih(prosperous) and Aflah (successful), for you may ask; Is he there? And someone says: No. Samurah said: These are four (names), so do not attribute more to me.

حَدَّثَنَا النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورُ بْنُ الْمُعْتَمِرِ، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ يِسَافٍ، عَنْ رَبِيعِ بْنِ عُمَيْلَةَ، عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لاَ تُسَمِّيَنَّ غُلاَمَكَ يَسَارًا وَلاَ رَبَاحًا وَلاَ نَجِيحًا وَلاَ أَفْلَحَ فَإِنَّكَ تَقُولُ أَثَمَّ هُوَ فَيَقُولُ لاَ إِنَّمَا هُنَّ أَرْبَعٌ فَلاَ تَزِيدَنَّ عَلَىَّ " .

Samurah said:
The Aposlte of Allah ﷺ forbade giving four names to our slaves : Aflah (successful), Yasar (wealth), Naf(beneficial) and Rabah (profit).

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الرُّكَيْنَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ نُسَمِّيَ رَقِيقَنَا أَرْبَعَةَ أَسْمَاءٍ أَفْلَحَ وَيَسَارًا وَنَافِعًا وَرَبَاحًا .

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The Prophet ﷺ said: If I survive (God willing), I shall forbid my people to give the names Nafi' (beneficial), Aflah (successful) and Barakah (blessing). Al-A'mash said: I do not know whether he mentioned Nafi' or not. When a man comes and asks: Is there Barakah (blessing)? The people say: No.

Abu Dawud said: A similar tradition has been transmitted by Abu al-Zubair on the authority of Jabir from the Prophet ﷺ through a different chain of narrators. This version has no mention of Barakah.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنْ عِشْتُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْهَى أُمَّتِي أَنْ يُسَمُّوا نَافِعًا وَأَفْلَحَ وَبَرَكَةَ " . قَالَ الأَعْمَشُ وَلاَ أَدْرِي ذَكَرَ نَافِعًا أَمْ لاَ " فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يَقُولُ إِذَا جَاءَ أَثَمَّ بَرَكَةٌ فَيَقُولُونَ لاَ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَى أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَحْوَهُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ بَرَكَةَ .