13 Effects of Names on Personality in Islam that People Are Curious About

يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا (7) سورة مريم

[He was told], “O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name.”(Surah Maryam :7)

The name in Arabic is called Isim. The meaning of Isim can be an address (sign). Isim can also mean as samuu (something high). So that Isim (name) is the highest sign (striking) of someone. With this name, we can distinguish someone from the others. Among these intentions,
the ulamas agreed about the obligation to give names to men and
women.  For if you don’t have a name, how can you distinguish one from another?

Giving a good name here includes spreading the sunnah
hasanah in the midst of the people. By carried out sunnah, absolutely we will get reward from Allah, as mentioned in the hadith,

مَنْ سَنَّ فِى الإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَأَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا
“Whoever starts doing good deeds in Islam, he will
get the reward and the reward of the person who imitated the action. “(Narrated by Muslim no.
1017) [2]

The essence of giving names to children is that they are known and to glorify them. Therefore the ulama agreed that it would be an obligatory to name the boys and girls. Therefore if someone is not given a name, then he will become a Majhul (= unknown) by the community.

The time of naming
Sunnah has come from the Prophet sallallaahu aih alaihi wa sallam concerning the time of naming, as follows:
a) Give a name to the child when he is born.
b) Give a name to the child on the third day after he is born.
c) Give the name to the child on the seventh day after he is born. (Read also Rules for Baby Naming in Islam)

Here are the effects of names on personality in Islam :

1). Good names can give good effects to people who are named

Besides the urgency of giving the best name, names can have an effect to people who are named. Therefore, Arabs say,
لِكُلِّ مُسَمَّى مِنْ اِسْمِهِ نَصِیْبٌ
“Everyone will get the influence of the name given to him.”

If they are given the best name, then the effect is good for them. Therefore, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam stated that the best name was ‘Abdullah because of the name shows pure servitude to God. Likewise, in some hadith of the Prophet the sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam forbids giving names with bad names like ‘Ashiyah (a woman who has an act, with the letters‘ ain and shod), Hazn (sad) and Zahm (narrow).

2). Good names can affect the children to have a good personality, foster a sense of love and respect for themselves.

Names can also form personalities and influence the emotional development and characteristics of the owner directly or indirectly. Parents should try to give a name that is good, beautiful and loved by children, because such a name affects them to have a good personality, foster a sense of love and respect for themselves. Then they will later get used to noble character when interacting with people around them. (Read Akhlaq of Prophet Muhammad SAW)

3). The name becomes the identity of the owner

From the best name, we can know the identity of someone such as who is his or her parent. Someone’s parent can be find out from his or her son’s name, does his or her parent sholeh or tholih (the opposite of sholeh). As Arabs say,

مِنْ اِسْمِكَ أَعْرِفُ أَبَاكَ

“From your name, I can find out how your father is.”

[AdSense-B]

4). From a good name, one can spread goodness.

Look what if -someone was given the name “Musa”. From this name, everyone who hears the name can remember how the noble character and morality of the Prophet Musa alaihisalam. (Read Character of Prophet Muhammad We Must Have)

5). Names that have religious closeness are better than those who have non-religious names.

It turns out that all of this was understood by previous salaf. Therefore the salaf prefer to name their children with the names of prophets, companions, and martyrs’.

For example, a noble friend, Zubair bin Awwam, chose a name for his children with the names of friends who were martyred. This is in the hope that the children will follow the steps of martyrdom, so that they will gain the degree of martyrdom in the path of Allah.
Zubair said, ” Thalhah bin Ubaidillah At Taimi named his children by the names of the prophets. He knew that there was no prophet after the prophet Muhammad SAW. Whereas I gave the names of my children with the names of the martyrs’, so that someday they could be martyred in the way of Allah.

Why do friends of prophet Muhammad SAW prefer to use the names of people who have died? Because, the end of their lives is clear and proven good. While people who are still alive are feared one day he can change and experience a disgraceful life.

6). Name will give a feeling of belonging, feeling comfortable, proud and feeling valuable

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.

7) Good name makes good character

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.

Naturally, in the Qur’an, Allah reminds
“And do not call one another with a bad title”
(Q.S Al-Hujurat: 11)

While in a hadith narrated, from ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Jubair ibn Syaibah, he said :

“I sat down with Sa’id bin al-Musayyab then he told me that his grandfather had turned to the Prophet Muhammad. Then the Prophet asked: “What is your name? And Sa’id’s grandfather replied, “My name is Hazn.” The Prophet said, “But you are Sahl.” Then Sa’id said, “I will not change the name given by my father.” Then Ibn Al-Musayyab said to me, “After that trouble always befalls us.” (Narrated by Bukhari)

In the hadith, it is reported that the Prophet changed the name of a friend named Haz, which means trouble, then replaced with the name Sahl, which means ease or spaciousness. But the friend named Hazn did not want his name changed, and in the end he always faced difficulties. From the story, we can conclude that the expression of the name is a prayer is true. (Read also Importance of Good Character in Islam)

From Ibn Umar ra, he said:

“Indeed Umar’s daughter Ra. formerly named Ashiyah (perpetrator of immorality) and the Prophet named it to be Jamilah (beautiful / beautiful). “(Narrated by Muslim)

8) The name also influences the behavior of the child.

According to the results of studies, girls who bear names such as men do become interested in fields that are commonly liked by men, such as science and mathematics. Whereas girls with feminine names tend to be interested in the field of humanity and their appearance is more feminine. (Read Importance of Good Manner in Islam)

9). The selection of children’s names has a big influence on their lives to adulthood.

For example, if a boy is named after a girl-like name. Then it will trigger behavioral problems in his life. Even at school, they tend to have problems. This is not strange, because it seems odd if someone has to accept the fact that he was called by a girl-like name, even though he is a man. Not to mention the ridicule of his own friends, or mistakenly from other people.

10). From the name of the child, it can be known personality, tsaqaafah (Islamic insight) of the person who chose the name (his parents).

In the general phrase “minismika, a’rifu abâk” (through your name, I can get to know your father).

[AdSense-C]

11). If the name given to the child is not liked by the child, it will make the child feel disturbed.

Syaikh al-‘Utsaimîn rahimahullah said: “The obligation of a person (parent) is to choose for his child a name that does not make him swallow shame and hurt when he grows up. Because, it does not rule out the possibility of the father being enamored with a certain name. However, later on, the child feels disturbed by his name. So that the result is a cause of interference for the child himself. In fact, it is understandable together, that hurting a believer is illegal. On that basis, let him choose the best and most liked by Allah Swt “.

12). Name becomes decoration and symbol and becomes a call for  in the world and in the hereafter.

Everyone needs a name to be called as it is a symbol for someone.

13). Another important side, the name can also be a sign of religion that someone embraces.

The one who embraces Islam should has Islamic name so that people can know easily what religion she or he embraces. (Read also Benefit of Being Islam for Every People)

That’s all the effect of names in personality in Islam. Hope this article is useful for everyone.