Tasmiya (naming: giving a name to a child, and the rules on names)

التسمية

Tasmiya in the language comes from height or from a mark. The jurists use it in four senses: saying «in the name of God», giving a proper name to a child or to anything else, fixing the consideration in contracts, and identifying by name as against leaving a thing vague. ^{1 2} The father has the better right to name a child, and if the parents differ the father's choice is preferred. ³ The schools differ on the time: the Malikis hold that a child is named on the seventh day after the aqiqa sacrifice, and a child whose guardian cannot afford the aqiqa may be named at any time; the Shafi'is recommend the seventh day; the Hanbalis report two views. ^{3 4} For a stillborn child, Abu Hanifa's view is that he is not named, the Malikis agree, the Shafi'is say his naming is not to be omitted, and the Hanbalis say he may be given a name fit for either sex. ⁵ A child who dies after birth and before he is named is named. ⁶ Names built on the divine names are recommended, and the most beloved to God are Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman. ^{6 7} Naming after prophets is allowed according to most jurists. Names that people think ill-omened, such as Rabah, Yasar, Najah and Aflah, are disliked, and names that people shrink from, such as Harb and Murra, are disliked too. The names of God that belong to Him alone are forbidden, and so is every name built on a servitude to anything other than God, such as Abd al-Uzza or Abd al-Ka'ba. ^{8 9 10 11} Changing a name is allowed and changing an ugly name to a good one is recommended. ¹² Naming tools, mounts and garments, and naming stars after Arabic words, is permitted; renaming a forbidden drink to escape its ruling does not lift the prohibition. ^{13 14 2}