The desirability of changing a name to a better one

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥs of al-Bukhārī and Muslim that Abū Hurayrah narrated that Zaynab’s name was Barrah (Virtuous). Somebody said: “She is praising herself”; so the Messenger of Allah renamed her Zaynab. ^[1].

Another version states that Zaynab bint Abī Salamah related: “I was called Barrah, and the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Name her Zaynab.’” She said: “Zaynab bint Jaḥsh came to him when her name was Barrah, and he renamed her Zaynab.” ^[2].

We also relate from the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim that Ibn ‘Abbās reported that the name of Juwayriyyah was Barrah, and the Messenger of Allah changed her name to Zaynab. He did not want anyone to say: “He came from a pious person (Barrah).” ^[3].

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī that Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyab ibn Ḥazan reported from his father that [the latter’s] father came to the Prophet , who asked: “What is your name?” He replied: “Ḥazan (Difficulty).” [The Prophet ] said: “You are Sahl (Ease).” [Sa‘īd] replied: “I will not change a name that my father gave me.” Ibn al-Musayyab said: “Hardship (ḥuzunah) never ceased to be among us after that.” ^[4].I say that ḥuzunah means a form of hardness.

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim that Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet changed the name of ‘Āṣiyah (Rebellious). He said: “You are Jamīlah (Beautiful).” ^[5].According to another report by Muslim, Ibn ‘Umar reported that a daughter of ‘Umar was called ‘Āṣiyah, so the Messenger of Allah named her Jamīlah.

We relate in the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, with a ḥasan isnād, that Usāmah ibn Akhdarī , a Companion—and Akhdarī is [written] with a fatḥah on the hamzah and a dāl, between which is a khā’ with a sukūn—related that a man named Aṣram (Amputee) was in a delegation that came to the Messenger of Allah . The Messenger of Allah asked: “What is your name?” He replied: “Aṣram.” He said: “No, you are Zur‘ah (Harvest).” ^[6].

We relate in the Sunans of Abū Dāwūd, an-Nasā’ī and others that Abū Shurayḥ Hānī al-Ḥārithī , a Companion, narrated that when he came to the Messenger of Allah in a delegation with his people, he heard them calling him by the nickname Abū al-Ḥakam. The Messenger of Allah called him and said: “Allah is al-Ḥakam (the Judge) and all judgement belongs to Him, so why were you named Abū al-Ḥakam?” He replied: “When my people disagreed on a matter they came to me. I adjudicated between them, and both parties were pleased.” The Messenger of Allah said: “How excellent! Do you have any sons?” He said: “I have Shurayḥ, Muslim, and ‘Abdullāh.” “Who is the eldest?” he asked. “Shurayḥ,” the man replied. He said: “Then you are Abū Shurayḥ.” ^[7].

Abū Dāwūd says ^[8].that the Messenger of Allah changed the names al-‘Āṣī (disobedient), ‘Azīz, ‘Atlah, Shayṭān, al-Ḥakam, Ghurāb, Ḥubāb, and Shihāb (whom he called Hāshim]. He renamed Ḥarb (War) Silm (Peace), and he renamed Muḍṭaji‘ (Reclining in bed) Munba‘ith (Awakened). A land called ‘Aqirah he renamed Khaḍīrāh, and a mountain path called Shi‘b aḍ-Ḍalālah (the Path of Error) he renamed Shi‘b al-Hudā (The path of Guidance). Banū az-Zinyah (the Sons of Adultery) he renamed Banū ar-Rishdah (the Sons of Integrity), and Banū Mughwiyah (Sons of the Temptress) he renamed Banū Rishdah (Sons of Integrity). Abū Dāwūd said that he had removed the chains of transmission for brevity.

I say that ‘Atlah is [written] with a fatḥah on the ‘ayn and a sukūn on the tā’, as Ibn Mākūlā said. He also said that according to ‘Abd al-Ghānī it is ‘Atalah, meaning that it is also [written] with a fatḥah on the tā’, and that the Prophet renamed him ‘Utbah, his name being ibn ‘Abd as-Sulamī.