Can a Muslim Have a Non-Muslim Name? Best Answer
C.J Ahmed-21.05.2023
It is not haram for a Muslim to have non-Muslim name and there is no evidence in the Quran or the authentic hadiths to prove that it is a must to change ones name to a Muslim name. You can name yourself using any name in any language because there is technically no such thing as a Muslim name. There are Arabic names and non Arabic names and name of any language is okay.
There are certain names which are haram such as calling your self the messenger of God or king of kings because it is Allah(swt) who is the king of kings.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Abu-l-Qasim (The Prophet) said, "Name yourselves by my name, but do not call yourselves by my Kuniya." (Bukhari)
Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that a child was born to one of the persons amongst us and he decided to give him the name of Muhammad We said:
We will not allow you to give the name after the name of Allah's Messenger (sal) until you ask him (the Holy Prophet). So he (that person) came and said (to the Holy Prophet): A child was born in my house and I wanted to give him the name (of Muhammad) after the name of Allah's Messenger, whereas my people did not allow me that I should name him after that (sacred) name until I have asked Allah's Apostle (sal) in this connection, whereupon he said: Give him the name after my name, but do not call him by my kunya, for I have been sent as a Qasim as I distribute amongst you.(Muslim)
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The name which hates the most is that a man be called the King of Kings."( Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 817-Graded Sahih by Albani)
There are some nmes which are encouraged in Islam. The Prophet (sal) said: “The most beloved of names to Allah are ‘Abd-Allah and ‘Abd al-Rahman.”(Sahih Muslim)
Sa'id b. Musayyab told that his father said on the authority of his grandfather (Hazn):
The Prophet (sal) 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 (sal) 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). (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
There is nothing haram in suing non-Muslim names or in otherwords non Arabic names because there is no proof in Islam stating that you should only have Arabic names.
It is not haram for a Muslim to have non-Muslim name and there is no evidence in the Quran or the authentic hadiths to prove that it is a must to change ones name to a Muslim name. You can name yourself using any name in any language because there is technically no such thing as a Muslim name. There are Arabic names and non Arabic names and name of any language is okay.
There are certain names which are haram such as calling your self the messenger of God or king of kings because it is Allah(swt) who is the king of kings.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Abu-l-Qasim (The Prophet) said, "Name yourselves by my name, but do not call yourselves by my Kuniya." (Bukhari)
Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that a child was born to one of the persons amongst us and he decided to give him the name of Muhammad We said:
We will not allow you to give the name after the name of Allah's Messenger (sal) until you ask him (the Holy Prophet). So he (that person) came and said (to the Holy Prophet): A child was born in my house and I wanted to give him the name (of Muhammad) after the name of Allah's Messenger, whereas my people did not allow me that I should name him after that (sacred) name until I have asked Allah's Apostle (sal) in this connection, whereupon he said: Give him the name after my name, but do not call him by my kunya, for I have been sent as a Qasim as I distribute amongst you.(Muslim)
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The name which hates the most is that a man be called the King of Kings."( Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 817-Graded Sahih by Albani)
There are some nmes which are encouraged in Islam. The Prophet (sal) said: “The most beloved of names to Allah are ‘Abd-Allah and ‘Abd al-Rahman.”(Sahih Muslim)
Sa'id b. Musayyab told that his father said on the authority of his grandfather (Hazn):
The Prophet (sal) 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 (sal) 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). (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
There is nothing haram in suing non-Muslim names or in otherwords non Arabic names because there is no proof in Islam stating that you should only have Arabic names.