Sunan Abu Dawud #4962

General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)
Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ بَرَكَةَ ‏.‏
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.
Narrated by Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) expresses his intention to forbid certain names that carry connotations of benefit and success, such as Nafi', Aflah, and Barakah. This statement reflects the Prophet's concern for the meanings and implications of names within the community. The takeaway is the importance of choosing names that align with Islamic values and avoid those that may lead to misunderstanding or misrepresentation.

Modern Application

In contemporary society, parents often reflect on the meanings of names they choose for their children, seeking names that embody positive qualities and values. This practice fosters a sense of identity and purpose, encouraging children to live up to the meanings of their names.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Etiquette and Etiquette of Naming because it illustrates the Prophet's (ﷺ) guidance on the significance of names and their implications in society.

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Common Words

83 total68 unique8 repeated
ٱلله7x
إن3x
إلا3x
ٱلذين2x
ءامنوا2x
عليه2x
قل2x
لا2x
بسم1x
ٱلرحمن1x
ٱلرحيم1x
عبس1x
وتولى1x
وملئكته1x
يصلون1x
على1x
ٱلنبى1x
يأيها1x
صلوا1x
وسلموا1x
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About Sunan Abu Dawud

This hadith is #4962 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:.

About This Hadith