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Does Islam forbid choosing non-Arabic names for children?

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Darul Iftaa Jordan
Does Islam forbid choosing non-Arabic names for children?

Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

There is no harm in choosing non-Arabic names for children, but with conditions:

First: The name doesn`t have religious connotations peculiar to non-Muslims.

Second: The intention behind choosing that name isn`t cultural dependency.

Third: The name doesn`t have a bad meaning.

If these conditions are met, then there is no harm in choosing such names; particularly, if the Muslim person comes from non-Arabic descent or lives in a non-Islamic country, and prefers to be given a name which is familiar therein. Moreover, many names of Prophets and Companions have non-Arabic origins, and, as we know, Islam is a universal religion i.e. it isn`t Arab-specific. And Allah knows best.

This answer was collected from the official government Iftaa Department of Jordan.

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