Is this a Hadith: Keep good names of your children because names of people have effect on them?
Answer
Sayyiduna Abud Darda (radiyallahu’anhu) reports that Rasululah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said:
‘Indeed you shall be summoned on the day of Qiyamah, by your names and your father’s names, so keep good names.’
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 4909 and Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al-Ihsan, Hadith: 5818)
As far as names having an affect on people, I haven’t seen this explicitly in any Hadith. However, this is indeed a reality in some cases, for which there are several examples.
Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullah) has cited such examples in his book: Tuhfatul Mawdud.
Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) would change the names of people which had bad meanings.
(See Al-Adhkar, Hadith: 897-905)
Therefore parents are strongly encouraged to give their offspring names that have a good connotation.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar