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Monday, July 8, 2019

Some Changes In Arabic Given Names In Nigeria, West Africa (Excerpt From A 2017 Nairaland.com Discussion Thread)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a two part pancocojams series that presents some excerpts found on the internet about how standard Arabic names are sometimes changed or incorrectly used in Nigeria and other West African nations.

This post presents excerpts from a December 2017 nairaland.com discussion about Arabic names in Nigeria, West Africa.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/07/article-excerpts-about-arabic-names-in.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents an excerpt about Arabic names from Wikipedia as well as an excerpt about Arabic names in Nigeria and Senegal from the Sahel Blog (with selected comments).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/07/partial-lists-of-arabic-names-from.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from two online sources about Arabic names in Nigeria, and in several other West African nations.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and onomastic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Arabic names and an ongoing series on African names.
Click the "Arabic names" tag and the "African names" tag to find other posts on these subjects.

****
EXCERPTS FROM NAIRALAND.COM DISCUSSION THREAD: WHICH ISLAMIC NAME WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR CHILDREN?
[Pancocojams Editor: Numbers are added to these selected comments for referencing purposes only. Explanations of certain Arabic words and certain other words are given below certain entries.]

From https://www.nairaland.com/4208302/which-islamic-name-like-give
1. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 9:59am On Dec 01, 2017
"Faarooq Aleem Al-Egbaawiy wrote:
I saw the name on the internet!

We were honored with the admonition at the 'aqeeqah of one of our brothers recently.

So, it was time to make the newly born girl's name apparent to the public. The name was passed across to me on a sheet of paper while the father stood beside me to pronounce it.

I however ran a quick scan through the Muslim name and the other cultural names.

The Muslim name got me worried. It read: Shakaayah!

I whispered to the brother that: Where did you get the name? He said: Ustaadh! I saw it on the internet! And no meaning was given there? He remained dumbfounded!

Then I informed him that the name has no morphological conjugation in Arabic language and therefore has no meaning!

He quickly whispered (as people waited patiently): Okay Ustaadh! Can we change the name then? What names do you think?

I said: You have at your disposal: 'aaishah, khadeejah, hafsah, aasiyah etc.

He said: Aasiyah is okay in shaa Allaah!

Muslims should be wary of the tribulation of seeking after uncommon and unique names!

Just imagine if it was the common ignorant ones that coordinated the 'aqeeqah? The girl will have been named shakaayah ignorantly!

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning)

# So, ask the people of knowledge (Scholars) if you indeed know not #
© Faarooq Aleem Al-Egbaawiy"
-snip-
"aqeeqah"= an Islamic naming ceremony; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqiqah

Ustadh ="Teacher. Honorific title of respect popularly assigned to those who are widely recognized for their learning. Can also be a person in an official capacity at a school or university."... http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2443

"the name [Shakaayah] has no morphological conjugation in Arabic language and therefore has no meaning!".
"morphology (in linguistics) is the study of how words are put together. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/morphology
This quote means that some or all of the syllables that make up the name "Shakaayah" don't mean anything and therefore the name has no meaning.

**
2. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by carinmom(f): 10:11am On Dec 01, 2017
"quoting Rashduct4luv:
It's so pathetic that some Muslims so* shopping for ''sweet sounding/uncommon" names. Names like Jamal, hadiza and co.

[carinmon]:
I once asked a mother what her child's name is and she replied Abdul Jamal...

I think we really need enlightenment.

I like the names Muhammad, Abdullah, Sumaiyah, Nusaybah, Hassan, Hussain, Ubadah, Jaabir,...

Hadiza is the corrupted version of Khadija.”
-snip-
*”so” here is probably a typo for “go”.

**
3. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 10:14am On Dec 01, 2017
quoting oautycoon:
">I'm not a Muslim tho.. I prefer Abdulkhalid...,Some Muslim frds call me that"

[Rashduct4luv]
"Abdul is added to names of Allah to make it a name of one of His creations.

for example Abdul + Allah = Abdullah

Abdul + Rahman = Abdur-Rahman

But Khalid is not a name of Allah.

Let your friends call you Khaalid and feel free to explain this analysis to them.

Khalid ibn al Walid was one of the companions of our Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam with profound military tactics & prowess. Infact, one of the finest generals in history. May Allah bless the Sahabahs and show us all his mercy(by seeing Him)!"

**
4. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by iambijo(m): 10:14am On Dec 01, 2017
"My children names will be strictly fulani names, it's not only arabic names that have good meaning, my children will bear names like BARKINDO,TUMBA,MACHENGA,BUDA,LAMIDO,BELLO,FODIYE E.T.C

**
From https://www.nairaland.com/4208302/which-islamic-name-like-give/1

[Pancocojams Editor: This is the second page of this discussion.]

5. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by maasoap(m): 10:17am On Dec 01, 2017
"Yes, some names come with prefixes "Abdul" and "Mohammad" while others don't carry prefix."

**
6. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 10:26am On Dec 01, 2017
[quoting iamgenius]
"Shakaayah, that's weird."

[Rashduct4luv]
(grin icon) "Extremely weird bro!"

**
7. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by olasaad(f): 10:53am On Dec 01, 2017
[quoting Tajbol4splend]
"Female- Nadia, Aisha, Simbia, Zaynab

Male- Usman, Barack"

[olasaad]
"What is Barack? Or you mean Mubarak"

**
8. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by udatso: 11:23am On Dec 01, 2017
[quoting Rashduct4luv]
"It's so pathetic that some Muslims so shopping for ''sweet sounding/uncommon" names. Names like Jamal, hadiza and co."

[udatso]
"This is not clear to me. Please explain to me"

**
9. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 11:31am On Dec 01, 2017
"When some Muslim want to name a child, they go online or ask about... They want names that is not common. Names that sounds nice. Jamal, Hadiza, etc.

Hadiza has no meaning! Read that story i posted up there."

****
From https://www.nairaland.com/4208302/which-islamic-name-like-give/2 [This is page 3 of 4 page discussion.]
10. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 11:44am On Dec 01, 2017
"Bro, lukgaf, I think you should open another thread for wrong names Muslims use nowadays!

This can be as a result of our background or ignorance.

Eg Risikatu, Rasaki, Shukuratu, Basiratu, Halimatu, Alimi, Ambali, Sikiru, Sikiratu.


Risqah, Abdul Rasaq, Shukurah, Basirah, Halimah,, Abdul Aleem,......., Dhikr(u), Dhikrah.


Note (ah) is pronounced as we pronounce (or) in english.

Rasaq is actually Rorsaq.

And Rasheed is Rorsheed. (Rasheed has no Abdul in it)

Also names ending in deen are disliked in Islam eg Tajudeen, Kamaldeen, Jamaldeen, Qamarudeen, etc"

**
11. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by ArabaNana(f): 11:54am On Dec 01, 2017
"These names are not islamic, but have arabic origin."

**
12. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 11:46am On Dec 01, 2017
[quoting madridguy]
"Salamotu, Saleemat, Salamah na same tongue"

[Rashduct4luv]
"I was thinking we were thought in Arabic we do not pronounce the final closed taa.... cool"
-snip-
"na same tongue" = is the same tongue [means the same thing]

**
13. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by madridguy(m): 11:52am On Dec 01, 2017
"Depend on individual. The final closed " taa " taa moributu is what I cherished most in the pronunciation of my daughter to be name. shocked
Make I see my Igbo bride first jare.

Allah alam"

**
14. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 11:56am On Dec 01, 2017
[in response to madridguy]
"It makes it sound local and reveals you to be a Yoruba!"

**
15. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by madridguy(m): 12:03pm On Dec 01, 2017
"Check very well, igala people of Kogi pronounce it that way more than any other people in Nigeria.

Salamotu

Ajeletu "Hajarah"

Husseinetu

Hassanatu"

**
16. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 12:21pm On Dec 01, 2017
[in response to madriguy]
"Maybe These tribes have difficulty in ending words with a consonant letter. And each consonant must be separated by a vowel."

**
17. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Lordspenzo(m): 12:37pm On Dec 01, 2017
"Wat abt ur local names? U mean u don't have names in ur local tribes dat glorifies God? If u r hausa giv ur kids hausa names same as Yoruba, stop promoting oda ppls tribe..proudly Idoma"
-snip-
“oda ppls” = other people’s

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idoma_people "The Idoma are people that primarily inhabit the lower western areas of Benue State, Nigeria, and kindred groups can be found in Cross Rivers State, Enugu State and Nasarawa State in Nigeria[1]."...

**
18. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by udatso: 3:54pm On Dec 01, 2017
[in response to Rashduct4luv's comment:
"When some Muslim want to name a child, they go online or ask about... They want names that is not common. Names that sounds nice. Jamal, Hadiza, etc.

Hadiza has no meaning! Read that story i posted up there."

[udatso]
"what about Jamal?"

**
19. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 4:38pm On Dec 02, 2017
"Jamal is similar to Jameel which means beauty.
Jamaldeen means beauty of the deen.
Most people who bear this name love it because it sounds foreign and nice.
However it's disliked to bear names ending in "Deen"."

**
20. Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by udatso: 11:46pm On Dec 02, 2017
"Most people who bear this name love it because it sounds foreign and nice.

However it's disliked to bear names ending in "Deen".

Any hadith to support the the last sentence?

Also the similarity of Jamaal and jameel is solely in their origin ج-م-ل. Other than that, their applications are not the same"
-snip-
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hadith
"Definition of hadith
1 : a narrative record of the sayings or customs of Muhammad and his companions
2 : the collective body of traditions relating to Muhammad and his companions
In addition to the two broad usages referred to so far, of sovereignty on the one hand and submission on the other, others have noted[11] that the term Dīn is also widely used in translations of the Qur'an in a third sense. Most famously in its opening chapter, al-Fātiḥah, the term is translated in almost all English translations as "judgment""

**
21. Re: Which Islamic Name Would You Like To Give Your Children? by Rashduct4luv(m): 3:53pm On Dec 03, 2017
in response to udatso]
"I don't have any Hadith as I don't think such name was common during the Prophet's time. However I read this fatwa from Sheikh Al-Munajjid:

It is makrooh to use any name which is composed of any word added to such words as al-Deen (the Religion) or Islam, such as Noor al-Deen/Nuruddin (Light of the Religion), Diya’ al-Deen/Ziauddin (Brightness of the Religion), Sayf al-Islam (Sword of Islam), Noor al-Islam (Light of Islam), etc. This is because of the great status attached to these words, al-Deen and Islam. Adding words to them to form names is an exaggeration which borders on lying, which is why some scholars said that this is haraam, and the majority say that it is makrooh, because it gives an incorrect impression which should not be given. The way this practice started was that these were titles which were added to people’s names, then people started to use them as names.
Names of this sort may be forbidden for two reasons. In a name such as Shihaab al-Deen, for example, the word Shihaab means a flame, which comes from fire, then this is added to the word al-Deen (which is inappropriate). This can lead to the use of strange names, as in Indonesia, where people use names such as Dhahab al-Deen (gold of the Religion) and Maas al-Deen (diamond of the Religion)!
Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him), use to dislike being called by his nickname Muhiy al-Deen, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) used to dislike being called by his nickname Taqiy al-Deen, and he said, “But my family gave me this nickname, so I am known by it.”

Secondly, Jameel is one of Allah's name. So Abdul Jameel is correct as a name."

****
This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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