Hadith 24

Sahih Muslim

Book 38: The Book of Manners and Etiquette

Chapter 3

It Is Recommended To Change Bad Names To Good Names, And To Change The Name Barrah To Zainab, Juwayriyah And The Like

بَاب اسْتِحْبَابِ تَغْيِيرِ الِاسْمِ الْقَبِيحِ إِلَى حَسَنٍ وَتَغْيِيرِ اسْمِ بَرَّةَ إِلَى زَيْنَبَ وَجُوَيْرِيَةَ وَنَحْوِهِمَا

Sahih Muslim 2142b
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، قَالَ سَمَّيْتُ ابْنَتِي بَرَّةَ فَقَالَتْ لِي زَيْنَبُ بِنْتُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ هَذَا الاِسْمِ وَسُمِّيتُ بَرَّةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا بِمَ نُسَمِّيهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ سَمُّوهَا زَيْنَبَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Muhammad b. 'Amr b. 'Ata' reported:

I had given the name Barra to my daughter. Zainab, daughter of Abu Salama, told me that Allah's' Messenger (ﷺ) had forbidden me to give this name. (She said): I was also called Barra, but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Don't hold yourself to be pious. It is God alone who knows the people of piety among you. They (the Companions) said: Then, what name should we give to her? He said: Name her as Zainab.

Chain of Narrators

companion
1

Zaynab bint Abi Salamah

زينب بنت أبي سلمة

97 narrations

follower
2

Muhammad bin 'Amr bin 'Alqama

محمد بن عمرو بن علقمة

248 narrations

follower
3

Yazid bin Abi Habib

يزيد بن أبي حبيب

213 narrations

successor
4

al-Laith bin Sa'd

الليث بن سعد

1,313 narrations

successor
5

Hashim bin al-Qasim bin Muslim -

هاشم بن القاسم أبو النضر قيصر

89 narrations

3rd Generation
6

'Amr bin Muhammad bin Bukayr

عمرو بن محمد بن بكير الناقد

244 narrations