Assalamu’alaikum and Greetings from us, Aqiqah.SG! February is here! Fast isn’t it ?! Alhamdulillah. We hope that the start of your 2021 has been wonderful for all.
Today, shall be about a topic that subconsciously has us concerned when one is expecting to have a child – Naming of a Child. During pregnancy, it is common to see an expectant mother to be searching for names. Other than finding a name that sounds nice together, they would want to understand the meaning of the desired name/s. It is a very interesting phase indeed. It is even more interesting to discover the meaning of our own names and even our loved ones. What are the factors that influenced our parents when deciding on our name? Could it be that we were named after a person who made a significant impact in their lives? Why are some names more popular than others especially during a period of time? A question commonly asked by elders after hearing the desired names for their grandchildren is “What is the meaning of it? Why is it so long?”
One distinct difference observed throughout the eras is the transition of names from our great-great-grandparent to ours. Joyah, Senah, Pungut, Amit – These are probably some of the names you might find familiar. You might be laughing now, but back then it was a norm to be naming your child. Not only that, they used to have one name, as the years goes by, it is common for a child to be having four names excluding their father’s. I remember hearing this line almost all the time “I pity your child for having to write such a long name for ‘O’ Levels”. Brings me back to the days when we had to shade the OAS sheet. Writing ours names on every single examination papers and foolscap papers.
With the advancement of technology, most of us will rely on Google to assist us in this process. Despite the advancement of technology and its reliability, kindly do be careful as there will still be misinformation. It would be advisable to have a good understanding on the meaning of your desired names. Alhamdulillah, contacting Asatizahs has been made convenient due to social media. You may enquire with them. Perhaps you are a little shy, you are able to find books on Islamic Names in several stores such as Toko Warisan and Al-Barakah. You might also want to check out this book from Wardah Books, available online in this link. https://wardahbooks.com/products/blessednamesandcharacteristicsofprophetmuhammad
A name is like a prayer. Every single time the name is being called out, it is a prayer. SubhanAllah, God is Great. We pray that Allah guide and keep us on the right path.
Photo 1 by Jess Bailey on Unsplash
Photo 2 by Wardah Books