Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As-salaam-mu-alaikum

Certain surahs of the Qur'aan start with letters such as Alif-Laam-Meem and Alif-Laam-Raa and Yaa-Sien etc.  It is my understanding that we don't really know the meanings of these letters or words.  There have been some theories from learned people but nothing that is confirmed by any hadeeth of the Prophet SAW.  It is also my understanding that Yaa-Sien and Ta-Ha are names or references to the Prophet SAW.   It is common to name our children Yaa-Sien or Ta-Ha - So my question is : Is it ok for us to give our children these names when we don't know what they mean and when they have been given to the Prophet SAW in the Qur'aan - i.e by Allah?  Can we use these names? Please clarify as I might not have the correct or full understanding of these issues.

Shukran

 

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Answer:

 

Can one name children on broken alphabets of Quran?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol,  no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Indeed the meaning of broken alphabets at the beginning of some Surahs of the Quran are not known to man.  It seems that the usage of such broken alphabets were a idiom or expression commonly used in the writings of those days;  maybe that is why even the disbelievers and hypocrites who used to object the commands of every Aayah,  never ever challenged the usage of these terms of the Quran.   Neither did the Prophet of Allah (saws) ever explain their meanings,  nor did the people of his time ever ask him to explain it.   The exact meaning of these broken alphabets are known to Allah Subhanah Himself.

 

Your Question:  Is it ok for us to give our children these names when we

don't know what they mean and when they have been given to the Prophet SAW in the Qur'aan - i.e by Allah?  Can we use these names?

There is absolutely nothing in the Sunnah that would indicate that the alphabets Yaa,  Seen,  or Taa,  Haa are names or references to the Messenger of Allah (saws). 

There is absolutely no harm in using these names,  or assigning these names to our children even if we do not know the exact meaning of these terms.   Not all assigned names have established meanings,  and there is no harm if one assigns a name to his children which have no meaning,  provided the names are not based on objects of ‘shirk’ or evil.   Taa-Haa or Yaa Seen are terms from the Quran and perfectly good names to use for the believers.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

 

 

 

 Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan