152. Imām al-Bāqir (a.s.) said: “The best name is the one which indicates the servitude1 [of Allah], and the best of them are the names of prophets.”2
153. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “Every child born to us we name him Muhammad, and when seven days have passed, we either change the name or keep it.”3
154. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “Someone came to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! A child has been born to me, so what do I name him?” He said: “Name him by the dearest of names to me: Hamzah.”4
155. al-Kāfi, narrating from ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Muhammad ‘Azrami who said: “Mu‘āwiyah appointed Marwān ibn al-Hakam as the governor of Medina and ordered him to assign a salary for the young ones of Quraysh, and he did.”
Imām Zayn al-‘Abidin [al-Sajjād] said: “I went to him and he asked: “What is your name?” I answered: “‘Ali ibn al-Husain.” He asked: “What is your brother’s name?” I answered: ‘‘‘Ali.”
He said: ‘‘‘Ali and ‘Ali! What was your father after by naming all his sons ‘Ali?”
Then he paid my salary and I returned to my father [Imām Husain] and told him what happened. He said: “Woe to the son of the blue-eyed5 woman and [animal] skin tanner. If I were given one hundred sons, I would name them nothing but ‘Ali.”6
1.. Meaning names which begin with the prefix ‘abd, such as: ‘Abdullah, ‘Abd al-Rahmān, ‘Abd al-Hādi… .
2.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۱۸, h. ۱. Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۷, p. ۴۳۸, h. ۱۷۴۷.
3.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۱۸, h. ۴. Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۷, p. ۴۳۷, h. ۱۷۴۶. ‘Uddah al-Dā‘i, p. ۷۷, narrating from Imām al-Ridā (a.s.).
4.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۱۹, h. ۹. Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۷, p. ۴۳۸, h. ۱۷۴۹. Both from Ibn al-Qaddāh.
5.. The color of the eye here does not mean it is a defect, but it is referring to evil features and lewdness.
6.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۱۹, h. ۷. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۴۴, p. ۲۱۱, h. ۸.
