tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post2332821788294792979..comments2023-10-04T14:42:19.939+03:00Comments on Stranger in this Dunya: What's in a name?Umm Ibrahimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-47438115680497762312008-08-22T13:18:00.000+03:002008-08-22T13:18:00.000+03:00Salaam,Thanks for the feedback Suleiman. :)Salaam,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the feedback <B>Suleiman</B>. :)Umm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-6328268629724485202008-08-21T04:57:00.000+03:002008-08-21T04:57:00.000+03:00ma sha allahI really liked your point of view, I w...ma sha allah<BR/>I really liked your point of view, I was always against changing the names of new Muslims, don't know why but I didn't like the idea.<BR/>I didn't think a lot about it anyway, but after reading here, I was really happy with the points of view from you people, really really makes me happy!<BR/>thank you for the great blog.<BR/><BR/>Suleiman, RiyadhAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-40670060535418013492008-08-18T22:13:00.000+03:002008-08-18T22:13:00.000+03:00I see. :)I understand what you mean about being Um...I see. :)<BR/><BR/>I understand what you mean about being Umm something, another thing where I am caught between two sentiments! Am so indecisive! lol. I don't think anyone IRL really calls me Umm Ibrahim though, it's mainly online where I use my kunya for reasons you mentioned. Takes up less imagination than having to think up a whole new name for myself!Umm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-65809001492966406912008-08-18T21:33:00.000+03:002008-08-18T21:33:00.000+03:00Assalaamu Alaikum,No I didn't change my name offic...Assalaamu Alaikum,<BR/><BR/>No I didn't change my name officially (at least not yet), I kept my name and took the name one dear sister gave me as my "nickname" which I use mostly in the netdiscussions in order to keep my real identity secret. Almost everyone know me by my original name in real life. <BR/>Anyways, I have always felt also that I don't want to be Umm-something, I wanted to be me myself and I ;-)<BR/><BR/>wassalaam MaryamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-447798637914213192008-08-18T19:51:00.000+03:002008-08-18T19:51:00.000+03:00Assalaamu alaikum,Farhana: well for me there is a ...Assalaamu alaikum,<BR/><BR/>Farhana: well for me there <I>is</I> a definite distinction between and given that my name translates to an Arabic equivalent, I don't see the point in putting my family through the heartache. I think your name is apart you really so unless you really hate your name it is strange to change it.<BR/><BR/>Maryam: Nice to 'meet' you sister! you say that my sentiments are very similar to your own but it seems that you <I>did</I> change your name... what were your reasons, if that's not too personal? :]Umm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-65848534337272588462008-08-18T19:02:00.000+03:002008-08-18T19:02:00.000+03:00Assalaamu Alaikum Sister!Greetings from Finland! I...Assalaamu Alaikum Sister!<BR/><BR/>Greetings from Finland! I just found your blog through another blog and was amazed, Masha'Allah! This post was like I have written it, it's so similar with my thoughts. Your way of presenting hadiths even looks similar.<BR/>So you know my opinion about this topic by reading your own posting, lol!<BR/>By the way, I was reverted about 15 years ago and I have 5 children, Masha'Allah.<BR/><BR/>Fee aman Allah your sister MaryamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-23170394731559410402008-08-18T00:28:00.000+03:002008-08-18T00:28:00.000+03:00As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu ...As-salaamu'alaykum wa Rahmatu Llahi wa Barakatuhu my dearest sister,<BR/><BR/>Very interesting topic. :D<BR/><BR/>I really like that you distinguished between Muslim name and Arabic name - a lot of people don't see the difference. As far as I know, your name just has to have a good meaning (that's one of the rights of a child), .. and can be in any language you like. But we are not supposed to change our last name (ie: when you get married). <BR/><BR/>Allahu alim.<BR/><BR/>Wa'alaykum as-salaam<BR/>Love FarhanaSketched Soulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11927888288567386918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-49407831144217346812008-08-17T14:07:00.000+03:002008-08-17T14:07:00.000+03:00Mahdiyyah: Yes, I am also very aware of hurting my...Mahdiyyah: Yes, I am also very aware of hurting my family's feelings, or rather NOT hurting their feelings as my acceptance of Islam was a big enough blow to them.<BR/><BR/>Talib: Thank you. Looking forward to more English language posts on your blog. :]<BR/><BR/>L_Oman, Alajnabiya: Ah yes... identity issues! LOLUmm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-35033860976609705562008-08-17T08:21:00.000+03:002008-08-17T08:21:00.000+03:00LOL, I think all of us who are converts and long t...LOL, I think all of us who are converts and long term expats have some "identity issues."alajnabiyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-49664281839893769432008-08-17T07:49:00.000+03:002008-08-17T07:49:00.000+03:00Not legally, but family here calls me by an Arabic...Not legally, but family here calls me by an Arabic name. Family there calls me by my birth name. To say I have identity issues would be an understatement. <BR/><BR/>Just kidding.<BR/><BR/>I wish I had never allowed the family here to call me by an Arabic name. I like my given name so I don't know what I was thinking...L_Omanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00640842359904342033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-3449988226505720732008-08-17T00:23:00.000+03:002008-08-17T00:23:00.000+03:00assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabrkatahu,May ALLAH...assalam alaikum warahmatullah wabrkatahu,<BR/><BR/>May ALLAH bless you.<BR/>you are doing the best in the favour of society , umma and islaam.<BR/>i am a new blogger from india.<BR/>i have given your blog link in my blog http://deen-dunya.blogspot.com/<BR/>plz when ever you time do visit my site.<BR/><BR/>wassalam<BR/>ALLAH HAFIZtalib د عا ؤ ں کا طا لبhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17822811849562202321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-45326517313518971772008-08-16T22:34:00.000+03:002008-08-16T22:34:00.000+03:00I am also a Louise and like other sisters feel my ...I am also a Louise and like other sisters feel my official rejection of the name my parents gave me would further hurt their feelings. I am therefore known by that name when I am in the UK and by Mahdiyyah in Algeria although my 'foreign' expat friends here in Algeria still call me Louise?????. I chose this name as it means 'rightly guided' and as my husband is called Mahdi, I thought we could be rightly guided together! - and I need all the help I can get!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-13348001776325536442008-08-16T11:13:00.000+03:002008-08-16T11:13:00.000+03:00Assalaamu alaikum,Latifah is a very pretty name ma...Assalaamu alaikum,<BR/><BR/>Latifah is a very pretty name masha'allah :] . Thanks for the English reply on your blog!<BR/><BR/>Seekingtaqwa: To some extent I feel the same way about keeping a part of me... a part that doesn't need to be changed.<BR/><BR/>Aliyah: I haven't started thinking about it all over again; it's just something that coms up with me every now and then. :] But yes, 16 years does seem a bit late in the day and I really don't know how I would choose a name - it would be too strange for me! Actually I do like the name Aliyah a lot and haven't used this for any of my girls as I feel it doesn't really 'match' with the names I have given them... maybe I should have it then?! Me as an Aliyah just seems a bit surreal though! LOL<BR/><BR/>Alajnabiya: That's kinda funny what you are saying about having the exotic name you always wanted even without changing it!<BR/><BR/>Nicole: I guess not officially changing your name is easier ont he family; they can still know you by the given name but you can enjoy having a new name amongst your muslim sisters. :]Umm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-50923028588866423822008-08-16T10:19:00.000+03:002008-08-16T10:19:00.000+03:00I never officially changed my name, but I did choo...I never officially changed my name, but I did choose a name for myself when I converted. I felt that the change in my heart deserved a name that reflected it. I became Noor to those Muslims around me, but to my family I kept my own name. Now as a writer I am using my original name and it has actually helped me come in contact with people from my past who are curious about me and it has become a way to make Dawa with them. Alhamdulillah. I think it works both ways depending upon how you feel.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16862190127021526170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-33671781841978425822008-08-16T10:11:00.000+03:002008-08-16T10:11:00.000+03:00I hated my name when I was growing up. It seemed s...I hated my name when I was growing up. It seemed such a boring, common name. I was always imagining changing it to something more exotic, especially after I heard that my parents had named me after an uncle! (Carol instead of Carl) I was their third daughter and they had only picked out boy's names. But when I became Muslim and had to choose, I decided to keep the name my parents had given me. My mother was already hurt when I rejected so much of the way I had been brought up, changing my beliefs, style of dress, even refusing to eat the foods my family loved. So I decided that changing my name would have been perceived by her as one more rejection. There was no need to hurt her feelings if it wasn't mandated by Islam. Besides, most of the names that are now considered Islamic existed before The Qur'an was sent down. <BR/><BR/>I have actually met several other Muslim Carols over the years. Who knows, maybe some day it will be a common name for Muslims. The funny thing is that now that I live in Palestine, I have the exotic and unusual name I wanted as a child, and it is still just Carol.alajnabiyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-44879325763074789912008-08-16T06:34:00.000+03:002008-08-16T06:34:00.000+03:00Assalaamu alaykum!I changed my name (I wrote an en...Assalaamu alaykum!<BR/><BR/>I changed my name (I wrote an entry about it), because it was a derivative of something haram -the name of a goddess. Although I never really liked the name given to me at birth, I would have kept it for a few reasons (good for dawah, part of me/my identity). Well, I had to change it, so I embraced the change and chose a name I liked the meaning and sound of. I think as long as the meaning of the name is acceptable (i.e. not haram/something bad), then it is a Muslim name regardless of its origin. For instance, I knew a sister who is also a convert. Her name is 'Felicity' which is a lovely name both in its meaning and its sound. Although it is perfectly acceptable, she changed hers to 'Khadija' to attain a stronger Islamic identity.<BR/><BR/>Umm Ibrahim, why have you started thinking about changing your name (again) after so long - 16 years of Islam? And what are some of the ones you've considered?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-26406506088148898802008-08-16T00:39:00.000+03:002008-08-16T00:39:00.000+03:00I did change my name initially, but it never felt ...I did change my name initially, but it never felt right and for some reason I needed to keep a little bit of "me"...after changing so many things regarding my lifestyle after i came to islam it was good to retain a part of myself..and I LURVE my name..seekingtaqwahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14610424415557632540noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-36458058810163555392008-08-15T22:55:00.000+03:002008-08-15T22:55:00.000+03:00Assalamu alaikum:Well when i converted to islam, i...Assalamu alaikum:<BR/><BR/>Well when i converted to islam, i want to change my name, but i didnt know how are the importance has,so i decided to my name has now,i really like it because the meaning is a patiance woman. <BR/><BR/>latifah umm hassan<BR/><BR/>pd. sister..i wrote in english version in my blog and i answered you...Latifahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16369445515874278513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-72085039232303613542008-08-15T20:57:00.000+03:002008-08-15T20:57:00.000+03:00Assalaamu alaikum,Interesting to read your respons...Assalaamu alaikum,<BR/><BR/>Interesting to read your responses, masha'Allah. Humayraa... I love both your names masha'Allah but you do make me laugh when you say it makes you sound like a nun!<BR/><BR/>UmAlMujahid, I definitely agree with you that we should give our children good names with a strong sense of 'muslimness' in order to start fostering a strong Islamic identity. My children all have names of people in Islamic history and they love hearing the story behind their names. :)Umm Ibrahimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854841403985663983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-6761535484216781092008-08-15T20:21:00.000+03:002008-08-15T20:21:00.000+03:00as salamu alaykumI changed my name too and,as most...as salamu alaykum<BR/><BR/>I changed my name too and,as most of us,I have ppl calling me with my arabic name and ppl calling me with my "original" name.But I don't mind alhamdulillah!<BR/><BR/>But I think it's important now that we give good names to the new generations:like name loved by Allah "Abdullah,Abdurahman...etc" or names of the Prophets(as) or the Sahaba/Sahabyat. Most of this names I see them disappearing..or maybe it's just my feeling... Allahu a'alam!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-52730818413546192202008-08-15T19:52:00.000+03:002008-08-15T19:52:00.000+03:00salam, I use my given name all the time.. although...salam, I use my given name all the time.. although I have an online persona which is getting weird the more I meet people in real life from the net.. I dont mind either and I have nicknames from my name (louise) that my close family and even h2b calls me :) I love my name, although I didnt when I was a child and I love the meaning too (female warrior) Allahu alim. I too came across all the hadiths about not having to change it and I also think its very good dawah although some people never believe me that its me name. 'but youre muslim, thats not a muslim name' lol :D starts the conversation, if they do say it to my face anyways :PAdventurous Ammenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06130257311389290780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-8284124864029554822008-08-15T19:11:00.000+03:002008-08-15T19:11:00.000+03:005 years after accepting Islaam, I "met" a brother ...5 years after accepting Islaam, I "met" a brother who is a graduate from the University of Madinah (where he specialized in hadith) and he presented me with some convincing ahadith about why I should change my name. He offered to present me with a list of names from which I could choose, and I accepted. That's how I picked the name I have now. My legal name is still the one my parents gave to me, and though I was adamant on changing it over the years, I've opted to leave it as it is. All relatives, non-Muslims and Muslims who knew me before the change call me by the name chosen by my parents, while all Muslims who have met me within the last five and a half years call me by the name I chose. There are a few people who use both interchangably.<BR/><BR/>While I enjoy using the name I picked, in retrospect, I wish that I had just stuck with the name given to me by my parents. It does not have a bad meaning (that I know of!) and though it's known to be a christian name (especially when you add the title "sister" in front of it, also there's a "saint" with the same name), I think it would have been excellent for da'wah, as you said...<BR/><BR/>Maybe it's not too late for me to revert to exclusively using my given name, but time will tell what I do, inshaaAllaah.Humayraahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02077868957286005938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-12878745298266877012008-08-15T18:59:00.000+03:002008-08-15T18:59:00.000+03:00For the first two years that I was muslim, I did n...For the first two years that I was muslim, I did not change my name. When I got married and moved to another state I decided to change my name then. It was much easier than having to ask everyone I knew to call me by a new name. Unfortunately, the name chage is not legal. So, now all the people(muslims/non-muslims) I meet know me as "new name" but my co-workers, family, and people from old state call me by "old name." sooooo confusing.UmmAbdurRahmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09836313418391522585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9204219892383731772.post-8665103600781747892008-08-15T18:49:00.000+03:002008-08-15T18:49:00.000+03:00you should not be obliged to change your name unle...you should not be obliged to change your name unless it meet the criteria of a bad meaning as stated in the hadith. If your name is a nice meaning one then so be it!Rainbow In The Grey Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11884199498310835920noreply@blogger.com