2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘My father narrated to me from my grandfather that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Name your children before they are born: and if you do not know they are male or female, then name them with such names that are good for both male and female. In case a child is miscarried, when that child will meet you on the Day of Judgment, whom you had not given a name, it will say to his father, ‘I wish you had named me.’ The Messenger of Allah had named Muhsin before his birth.’”*

3. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl from Musa ibn Bakr who has said the following: “The first good thing that a father can do to his children is to give them good names. You must find a good name for (each of) your children.’”

4. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from certain persons of our people from those whom he has mentioned who have said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘We name every child born to us Muhammad and after seven days if we like we change or keep the same name.’”

5. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-FIakam from ibn Mayyah from Fulan ibn Flamid ibn Flamid who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, for advice about the name of my child and he (the Imam) said, ‘Name him with the names that express slavery (to Allah).’ He then asked, ‘Which ones are they?’ He (the Imam) said, “Abd al-Rahman.’”

6. Al-FIusayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from Sulayman ibn Sama‘ah from his uncle ‘Asem al-Kuziy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘If four sons are born to someone and he does not name even one of them with my name he has done injustice to me.’”

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad formal-Barqiy from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-‘Arzamiy who has said the following: “Mu‘awiyah appointed Marwan ibn al-Hakam as his agent in al-Madinah and ordered him to pay a certain salary to the young people of Quraysh which he did. Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘I went to him and he asked, ‘What is your name?’ I replied, ‘It is Ali ibn al-Husayn.’ He then asked, ‘What is the name of your brother?’ I replied, ‘It is Ali.’ He said, ‘Ali and Ali. Is it that your father does not want to leave any of his children without naming them all Ali?’ He paid me a certain amount. I returned to my father and informed him of what had happened. He (the Imam) said, ‘Woe is upon the son of al-Zarqa’, the leather- treating man. Even if one hundred sons will be born to me I will not give anyone of them any other name except Ali.’”

8. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Bakr ibn Salih from Sulayman al-Ja‘fariy who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘Poverty does not enter a house wherein a person’s name is Muhammad or Ahmad or Ali or al-Hassan or al-Husayn or Ja‘far or Talib or ‘Abd Allah or Fatimah of the women.’”

9. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ariy from ibn al-Qaddah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, a son is born to me. What must I name him?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Name him with the name which is most beloved to me; Hamzah.’”

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Husayn ibn Zayd ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn from his father who has said the following: “This is a narration of abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘You should give yourselves good names; on the Day of Judgment you will be called with your names: O so and so son of so and so, stand up to your light and stand up, O so and so son of so and so, you have no light.’”

11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Salih al-Sindiy from Ja‘far ibn Bashir from Sa‘id ibn Khuthaym from Mu’ammar ibn Khuthaym who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once asked me, ‘What is your Kunyah (father of so and so or son of so and so)?’ I replied, ‘I have no Kunyah yet; I have no son or wife or daughter.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What keeps you from having one?’ I replied, ‘It is a Hadith which is narrated from Ali, ‘Alayhi al- Salam. ’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is it?’ I replied, ‘Ali, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, “If one adopts a Kunyah and he does not have a wife he then is father of al-Ja‘r (dried up dung).”’ Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, then said that it is forged and it is not of Hadith of Ali, ‘Alayhi al-Salam. We give Kunyah to our children in their childhood for fear of bad names being ascribed to them.’”

12. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Muslim from al-Husayn ibn Nasr from his father from ‘Amr ibn Shamir from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, once wanted to visit one of his followers because he was ill. He (the Imam) told me to follow him and I followed him (the Imam). When he (the Imam) arrived at his door his small son came out and abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, asked, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘It is Muhammad.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What is your Kunyah ?’ He replied, ‘It is Ali.’ Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, then said, ‘You have fortified yourself against Satan very intensely. When Satan hears someone calling O Muhammad, O Ali, Satan melts like lead until he hears someone calling with the names of our enemies; he becomes excited and swaggers.’”

13. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Safwan ibn in a marfu‘ manner who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, or abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has stated this Hadith. ‘This is ‘Muhammad’ (the Messenger of Allah) who has given them permission to name themselves with his name. However, who has given them permission to name themselves ‘Yasin’ which is the name of the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause )?’”

14. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah asked for a sahifah (a book) and he (the Messenger of Allah) wanted to prohibit the use of certain names to use. He (the Messenger of Allah) passed away but he (the Messenger of Allah) did not mention them. Of such names are al- Hakam and Hakim, Khalid and Malik. He (the Imam) said that such names are six or seven and it is not permissible to use them.’”

15. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited four Kunyah like abu ‘Isa, abu al-Hakam, abu Malik, abu al-Qasim if the name is Muhammad.’”

16. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hilal from al-‘Ala’ ibn Razin from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The most hated names to Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, are Harith, Malik and Khalid.’”