In the United States, in recent decades, such controversy as
there exists over names for newborns
focuses on tasteless extravagances by the socially marginal: “Messiah”, “Moon Unit”, and names with
non-alphabetic characters (brilliantly anticipated by Monty Python in a classic
sketch).
Now Saudi Arabia has banned fifty names -- a few of them
quite traditional (Binyamin, `Abd-al-Nâsir) but currently associated with
prominent personae non gratae. So, if you are planning on
residing in the Kingdom, and are wondering how to christen the bundle of joy,
take care to avoid these:
Malaak
(angel)
Abdul
Aati
Abdul
Naser
Abdul
Musleh
Nabi
(prophet)
Nabiyya
(female prophet)
Amir
(prince)
Sumuw
(highness)
Al
Mamlaka (the kingdom)
Malika
(queen)
Mamlaka
(kingdom)
Tabarak
(blessed)
Nardeen
Maya
Linda
Randa
Basmala
(utterance of the name of God)
Taline
Aram
Nareej
Rital
Alice
Sandy
Rama
(Hindu god)
Maline
Elaine
Inar
Maliktina
Lareen
Kibrial
Lauren
Binyamin
(Arabic for Benjamin)
Naris
Yara
Sitav
Loland
Tilaj
Barrah
Abdul
Nabi
Abdul
Rasool
Jibreel
(angel Gabriel)
Abdul
Mu’een
Abrar
Iman
Bayan
Baseel
Wireelam
(In the matter of “Moon Unit”, the article is silent.)
For an audio-essay on this news item, by Leila Babès:
For our own fatwa on the matter:
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