I was recently contacted by a new father of a baby boy and he was wondering about choosing a suitable name for his new son. Quite a lot of emails I get are about the naming of people's new sons and daughters asking what the name means and if it is suitable but this was the first email asking me to suggest a name.

In Islam the naming of a new child is a very important responsibility of the parent. The Prophet Muhammed (SAW) recommended we give our children suitable names, explaining:

Through this blog post I was going to ask you guys to comment with a selection of your favourite boy and girl names and (optionally) explain why you like them.

I can't say I have a favourite name but I'll start off with a few names I like:

Boy's names -
Abdul Wadood - a name that reminds us of God's love
Abdullah - servant of God
Isa - Prophet Jesus - A nice name that doesn't often get used by Muslims as much as it should
Yahya - Prophet John (the baptist) - a reminder of martyrdom
Ilyas - Prophet Elijah
Elyes' - Prophet Elisha - a Prophet few people know about but should

Girl's names -
Jannah - heaven
Ayah - sign/verse from God
Zahraa' - rose
Dhuha - dawn
Noor - light
Maryam - Mary

ps - There's a new poll on the homepage about how you, as a Muslim, celebrate Christmas, if at all.