Can I Name My Child Jakob Instead of Yaqub?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Is it permissible to name a child Jakob, the German way of writing Yakub? I am German, and my husband is Turkish. His wish is that we name our children from names in the Quran. I want to fulfill this wish, but I want to take the German translation. I have been reading the Quran in German, found the name Jakob, and deemed it permissible.
Answer
Thank you for your question. Yes, it is permissible to name your child Jakob. Some prefer to use Arabic names because they become immediately identifiable as Muslims throughout their lives, but that is an open discussion that you should have with your husband. Another option is to give the child a middle name, one Arabic and the other non-Arabic.
Is It Acceptable to Choose a Name That Is Not Arabic and Is Not From the Quran?
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied Aqidah, Fiqh, Tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied Fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
