Naming a son Uzayr or Ezra

Question: Is there anything wrong with naming my son Uzayr or Ezra?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

Uzayr was either a prophet or a righteous man of the Children of Israel. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; Zad al Masir, Ibn Qayyim) Hence, his name is a good name to name one’s child.

Whether or not Ezra is actually Uzayr is somewhat unclear. Nevertheless, Ezra of the Old testament is also a righteous man who enforced the Torah.

I don’t see any need to change your son’s name.

Given the child’s age, if I were in your shoes I’d leave the legal name as is, and just start calling him Uzayr among family members. This is just a personal opinion.

I pray this helps.

[Shaykh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language