the child’s stomach, for they serve it the way tanning treats a skin. Hence we say: every newborn ought to be given a tahnīk.

This ḥadith also contains a sign of the Prophet’s ﷺ truthfulness: he prayed for that infant, whereupon Allah blessed the boy and his descendants. As we noted, he eventually had nine children, all of whom recited the Quran—by the blessing of the Prophet’s supplication.

The report further shows that it is recommended to name a child ʿAbd Allah, for giving this name—or ʿAbd al-Rahman—is the very best choice. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The names dearest to Allah are ʿAbd Allah and ʿAbd al-Rahman.”

As for the saying, “The best names are those that begin with Ḥamd and those that begin with ʿAbd,” it has no basis; it is not a hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The sound narration is: “The names most loved by Allah are ʿAbd Allah and ʿAbd al-Rahman, and the truest of them are Ḥārith and Hammām.” Ḥārith and Hammām are the “truest” because they match reality: every son of Adam is a ḥārith—he works—and every son of Adam is a hammām—he forms intents, wills, and resolves.

Allah Almighty says, “O man, you are laboring toward your Lord with great exertion, and you will meet Him” (al-Inshiqāq 84:6). Thus every human being labors; for that reason the truest names are Ḥārith and Hammām, while the names most beloved to Allah are ʿAbd Allah and ʿAbd al-Rahman.