So I'm Somali and I have a Somali name. In Somali my name means light or something like that. But in Arabic my name means somewhere along the lines of a sorcerer, soothsayer, fortune-teller, etc. My name is Kahin. كَاهِنْ And I heard in some lectures I watched in youtube they would say "a Kahin" when they are talking about like a sorcerer, or fortune-teller or something like that. And now I feel uncomfortable with my name. And some of the Quran school I went to as a teen, I was told my name has a bad meaning and I should change it. So I would like some advice, should I change my name?
Yes you should change your name. During the Prophet 'alayhissalaatu wassalaam's time they used to mock him and call him a kaahin, a sorcerer. Sorcery is one of the 10 nullifiers of Islam, it would be wrong to be named after such evils. Hope that helps in shaa Allah.
Thanks for the response. I guess I will try to have this conversation with my family. It will be quite weird as only one of my brothers and my mom a bit practice Islam. InshAllah it'll go well.
Salam brother. No you dont have to change your name because it is a Somalian name means completely a different thing than in Arabic. "Light" has indeed a nice meaning in Islam.
Strictly speaking there is no reason to change your name once you become a Muslim, or are born a Muslim - unless you discover that your name has a negative meaning... in your case, Kah, your name is definitely warranting a change.
May Allah make it easy for you and give you much benefit in your new name, Ameen.
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