The Naming of al-Ḥasan

Also during that year, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib was born. When he was born, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib brought the good news to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "What did you name him?" He said, "We named him Ḥarb" — Ḥarb means war. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "No, he is Ḥasan." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not like these harsh names — Ḥarb, and, as it were, Ṣaḫr — there is Ṣaḫr, there is Ḥarb, there are all of these tough names. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not like that, and he changed the name from Ḥarb to Ḥasan. Ḥasan means nice, beautiful, kind; it carries all of these pleasant meanings. This is the name he chose for his grandson, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him). Also, al-Ḥasan (may Allah be pleased with him) — according to the hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made the call to prayer in his ear; he also asked his daughter Fāṭimah to shave his head and then weigh the hair and give the equivalent weight in silver as charity in the cause of Allah, and he also made the ʿaqīqah for him, and two sheep were slaughtered for him. That was the ʿaqīqah of al-Ḥasan (may Allah be pleased with him).