Question Summary:
Is it permissible to have the name Abrār?

Question Detail:

 I have read the following hadith in which Zainab binti Salama (radiyallah anha) says that I was named Birra (meaning pious) and Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Do not claim piety, for Allah knows who amongst you are pious.Name her Zainab." My question is should we avoid baby name Abrar since it means "pious" as well? 

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.  
The original Arabic of this narration is as follows:[1]
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، قَالَ: سَمَّيْتُ ابْنَتِي بَرَّةَ، فَقَالَتْ لِي زَيْنَبُ بِنْتُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ: «إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ هَذَا الِاسْمِ، وَسُمِّيتُ بَرَّةَ»، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ، اللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُمْ» فَقَالُوا: بِمَ نُسَمِّيهَا؟ قَالَ: «سَمُّوهَا زَيْنَبَ»
 
The following is a similar narration found in the Sahīh of Imām Bukhārī (rahimahullāh) and Imām Muslim (rahimahullāh):
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: " أَنَّ زَيْنَبَ كَانَ اسْمُهَا بَرَّةَ، فَقِيلَ: تُزَكِّي نَفْسَهَا، فَسَمَّاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَيْنَبَ "
It is narrated on the authority of Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu `anh) that Zainab's original name was "Barrah," but it was said' "By that she is giving herself the prestige of piety." So the Prophet (ﷺ) changed her name to Zainab.[2]
The commentators of Bukhārī and Muslim state that one of the main reasons for changing Zaynab’s (radiyallāhu `anhā’) name was because it was used to proclaim one’s piety.[3] However, other narrations point out that this prohibition was not general and there were instances where the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ allowed people to keep names for the sake of seeking good fortune such as the following narrations:[4]
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: غَيَّرَ اسْمَ عَاصِيَةَ، وَقَالَ: «أَنْتِ جَمِيلَةٌ»
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn `Umar (radiyallāhu `anh) that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ changed the name of `Asiyah (disobedient) and said: “You are Jamīlah (beautiful).”
عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ لَهُ: «مَا اسْمُكَ؟» قَالَ: حَزْنٌ، قَالَ: «أَنْتَ سَهْلٌ» قَالَ: لَا، السَّهْلُ يُوطَأُ وَيُمْتَهَنُ، قَالَ سَعِيدٌ: «فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُصِيبُنَا بَعْدَهُ حُزُونَةٌ» قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: «وَغَيَّرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اسْمَ الْعَاصِ، وَعَزِيزٍ، وَعَتَلَةَ، وَشَيْطَانٍ، وَالْحَكَمِ، وَغُرَابٍ، وَحُبَابٍ، وَشِهَابٍ، فَسَمَّاهُ هِشَامًا، وَسَمَّى حَرْبًا سَلْمًا، وَسَمَّى الْمُضْطَجِعَ الْمُنْبَعِثَ، وَأَرْضًا تُسَمَّى عَفِرَةَ سَمَّاهَا خَضِرَةَ، وَشَعْبَ الضَّلَالَةِ، سَمَّاهُ شَعْبَ الْهُدَى، وَبَنُو الزِّنْيَةِ، سَمَّاهُمْ بَنِي الرِّشْدَةِ، وَسَمَّى بَنِي مُغْوِيَةَ، بَنِي رِشْدَةَ» قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: «تَرَكْتُ أَسَانِيدَهَا لِلِاخْتِصَارِ»
Sa`īd ibn Musayyab narrates from his father who said on the authority of his grandfather (Hazn) that the Prophet ﷺ asked: What is your name? He replied: Hazn (rugged). He said: You are Sahl (smooth). He said: No, smooth is trodden upon and disgraced. Sa`īd said: I then thought that ruggedness would remain among us after it.
Imam Abā Dawād comments: The Prophet ﷺ changed the names al-`Ās Aziz, Atalah, Shaytan, al-Hakam, Ghurab, Hubab, and Shihab and called him Hisham. He changed the name Harb (war) and called him Silm (peace). He changed the name al-Munba`ith (one who lies down) and called him al-Mudtaji` (one who stands up). He changed the name of a land Afrah (barren) and called it Khadrah (green). He changed the name Shi`b ad-Dalalah (the mountain path of a stray), the name of a mountain path and called it Shi`b al-Hudā (mountain path of guidance). He changed the name Banu az-Zinyah (children of fornication) and called them Banu ar-Rushdah (children of those who are on the right path), and changed the name Banu Mughwiyah (children of a woman who allures and goes astray), and called them Banu Rushdah (children of a woman who is on the right path).
 
Also consider the following narration:
جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ، يَقُولُ: «أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَنْهَى عَنْ أَنْ يُسَمَّى بِيَعْلَى، وَبِبَرَكَةَ، وَبِأَفْلَحَ، وَبِيَسَارٍ، وَبِنَافِعٍ وَبِنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُهُ سَكَتَ بَعْدُ عَنْهَا، فَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يَنْهَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ» ثُمَّ أَرَادَ عُمَرُ أَنْ يَنْهَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ تَرَكَهُ "
Jābir ibn `Abdullāh (radiyallāhu `anh) says that Allah's Messenger ﷺ decided to forbid (his followers) to name persons as Ya`lā (Elevated), Barakah (Blessing), Aflah (Successful), Yasar and Nāfi` (bringing benifit), but I saw that he kept silent after that and he did not say anything. Subsequently, Allah's Messenger ﷺ returned to Allāh while he did not forbid (his followers to do this), then `Umar (radiyallāhu `anh) decided to prohibit (people) from giving these names, but later on gave up the idea.[5]
In conclusion, if one chooses to name their child with names that show a positive attribute, it is permissible if one simply seeks good fortune from it (like the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ did so as well) and does not seek to proclaim the child’s purity (as prohibited in the hadīth mentioned at the beginning of the query).[6]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Mohammad
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net