Sa’id b. Musayyab told that his father said on the authority of his grandfather (Hazn): 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’id said: I then thought that ruggedness would remain among us after it. AbuDawud said: The Prophet (ﷺ) changed the names al-‘As, 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) 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-Huda (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). AbuDawud said: I omitted the chains of these for the sake of brevity.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
حدثنا أحمد بن صالح، حدثنا عبد الرزاق، عن معمر، عن الزهري، عن سعيد بن المسيب، عن أبيه، عن جده، أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال له ” ما اسمك ” . قال حزن . قال ” أنت سهل ” . قال لا السهل يوطأ ويمتهن . قال سعيد فظننت أنه سيصيبنا بعده حزونة . قال أبو داود وغير النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم اسم العاص وعزيز وعتلة وشيطان والحكم وغراب وحباب وشهاب فسماه هشاما وسمى حربا سلما وسمى المضطجع المنبعث وأرضا تسمى عفرة سماها خضرة وشعب الضلالة سماه شعب الهدى وبنو الزنية سماهم بني الرشدة وسمى بني مغوية بني رشدة . قال أبو داود تركت أسانيدها للاختصار .
Chapter : General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab) – كتاب الأدب