Aysha Farooq Mr.Wood ENG3U 02/03/2012 "What's in a Name?" One might ask the question, "What's in a name?

" if someone were to ask Juliet from Shakespeare's classical tragedy Romeo and Juliet, she would passionately say that nothing is in a name, a rose would smell just as sweet even if it were called a weed. I, however disagree with Juliet, for everything is in a name, it has made a huge contribution to who I am today as a person. A single word, yet it defines me, sets an image of who I am, it personalizes and individualizes. Friends and family know me by my name; that is how they remember me, address me, identify me and visualize my face. When I first meet someone, the first thing we exchange after our greetings is our names because that is how we are branded. When I stand in a crowed high school hallway and my friend calls me from across the floor, no one else takes notice of her except for me. I am the only one who turns around looking for the source of the call because my name rang loud and clear in my ears whereas for the others it blended in with the rest of the noise. I was nameless for the first year of my life. My parents had a very difficult time trying to find the perfect name for their only daughter. I thank my grandfather who stepped up and declared that I would be named after our beloved Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) favorite wife, Aysha or I would have probably been nameless for another year. Aysha is often referred to by

the title "The Mother of Believers" her rank in terms of knowledge, education, guidance and propagation of the sayings of our Prophet stands unparalleled and unrivalled. Being named after such an important and knowledgeable woman has made a lot of difference towards how I approach my studies. For example, during grades 6, 7, and 8 I went to Quran classes after school, I used to throw tantrums and find excuses for not attending until the day during one of my lessons I learned about Aysha, and how she was such a balanced woman. She was smart and knowledgeable yet also feminine, joyful and comforting. From that day onward she became my role model; often when I go to Pakistan, everyone asks me why I am still studying, they tell me to get married and I always reply by saying that I want a career as well as a family just like the woman who I have the honor of being named after. The name Aysha is derived from the Arabic 'isha (alive and well), which is from 'sha (to live). It means 'she who lives', 'vivacious' or 'full of life' and traces back to Arabia, when according to pagan culture girls were buried alive at their birth. The few who survived this repulsive practice were named 'Aysha'. I am a Muslim girl therefore I have many restrictions and boundaries but that doesn't stop me from being bubbly, energetic and living my life to the fullest of my abilities. A friend of mine once asked me if I was going to go to prom and I replied by saying of course and she asked me what the point was since I wasn't allowed to dance or go with a boy. I told her that just because I'm Muslim does not mean I cannot enjoy a normal high school life, so what if I couldn't dance or go with a date? I still plan on making prom a very memorable night with my friends because my greatest goal in life is to live. There was a time when I wished I wasn't named Aysha but Fatima or Mariam just like my cousins. I used to cry and beg my mom to change it but she used to reply by saying that Aysha was just as beautiful as a name as Fatima and Mariam. I did not believe her at the time but

as I grew older, I realized the beauty and significance of my name. I can't be any one else but Aysha because the name defines me so perfectly. If someone were to ask me "What's in a name?" I would affectionately reply by saying that a persons whole existence lies in their name. A balance of personality, identity, charm, beauty, cheerfulness, and charisma, that's what lies in my name.

Word Cited
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