Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 3732
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَافِعٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ زَيْنَبَ، كَانَ اسْمُهَا بَرَّةَ فَقِيلَ لَهَا تُزَكِّي نَفْسَهَا فَسَمَّاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ زَيْنَبَ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
It was narrated that Abu Bakr said: Ghundar narrated to us, from Shu‘bah, from ‘Ata ibn Abi Maymunah, who said: ‘I heard Abu Rafi‘ narrating from Abu Hurayrah that Zaynab had been named Barrah. It was said to her, “You are declaring yourself pure,” so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) named her Zaynab.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Barrah can mean pious or virtuous; the report links the name with self-praise or declaring oneself pure.