Names that are not permissible to use, such as 'Abd al-Nabi and 'Abd al-Mannan
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Fatwa number ( 20448 )
Q: We submit to your eminence this inquiry, which concerns the presence of a number of employee names in one of the government departments, namely: ('Abd al-Nabi, 'Abd al-Mannan, 'Abd al-Jayyid, 'Abd al-Rasul). Some of these names are the first name (the employee's name), most are the father's name, and others are the grandfather's name. The question is: Is it obligatory for a son to change his father's or grandfather's name if it is contrary to the Shari'ah or not?
A: The names mentioned in the question are not permissible to use; because they contain servitude to the created, and it is not permissible for a person to be a servant of anyone but Allah the Exalted, and upon
that, if a person's name, or his father's or grandfather's name, is one of these names or something similar to them while he is alive, it is obligatory for him to change his name to a lawful name with no objection to it, and he has to apply to the competent authority to change his name. As for one who has died and his name was one of the names mentioned or something similar to them, it is not prescribed for anyone to change it; because there is no benefit in changing it after his death; and because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not change the name of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, and if changing it had been prescribed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have changed his grandfather's name after his death. Rather, it is authentically reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say during the Battle of Hunayn:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1688Sahih (Darussalam) Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: We submit to your eminence this inquiry, which concerns the presence of a number of employee names in one of the government departments, namely: ('Abd al-Nabi, 'Abd al-Mannan, 'Abd al-Jayyid, 'Abd al-Rasul). Some of these names are the first name (the employee's name), most are the father's name, and others are the grandfather's name. The question is: Is it obligatory for a son to change his father's or grandfather's name if it is contrary to the Shari'ah or not?
A: The names mentioned in the question are not permissible to use; because they contain servitude to the created, and it is not permissible for a person to be a servant of anyone but Allah the Exalted, and upon
that, if a person's name, or his father's or grandfather's name, is one of these names or something similar to them while he is alive, it is obligatory for him to change his name to a lawful name with no objection to it, and he has to apply to the competent authority to change his name. As for one who has died and his name was one of the names mentioned or something similar to them, it is not prescribed for anyone to change it; because there is no benefit in changing it after his death; and because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not change the name of his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, and if changing it had been prescribed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have changed his grandfather's name after his death. Rather, it is authentically reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to say during the Battle of Hunayn:
I am the Prophet without lie, I am the son of 'Abdul-Muttalib.
أنا النبي لا كذب أنا ابن عبد المطلب
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.