Is al-Muhsin one of the names of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He)? The name 'Abd al-Muhsin is common among us in the lands of al-Hijaz and Najd.
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The questioner : A questioner asks: Is al-Muhsin one of the names of Allah? The name 'Abd al-Muhsin is common among us in the lands of al-Hijaz and Najd; please give us a ruling on this, may you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : We do not know from what has come in the Book and the Sunnah that al-Muhsin is among His names (Blessed and Exalted is He), not even in the hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, which begins with: Then it lists them. Scholars of hadith have nearly agreed that this addition to the list of names is not established. Some say the narrator made a mistake, while others say it is an insertion and not part of the original hadith. In any case, the naming of the divine names in this hadith in al-Tirmidhi's Sunan, al-Hakim's Musnad, and others is not authentic from the Messenger (peace be upon him). Even in the hadiths listed in al-Tirmidhi's narration and others, the name al-Muhsin does not appear. It is like the name al-Sattar, which some people among us in Syria use; they often name their children 'Abd al-Sattar, and even one of our muftis is named 'Abd al-Sattar.
The point is that since the names of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are, by the consensus of scholars, based on revelation and not derived, and since it has not been established in the Book or the Sunnah that al-Muhsin is among His names (Blessed and Exalted is He), one should not take this name. Rather, one who has been afflicted with it should hasten to change it if it is easy. I know that this is difficult according to some of the current systems in some Islamic countries; it requires some lying, claiming that it was registered incorrectly, and that his real name should be brought with two witnesses. That is how it is in Syria; I do not know how the situation is in other countries. But the point is that whoever is able to change a name that has not been established as one of the names of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) should hasten to change it, otherwise[Al-Baqarah 2:286].
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : We do not know from what has come in the Book and the Sunnah that al-Muhsin is among His names (Blessed and Exalted is He), not even in the hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, which begins with:
Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names, a hundred minus one; whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise.
إن لله تسعة وتسعين اسمًا مئة إلا واحدًا ؛ مَن أحصاها دخل الجنَّةThe point is that since the names of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) are, by the consensus of scholars, based on revelation and not derived, and since it has not been established in the Book or the Sunnah that al-Muhsin is among His names (Blessed and Exalted is He), one should not take this name. Rather, one who has been afflicted with it should hasten to change it if it is easy. I know that this is difficult according to some of the current systems in some Islamic countries; it requires some lying, claiming that it was registered incorrectly, and that his real name should be brought with two witnesses. That is how it is in Syria; I do not know how the situation is in other countries. But the point is that whoever is able to change a name that has not been established as one of the names of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) should hasten to change it, otherwise
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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