Is it ok to keep the name ‘suraiya Rahman’?
Question
My wife's name is Suraiya Rahman. Is this name Shariah compliant? My little understanding of deen leads me to believe that Rahman is an exclusive name of Allah and one has to use a suitable prefix if it is used in the name of a person. Am I correct? Will it be necessary to change my wife's name?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If the combination of this names means Rahman`s Suraiya as Abdu Rahman it will be permissible. If Rahman is a second name without connection to the first name, it will impermissible to have such name.[1]
Abu Ali ad-Dagestani
Moscow, Russia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
[1] قال في الشامي: ذهب الأعلم إلى أنه <اسم الرحمن> علم كالجلالة لاختصاصه به تعالى و عدم إطلاقه على غيره تعالى معرفاً و منكراً ج 1 ص 76-77
قال في الهندية: أَحَبُّ الْأَسْمَاءِ إلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ لَكِنَّ التَّسْمِيَةَ بِغَيْرِ هَذِهِ الْأَسْمَاءِ فِي هَذَا الزَّمَانِ أَوْلَى لِأَنَّ الْعَوَامَّ يُصَغِّرُونَ هَذِهِ الْأَسْمَاءَ لِلنِّدَاءِ وَالتَّسْمِيَةِ بَاسِمٍ يُوجَدُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَالْعَلِيِّ وَالْكَبِيرِ وَالرَّشِيدِ وَالْبَدِيعِ جَائِزَةٌ لِأَنَّهُ مِنْ الْأَسْمَاءِ الْمُشْتَرَكَةِ وَيُرَادُ فِي حَقِّ الْعِبَادِ غَيْرُ مَا يُرَادُ فِي حَقِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِيَّةِ
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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