Question 228: Is it permissible to name a child Yasin and Taha?

1.3k 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narration:

عَنْ صَفْوَانَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَی أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِی التَّسْمِیَةِ بِهِ فَمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُمْ فِی یس یَعْنِی التَّسْمِیَةَ وَ هُوَ اسْمُ النَّبِیِّ

📚 Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 87

Translation: Imam Baqir and Imam Sadegh, peace be upon them, said: 'This name 'Muhammad' (from the names of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him) is one with which they have been given permission to name. But who has given them permission to name with 'Ya-Sin' (Yasin) (which is one of the Quranic names of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him)?'

✅The above narration shows that naming with 'Ya-Sin' (Yasin), which is one of the names of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has not been permitted. The overall context of the narration indicates that naming with the names of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, requires permission. Therefore, the names Yasin, Taha, Sad, and Qaf, which are introduced in narrations as his names, should not be used for naming children because we have not been given permission to name with them.

Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated a supplication from Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, for the Day of Eid al-Fitr after the morning prayer, in which it is stated:

..... وَ قُلْتَ جَلَّ قَوْلُکَ لَهُ حِینَ اخْتَصَصْتَهُ بِمَا سَمَّیْتَهُ مِنَ الْأَسْمَاءِ- طه ما أَنْزَلْنا عَلَیْکَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقی وَ قُلْتَ عَزَّ قَوْلُکَ یس وَ الْقُرْآنِ الْحَکِیمِ وَ قُلْتَ تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُکَ ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ وَ قُلْتَ عَظُمَتْ آلَاؤُکَ ق وَ الْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِیدِ ........

Translation: 'O Allah, Whose speech is majestic when You distinguished the Prophet with the names You gave him, You said to him: 'O Taha! We did not reveal the Quran to you to distress you.' And also You, Whose speech is mighty, said: 'O Yasin! By the wise Quran.' And You, Whose names are sacred, said: 'O Sad! By the Quran containing the reminder.' And You, Whose bounties are great, said: 'O Qaf! By the glorious Quran...'

📚 Iqbal al-A'mal, vol. 1, p. 490

✅The above supplication also implicitly indicates that the names Taha, Yasin, Sad, and Qaf, which are mentioned in the Quran, are exclusive to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The combination of these two narrations suggests avoiding naming with the names Yasin and Taha.

✅Muhammad, Ahmad, and Abdullah are other names of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that have been mentioned in the Quran and narrations. In addition to the permission to name with them, virtues for them have also been mentioned in hadiths, two of which are pointed out:

أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: أَصْدَقُ الْأَسْمَاءِ مَا سُمِّيَ بِالْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَ أَفْضَلُهَا أَسْمَاءُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 18

Translation: Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, said: 'The most truthful of names are those that indicate servitude and bondage (like Abdullah, Abdul Rahman, etc.), and the best of names are the names of the prophets.'

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ قَالَ: مَنْ وُلِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَوْلَادٍ لَمْ يُسَمِّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِاسْمِي فَقَدْ جَفَانِي.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 19

Translation: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Whoever has four sons born to him and does not name one of them with my name has wronged me.'