Question:

What do the scholars and experts of shari’ah say in regards to keeping names such as Rahim or Karim? Is this permissible?

Answer:

It is permissible to keep a name as long as its meaning is not something which has been prohibited in the Shari’ah. This rules out bad and vulgar names but also any such name which is specific to Allah ﷻ such as the name ‘Allah’ itself. However, this does not rule out all the names which we use for Allah ﷻ as there are many which are used both for Allah ﷻ and for people as well.

It has been mentioned in Bariqa Mahmudiya: “The names of Allah which have been mentioned in the Qur’an are permissible to keep. Such as Kabir, Rashid, and Badi’. These are names which are also kept by people and the meaning that is taken when we used to call people is not what is understood when using these names to refer to Allah ﷻ.”

It has been common practice in our history that people have kept those names which are not specific to Allah ﷻ such as Karim, Malik, and Rahim etc. Therefore, in shari’ah it is permissible to keep such names.

And Allah ﷻ knows the best

This fatwa is written by Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Munir Al-Azhar