حَدَّثَنَا
الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ ، عَنْ
يَزِيدَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ ، عَنْ
أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ
شُرَيْحٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ
هَانِئٍ ، " أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ قَوْمِهِ سَمِعَهُمْ يَكْنُونَهُ بابي الْحَكَمِ ، فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ ، فَلِمَ تُكْنَىبابا الْحَكَمِ , فَقَالَ : إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَيْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ ، فَرَضِيَ كِلَا الْفَرِيقَيْنِ , فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذَا ، فَمَا لَكَ مِنَ الْوَلَدِ ؟ , قَالَ : لِي شُرَيْحٌ ، وَمُسْلِمٌ ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ , قَالَ : فَمَنْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ ؟ قُلْتُ : شُرَيْحٌ , قَالَ : فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ " , قَالَ أبو داود : شُرَيْحٌ هَذَا : هُوَ الَّذِي كَسَرَ السِّلْسِلَةَ ، وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ دَخَلَ تُسْتَرَ ، قَالَ أبو داود : وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ شُرَيْحًا كَسَرَ باب تُسْتَرَ ، وَذَلِك أَنْهُ دَخَلَ مِنْ سِرْبٍ .
Narrated Hani ibn Yazid: When Hani went with his people in a deputation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he heard them calling him by his kunyah (surname), AbulHakam. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called him and said: Allah is the judge (al-Hakam), and to Him judgment belongs. Why are you given the kunyah AbulHakam? He replied: When my people disagree about a matter, they come to me, and I decide between them, and both parties are satisfied with my decision. He said: How good this is! What children have you? He replied: I have Shurayh, Muslim and Abdullah. He asked; Who is the oldest of them? I replied: Shurayh. He said: Then you are Abu Shurayh. Abu Dawud said: This is Shuraib who broke the chain, and who entered Tustar. Abu Dawud said: I have been told that Shuraib broke the gate of Tustar, and he entered it through tunnel.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊ It is not permissible to adopt exaggerated names and kunyahs (patronymics), and incorrect names should be changed.
➋ It is better that a person adopts his kunyah based on the name of his eldest son.
➌ Tusr is the name of a city in the Khuzestan region of Iran; it is also called Yashtur.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4955
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
(1) From this blessed hadith, it is indicated that a correct and sound decision made by an arbitrator should be enforced, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) praised the action of Hani (radi Allahu anha).
(2) It is recommended (mustahabb) to adopt a kunya (patronymic) after the name of the eldest son, because due to being the eldest, this is his right.
(3) From this blessed hadith, it is also understood that changing an ugly or bad name is a recommended and desirable act in the Shari‘ah. Furthermore, this blessed hadith also guides towards the issue that one should avoid adopting the kunya “Abu al-Hakam,” because in Arabic, “hakam” means one who judges or decides. “Abu al-Hakam” means the greatest judge or decision-maker. Clearly, this expresses pride and arrogance, which the Shari‘ah does not deem appropriate; therefore, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) changed this kunya to a real kunya.
(4) “This is a very good thing.” The literal meaning of the Arabic phrase is: “There is nothing better than this.” The meaning is the same.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 5389