´Narrated Abu Hurairah:` that the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited that one use his name and his Kunyah; naming themselves Muhammad Abul-Qasim.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man in the market being called by the name Abu al-Qasim. The Prophet turned towards him, so the man said: "I did not call you." (Upon hearing this) the Prophet said: "Do not take my kunyah (nickname)." © Imam Tirmidhi says:
This hadith is evidence that taking the kunyah Abu al-Qasim is disliked.
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
This is among the unique characteristics of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that Satan cannot appear in his form, so that he cannot falsely claim, in a dream, to be the Prophet and thereby lie to anyone using his name.
Whoever sees the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in a dream certainly comes to know that he has indeed seen the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself, and this matter becomes apparent to the one who sees him in one way or another.
The warning of Hellfire is for the one who, without reason, falsely claims, "I saw you (the Prophet) in a dream," or fabricates a lie and attributes it to him.
Thus, those who fabricate false ahadith are living inhabitants of Hellfire.
May Allah protect us from them. Ameen.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6197
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Some scholars are of the opinion that a child should not be named Muhammad. They have presented this narration as evidence. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"You name your children Muhammad and then you abuse them."
(Musnad al-Bazzar: 318/2, no. 6895)
Similarly, Umar (radi Allahu anhu) during his caliphate issued an official order that children should not be named after any prophet, and on this basis he changed the names of some children. However, this position is questionable because the narration presented is not authentic, and it is established that Umar (radi Allahu anhu) retracted this position. When he learned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself named a son of Abu Talhah as Muhammad.
(al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 242/19, no. 544, and Fath al-Bari: 702/10)
(2)
Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) has established from the aforementioned narrations that there is no prohibition in naming children after the prophets (alayhim assalam), and the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself granted permission to name children after his own name.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6197
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
During his blessed lifetime, this prohibition was in place so that there would be no confusion.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6188
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
Hafiz (rahimahullah) said:
According to some, this is absolutely prohibited.
Some have said that this prohibition was only during his (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) lifetime.
Some have said that combining the names is prohibited, i.e., naming someone Muhammad Abu al-Qasim.
The second opinion is preferred.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 3539
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
Kunyah is derived from the word kinaayah (allusion).
By this is meant a word that does not explicitly indicate a person’s identity, but can refer to them indirectly.
In the Arabic language, a kunyah is that which is preceded by "Abu" (father of) or "Umm" (mother of).
Among the Arabs, adopting a kunyah was well-known.
Some people were known by their kunyah and their actual name was unfamiliar, such as:
Abu Talib and Abu Lahab, etc.
And for some, their given name was predominant and their kunyah was little known, for example:
‘Umar radi Allahu anhu—his kunyah, Abu Hafs, is not well known.
In any case, kunyah, name, and laqab (title) are all identifiers by which a person’s identity is recognized.
2.
The kunyah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Abu al-Qasim.
Two reasons are mentioned for this:
a.
His noble son’s name was Qasim, so he became well known by this kunyah.
b.
He used to distribute Allah’s wealth among the people; thus, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
“Allah gives, and I distribute.”
(al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn: 2/660, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut edition)
On this basis, he was called Abu al-Qasim.
3.
In the hadiths, the prohibition regarding this was specific to his lifetime.
Other related discussions will be mentioned in the Book of Manners (Kitab al-Adab),
by the permission of Allah Ta‘ala.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3539
Maulana Dawood Raz
Explanation:
The purpose of these continuous ahadith is that people should not attribute false statements to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and thereby mislead creation in this world. These ahadith themselves indicate that, in general, the corpus of Prophetic traditions has remained protected from the tampering of corrupt individuals, and whatever ahadith people fabricated on their own, the scholars of hadith separated them from the authentic ahadith.
Similarly, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also made it clear that if someone sees me in a dream, that vision must also be correct, because in a dream, Shaytan cannot appear in the form of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
To distinguish between fabricated (mawdu‘) and authentic (sahih) ahadith, Allah the Exalted created the community of hadith scholars (muhaddithin), especially such great figures of the ummah as Imam Bukhari and Muslim (rahimahullah). They served this discipline in such a way that no parallel can be found in previous communities; they invented the science of narrators (ilm al-rijal) and the principles of criticism and validation (jarh wa ta‘dil) such that the Muslim ummah will take pride in them until the Day of Judgment. Yet, it is a great regret that in this fourteenth century, some such prejudiced, rigid imitators (muqallid) have emerged who themselves declare these elders to be non-jurists (ghayr-faqih) and unreliable. Such people, merely in support of their supposed schools of blind following (taqlid), seek to cast doubt upon the corpus of Prophetic traditions and thereby undermine the very roots of Islam. May Allah grant them sound understanding. Amin. It is a fact that those who call Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) a non-jurist and overly sensitive are themselves lacking in understanding, and by uttering such big words with small minds, they only display their own lack of intelligence. In discussing this matter, the author of Anwar al-Bari, in repeatedly referring to the Ahl al-Hadith community with the term “the non-muqallid group” in a tone of sarcasm and insult, has acted in a manner highly worthy of condemnation. But this is the effect of rigid taqlid: such prejudiced individuals have insulted and belittled many great figures of the ummah. This has been ongoing since ancient times. The opponents did not even spare the Companions; they declared Abu Hurayrah, Uqbah ibn Amir, Anas ibn Malik, and others (radi Allahu anhum) to be non-jurists.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 110
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
➊
To fabricate a lie against the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is absolutely forbidden in every circumstance, whether it pertains to wakefulness or to sleep.
Lying in sleep means that a person claims, without having seen, that he saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in a dream.
Firstly, lying is not permissible in any matter whatsoever.
If it pertains to the noble person of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then its gravity and prohibition increase even more.
It is mentioned in the hadiths that on the Day of Resurrection, those who narrate false dreams will be made to tie together two grains of barley and told to do so.
(May Allah protect us from this.)
The blessing of seeing the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in a dream can only be considered auspicious if the appearance seen in the dream matches the noble description of him found in the books of hadith.
A reliable book regarding his noble appearance is "Al-Rasul Ka'annaka Tarahu," which is very beneficial. Its Urdu translation, under the title "Aina-e-Jamal-e-Nubuwwat," has been published by Darussalam, authored by the undersigned.
➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has observed a particular order in presenting these hadiths:
The first hadith is narrated from Ali radi Allahu anhu, in which the gravity of lying against the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is described, and this is exactly in accordance with the chapter heading established by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah.
The second hadith is narrated by Zubair radi Allahu anhu, in which it is mentioned how cautious the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum were in transmitting hadith.
The third hadith is from Anas radi Allahu anhu.
In it, the explanation of caution is given: the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum exercised caution in narrating abundantly, but their intention was not to refrain from narrating altogether.
The last hadith, which is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, indicates that fabricating a lie against the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is absolutely forbidden in every circumstance, whether it pertains to wakefulness or to sleep.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/268)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 110
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding this matter.
Some say that during the lifetime of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), this was prohibited,
but after him, it is permissible to take his name and his kunyah (patronymic).
Some say that it is prohibited to combine both together,
while others say that the prohibition pertains only to the kunyah.
The first opinion is the most correct.
(See the next two hadiths)
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 2841
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
It was not permissible to adopt this kunya (patronymic, i.e., "Abu al-Qasim") during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but after him, the scholars have permitted that both his name and kunya may be adopted.
The reason for the prohibition during his life was this incident: Once, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was in the marketplace when a man called out "Abu al-Qasim." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) turned around, but the caller said, "I did not call you; I was calling so-and-so."
After this incident, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade adopting this kunya.
(Fath al-Bari, al-Adab, Hadith 6188. For further details, refer to Fath al-Bari.) The evidences for permissibility will be mentioned in the following chapters.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4965
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
In this hadith, it is mentioned that the Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) went to the marketplace.
It is thus established that going to the marketplace when necessary is not objectionable; however, it is essential to uphold trustworthiness and honesty at every step there.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2120
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The relevance of this hadith to the chapter is that it mentions the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) going to the marketplace, that is, to Baqi‘.
Some have said that in that era, a marketplace would also be set up in Baqi‘.
As for the ruling regarding the use of a kunya, this was applicable only during his blessed lifetime.
As is the statement of Imam Malik (rahimahullah).
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2121
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated the hadith from Anas radi Allahu anhu through two routes, by which he intends to indicate that in the first narration, the "market" (sūq) refers to the market of Baqi‘. This is also supported by a hadith in Musnad Ahmad. The narrator states that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came to us in Baqi‘ and said:
“O group of traders! While buying and selling, a person becomes involved in false oaths and deception, etc., so cleanse such slips with charity and the like.” (Musnad Ahmad: 6/4)
It is possible that in the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, a market would be set up there.
(2)
From this hadith, it is established that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would go to the market; therefore, going to the market when needed is not blameworthy, but it is extremely necessary to uphold trustworthiness and honesty at every step there. The disbelievers used to object to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, saying that this Messenger eats food and goes to the market, as if, in their view, going to the market was contrary to the rank of prophethood. From this, it is proven that his going to the market is not against the dignity of messengership or the office of leadership (imamate). The Noble Qur’an has also answered this objection. ()
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 2121
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
From this hadith, it is understood that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade adopting his kunyah (patronymic) because it caused confusion.
When one man called another by the kunyah "Abu al-Qasim," the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) thought he was being called, so he turned his attention.
When that man clarified that he had not called the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), then the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"You may take my name, but do not take my kunyah."
From this, it is also understood that the Arabs generally used to address others by their kunyah, especially respected and honored individuals, and did not call them by their given names.
Therefore, in the case of adopting the name, the possibility of confusion was less, and there is another reason for this, which will be mentioned ahead.
For this reason, there are different opinions among the scholars regarding adopting the kunyah "Abu al-Qasim":
(1) Imam Malik, the majority of the Salaf, and the majority of jurists and scholars hold the view that this prohibition was specific to the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), when there was a risk of confusion due to adopting this kunyah. Now, since there is no longer any fear of confusion, anyone may adopt this kunyah, whether his name is Muhammad or Ahmad or not.
(2) Imam al-Shafi'i and the Zahiri scholars are of the opinion that adopting the kunyah "Abu al-Qasim" is not permissible for anyone, whether his name is Muhammad or Ahmad or not.
(3) According to Imam Ibn Jarir, this text is for tanzeeh (discouragement) or out of etiquette and respect.
(4) Adopting this kunyah is prohibited for the person whose name is Muhammad or Ahmad, and for one whose name is not so, there is no harm in adopting the kunyah "Abu al-Qasim." This is the position of some of the early scholars.
(5) Adopting the kunyah "Abu al-Qasim" is prohibited for everyone, and likewise, naming someone "Qasim" is not permissible, so that his father may not be called "Abu al-Qasim."
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 5586
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
Baqi‘ was a field near Madinah Munawwarah, a part of which was a graveyard, while the rest of the field was used for buying and selling. Nowadays, this field is the cemetery of the people of Madinah, which is commonly known as "Jannat al-Baqi‘." In one narration of this incident, these words appear: "The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was in the marketplace when a man said: O Abu al-Qasim! ..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Manaqib, Chapter: The Kunya of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Hadith: 3537)
➋
By "kunya" is meant the name that is given in relation to one's children, with "Abu" (father of) or "Umm" (mother of), for example: Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) and Umm ‘Abdullah (A’ishah Siddiqah radi Allahu anha).
➌
There are different opinions on this issue:
The title that Imam Ibn Majah (rahimahullah) has written for the chapter indicates that his view is that a person whose name is Muhammad should not take the kunya "Abu al-Qasim." Another person may take this kunya. Some scholars are of the opinion that this prohibition was only during the lifetime of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), as is also apparently understood from the hadith under discussion.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3737
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
From this hadith, it is understood that naming someone after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, such as Muhammad, Ahmad, or simply Muhammad or simply Ahmad, is permissible, because their meanings are of praise. However, no one may adopt the kunyah (patronymic) "Abul-Qasim," because if someone adopts this kunyah, there will be a possibility (of confusion). But after the passing of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is permissible to adopt the kunyah "Abul-Qasim."
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 1176