On the Day of Judgment, Creation Will Be Called by the Names of Their Fathers
✍ Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
◈ Evidence from Imam Bukhari (رحمه الله)
Imam Bukhari (رحمه الله) established this chapter:
يدعي الناس يوم القيامة بآبائهم لا بأمهاتهم
"On the Day of Judgment, people will be called by the names of their fathers, not by the names of their mothers."
Under this chapter, he narrated the Hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar (رضي الله عنهما) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
إذا جمع الله الأولين والآخرين يوم القيامة يرفع الله لكل غادر لواء يوم القيامة فيقال هذه غدرة فلان بن فلان
"When Allah gathers the first and the last (all of mankind) on the Day of Judgment, He will raise a flag for every treacherous person. Then it will be announced: This is the treachery of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so."
[Bukhari: 6177, Kitab al-Adab: Bab ma yud‘a an-nas bi-aba’ihim | Muslim: 12/4, Kitab al-Jihad: Bab Tahrim al-Ghadr | Ahmad: 2/29 | Ibn Hibban in Sahih: 7297, 7298 | Sharh al-Sunnah: 2482 | Umdat al-Ahkam: 417]
◈ The Report of Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه)
In another narration, Abu Darda (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
إنكم تدعون يوم القيامة بأسمائكم وأسماء آبائكم فحسنوا أسمائكم
"Indeed, you will be called on the Day of Judgment by your names and the names of your fathers, so beautify your names."
[Weak: Da‘if Abu Dawud: 1053, Kitab al-Adab: Bab fi Taghyir al-Asma’ | Abu Dawud: 4948 | Darimi: 2/294 | Ibn Hibban in Sahih: 5788 | Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman: 8633, and in Sunan al-Kubra: 19308 | Sharh al-Sunnah: 3360]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) stated that this narration’s chain is good.
◈ Statement of Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله)
The authentic and explicit Sunnah clearly indicates that on the Day of Judgment, creation will be called by the names of their fathers, not by the names of their mothers.
[Tuhfat al-Mawdud bi-Ahkam al-Mawlud, p. 139]
◈ Refutation of the Claim About Mothers’ Names
Some people claim that on the Day of Judgment, people will be called by the names of their mothers. However, the narration they rely upon is weak.
[Weak: al-Tabarani al-Kabir: 7979 | Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 3/45 — Imam Haythami (رحمه الله) said: its chain contains narrators I do not know. Hafiz al-‘Iraqi also declared its chain weak (Takhrij al-Ihya: 6/128). In its chain is Utbah ibn al-Sakan, about whom Imam Dar Qutni (رحمه الله) said: he is matruk al-hadith (abandoned in hadith). Some even accused him of fabricating hadith. (Mizan al-I‘tidal: 4/425).]
Conclusion:On the Day of Judgment, people will be called by their fathers’ names. The narrations suggesting calling by mothers’ names are weak and unreliable.
