Answered by: Alimah Mahdiyah Siddique
Question
Can a Muslim name his child Ismul Azam?
In the name of Allah; the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Answer
In response to your question;
It has been narrated by Al-Qasim, he said: The Greatest Name of Allah, the one by which He is invoked; He will respond, is in three Surahs: Al-Baqarah, Al ‘Imran and Taha. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadīth no. 3856, p.2706, Al-Kutub Al-Sitta: Darus Salam).
Furthermore, in another narration, narrated from ‘Abdullah bin Buraidah that his father said: The Prophet (Sallahu alaihi wa sallam) heard a man saying, (“Allahumma! Inni as’aluka bi-annaka Antallahul-Ahadus-Samad, alladhi lam yalid wa lam yuwlud, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.”)
“O, Allah! Verily I ask you by virtue of your being Allah, the One, the Eternal, the One who begets not nor is begotten, and nor is there to Him any equivalent.” The Messenger of Allah (sallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Indeed he has asked Allah by His Greatest Name, which if He is asked thereby He gives, and if He is called upon thereby He answers.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadīth no. 3857, p2706-2707, Al-Kutub Al-Sitta: Darus Salam).
In addition to the aforementioned, there are further narrations as to what the Ismul Azam can be.
However, we are able to derive that Ismul Azam, is the blessed name of Allah, possessing some uniqueness and cannot be found in an individual’s name. Therefore, it will not be permissible to name a child Ismul Azam
Only Allah Knows Best
Written by Alimah Mahdiyah Siddique
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham