Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: I’m pregnant and we are expecting a boy. We would like to name him Sami`. But this is one of Allah’s names me and my husband cannot agree if we are allowed to use it. Would you clarify this for us?
Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
It would be permitted to call your child Sami` — the Arabic spelling of which is: sin mim ya `ayn.
It is permissible to name someone with any name of the names of Allah except those which are specific to Him, such as Allah and Rahman. [Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]
It would be best, however, not to make it definite using the alif-lam (e.g. al-Sami`). [ibid.]
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani