35. Kunyas

35. Kunyas

chapter 373. The Prophet’s name and kunya, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

842. Jabir said, “One of our men had a son and named him al-Qasim. The Ansar said, “We will not give you the kunya of Abu’l-Qasim to make you happy.’ He went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him what the Ansar had said. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The Ansar did well. Call yourselves with my name but do not use my kunya. I am Qasim (the divider).”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: This hadeeth contains the major reason for the prohibition of the use of the kunya, Abu al-Qasim. Since no one can be given that status, then no one is allowed to take the kunya whether during the lifetime of the Prophetﷺ or after him. See comment on hadeeth no. 815.

843. Ibn al-Hanafiyya was heard to say, “There was an allowance made for ‘Ali. He asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, if I have a son after you can I name him with your name and use your kunya?’ Yes,’ he replied.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

844. Abu Hurayra said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade for someone to have both his name and his kunya. He said, ‘I am Abu’l-Qasim. Allah gives and I distribute.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The scholars have viewed differently about the permissibility of taking a Kunya after that of the Prophetﷺ. One of the views is that taking the Kunya, Abu al-Qasim, is only prohibited for the one whose name is Muhammad based on the weak hadeeth that the Prophetﷺ said, “Whoever takes after my name should not take my Kunya…” However, this position is clearly weak due to the weakness of the hadeeth upon which it is based. Others hold that it was only prohibited during the lifetime of the Prophetﷺ in order to avoid mix-up based on the hadeeth of Anas bin Malik (hadeeth no. 837); and that it became allowed after his death. The third opinion – and which is the correct position, Allah willing – is that it is generally prohibited to take the Kunya, Abu al-Qasim, whether during the lifetime of the Prophetﷺ or after him or whether the person is also named Muhammad or not. This is because the Prophetﷺ stated the reason for the prohibition: “I am Abu’l-Qāsim. Allah gives and I distribute” (hadeeth no. 844), and this is a status that is not conferred on anyone during his lifetime nor after him. Thus, no one should also bear the kunya. Also, if it were allowed in his time and after himﷺ, it would not have been necessary for Alee to ask for permission to give his son the kunya, Abu al-Qasim. And Alee’s statement, “…and it became allowed for me…” as collected authentically by Imam At-Tirmidhee in his Sunan will be meaningless. As such, Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (الله رحمه (concluded that, “The correct thing is that to name after his name is allowed but to take his kunya is prohibited and the prohibition is worse during his lifetime, and to combine them (i.e. his name and kunya) is also prohibited.”

845. See hadith 837.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary:As No. 837, with a different isnād.

chapter 374. Can one use a kunya for an idolater?

846. Usama ibn Zayd reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived at a gathering which included ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul before ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy had become Muslim. He said, “Do not bother us in our gathering.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada and said, “Sa’d, did you not hear what Abu Hubab said?” He meant ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference in relation to the chapter heading is the reference to Ibn Ubayy bin Salul as Abu Hubab at the time he was a declared polytheist. However, the man added deception of the Muslims to polytheism when he announced Islam while actually harbouring bitter hatred for it! He became known as the leader of the hypocrites!

chapter 375. A kunya for a child

847. Anas said, “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited us. I had a young brother who used the kunya of Abu ‘Umayr. He had a sparrow which he used to play with it and it had died. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came it and saw that he was sad. He asked, ‘What is wrong with him?’ He was told, ‘His sparrow has died.’ The Prophet said, ‘Abu ‘Umayr, what has happened to the little sparrow?'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The hadeeth teaches among others, that: 1. The prohibition of much mixing with people is restricted to those from whom harm is feared. 2. A child and more so, an adult could have a Kunya, for the Prophetﷺ called the boy by a Kunya, Abu ‘Umayr. 3. It is encouraged that children are allowed to play and even provided playthings as long it is permissible to play with such things. 4. One should relate with people according to their intelligence. 5. It is encouraged to joke with children within the limits of the Sharee’ah.

chapter 376. Having a kunya before having a child

848. ‘Abdullah gave ‘Alqama the kunya Abu Shibl when he had no children. 849. ‘Alqama said, “‘Abdullah gave me a kunya before I had a child.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Since it is permissible from the hadeeth of Anas bin Malik and his brother Abu ‘Umayr (radiya Allahu anhuma) for a child to take a kunya, then its allowance for someone more elderly is with a greater reason even if such has not had a child. This point is further proven in these narrations from the pious predecessors.

chapter 377. Kunyas for women

850. ‘A’isha said, “I went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, you give your wives kunyas, so give me a kunya.’ He said, ‘Take the kunya of your nephew, ‘Abdullah.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The hadeeth is authentic without the expression, “…you give your wives kunyas.” Imam Al-Albaanee (الله رحمه (said, “It is a strange increment.”

851. ‘A’isha said, “Prophet of Allah, will you not give me a kunya?” He said, “Use the kunya of your son,” i.e. ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr. She was given the kunya Umm ‘Abdullah.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The allowance of taking kunya for women – as could be deduced already from the narrations regarding children and men – is emphasized in these narrations. The practice is a well-known one among the Muslims – generation after generation

chapter 378. Someone who gives a man of kunya because of something he is doing or with one of their names

852. Sahl ibn Sa’d related that the name which ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, liked best was Abu Turab and that he was happy when he was called that. Only the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called him that. One day ‘Ali was cross with Fatima and went out and reclined against the wall of the mosque. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to look for him and was told that he was leaning against the wall. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went up to him and found that his back was covered with dust. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to wipe the dust off his back and said, ‘Sit down Abu Turab (father of dust)!'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Hafidh Ibn Hajar (الله رحمه (said, “It contains evidence of a person taking more than one kunya and giving a laqab (nickname) in the form of a kunya and from the condition of a person.” 2. It also shows the high moral standards of the Prophetﷺ. He looked for Alee in order to please him despite the status of messengership and his love for his daughter. Rather than blame him for being angry with his daughter, the Prophetﷺ even dusted off his back and gave him a nickname which became so beloved to him.

chapter 379. How does a person walk with the great men and people of superiority

853. Anas said, “While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in one of our palm groves where the trees belonged to Abu Talha, he went out to answer a call of nature. Bilal was walking behind him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, honoured him by asking him to walk at his side. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a grave and stood there until Bilal reached him. he said, ‘Woe to you, Bilal. Did you hear what I heard?’ He replied, ‘I did not hear anything.’ He said, ‘The man in the grave is being punished.’ He found that it was a Jew.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

853. Anas said, “While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in one of our palm groves where the trees belonged to Abu Talha, he went out to answer a call of nature. Bilal was walking behind him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, honoured him by asking him to walk at his side. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a grave and stood there until Bilal reached him. he said, ‘Woe to you, Bilal. Did you hear what I heard?’ He replied, ‘I did not hear anything.’ He said, ‘The man in the grave is being punished.’ He found that it was a Jew.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Placing this hadeeth under this chapter heading demonstrates that Imam Al-Bukhaaree (الله رحمه (deduced from it that one should walk behind noble people rather than by their sides by way of showing respect to them. The narration of Abu Hurayrah in narration no. 44 lends credence to this point.

chapter 380. Chapter

854. Qays said, “I heard Mu’awiya say to a young brother of his, ‘Mount your slave behind you.’ He refused. Mu’awiya said to him, ‘How badly you have been taught!’ I heard Abu Sufyan say, ‘leave your brother alone.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary:Perhaps this narration should be under the previous chapter because it talks about the manner of walking with superiors. Allah knows Best.

855. Musa ibn ‘Ali reported from his father that ‘Amr ibn al-‘As said, “When you have a lot of close friends, you have a lot of creditors.” The transmitter asked Musa, “What are creditors?” “Rights owed,” he replied.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)