Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 3115
sahih

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah Al-Ansari:

A man amongst us begot a boy whom he named Al-Qasim. On that the Ansar said, (to the man), "We will never call you Abu-al-Qasim and will never please you with this blessed title." So, he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! I have begotten a boy whom I named Al-Qasim and the Ansar said, 'We will never call you Abu-al-Qasim, nor will we please you with this title.' " The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Ansar have done well. Name by my name, but do not name by my Kunya, for I am Qasim."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ وُلِدَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَّا غُلاَمٌ فَسَمَّاهُ الْقَاسِمَ فَقَالَتِ الأَنْصَارُ لاَ نَكْنِيكَ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ وَلاَ نُنْعِمُكَ عَيْنًا، فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وُلِدَ لِي غُلاَمٌ، فَسَمَّيْتُهُ الْقَاسِمَ فَقَالَتِ الأَنْصَارُ لاَ نَكْنِيكَ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ وَلاَ نُنْعِمُكَ عَيْنًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

‏ أَحْسَنَتِ الأَنْصَارُ، سَمُّوا بِاسْمِي، وَلاَ تَكَنَّوْا بِكُنْيَتِي، فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قَاسِمٌ ‏

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References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 57, Hadith 24
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 53, Hadith 345 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah guidedthe Ansaar and inspired them to engage in everything that would help, revere and protect the rights of the Prophet ﷺ. One example of that is mentioned in this hadeeth, wherein Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with him)reports that a child was born to a man from the Ansaar. He named him al-Qaasim, as he wished hisKunya (teknonym)to be Aboo al-Qaasim.However,the Ansaar objected and told him, “We will not call you Aboo Al-Qaasim” because that is the Kunya of the Prophet ﷺ, and we will not let you take this honour and be given the same teknonym of the Prophet ﷺ. The man went to the Prophet ﷺ and told him what had happened.So,the Prophet ﷺ remarked, “The Ansaar did well,” meaning, in upholding the honour and reverence of the Prophetﷺ, by preventing anyone from sharing his Kunya. Then, he ﷺdirected them to the alternative, saying, “Feel free to name after my name, however, avoid using my Kunya.” In other words, give your sons the name of Muhammad, but avoid using my Kunya (i.e. Aboo al-Qaasim).After, he ﷺ explained the reason and the cause of having his own Kunya: “I am Qaasim (distributor),” meaning: I grant everyone what he deserves, and in the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), according to al-Bukhaaree, “I place wealth where I am commanded to place,” i.e. I do not give anyone or withhold from giving anyone except by the permission of Allah; hence, whom I give little, then that is due to the decree of Allah, and whom I give more, then that is also due to the decree of Allah. As can be noted, the Prophet ﷺ forbade people combining his name and histekonym (Kunya),i.e.Muhammad, Aboo al-Qaasim. It was said: the prohibition is against using his Kunya, irrespective of whether one is called Muhammad or not.And it was said: This prohibition is specific to his time ﷺ. The hadeethindicates the permissibility of naming children with the names of the prophets, and the prophets and their names are clear of what contains or entails evil..
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