Monday, March 5, 2012

When to Call by Kunya or Name

Here is a aī (Authentic) adīth where Imām al-Kādhim (عليه السلام) says if a person is present in your company then you should call him by his kunyah (i.e. Abū so and so, or Umm so and so), and if the person is not in your company then you call him by his name, when referring to that person.

It is customary in Arab cultures that if you do not have a child, then you make up a kunyah to be called.


مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَمَّرِ بْنِ خَلَّادٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ الرَّجُلُ حَاضِراً فَكَنِّهِ وَ إِذَا كَانَ غَائِباً فَسَمِّهِ
From Mu`ammar bin Khalād from Abī al-Ḥasan (عليه السلام) said: “When the man is present (in your company) then call him by his kunyah, and if he is absent then call him by his name”
Source:
1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 671, ḥadīth # 2
Grading:
1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 578

2 comments:

  1. salam:

    "It is customary in Arab cultures that if you do not have a child, then you make up a kunyah to be called."

    I have heard the kuniya abul qasim is haram becuase it belonged to the Prophet (pbuh). Can u inform us if this is true?

    Also are there any other prohibited kuniyas?

    Is it 'Abul Hassan' allowed? Imsure you know why abul hassan would be populer :)


    shukran

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wa `Alaykum Assalaam,

      Yes, you are correct. The kunya Abu al-Qasim is disliked, but it is ONLY disliked when the person's name is Muhammad.

      The other disliked Kunyas are Abu Murrah, Abu `Eesa, Abu al-Hakam and Abu al-Maalik.

      Abu al-Hasan is allowed.

      Wa `Alaykum Assalaam

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