Is it permissible to call someone by the name "Abd Al-Nabi" or "Abd Al-Mawjud" without acknowledging its meaning, if the person refuses to change their name?
It is forbidden to enslave a name to other than Allah, by scholarly consensus. If a man was named "Abd al-Nabi" (servant of the Prophet) and did not change his name, there is no sin upon whoever calls him by this name. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I am the son of Abd al-Muttalib." A Muslim is not required to change the name of his father or grandfather if it was enslaved to other than Allah; rather, this address is directed to the person who holds the name himself. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also called the clans of Quraysh by their names that were enslaved to other than Allah, such as Abd Shams and Abd Manaf. An example of this is his call in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: "O Bani Abd Shams, save yourselves from the Fire."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/26018