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Is it obligatory to change the name "Bismillah" or "Sami' Allah" because they are not permissible according to Sharia?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible to name a newborn "Bismillah" (In the Name of Allah) because it is one of the prescribed forms of remembrance (dhikr), and doing so exposes the remembrance of Allah to disrespect and insult. It was not intended for naming people. This name must be changed and replaced with good names such as "Abdullah" or "Muhammad." Likewise, it is not permissible to name someone "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to Allah) or "Kalimullah" (The one to whom Allah spoke), but "Sami'ullah" (The one whom Allah hears) is permissible. As for naming a girl "Basmalah," it has no meaning and should be abandoned.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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