What is the ruling on the naming of (Abd al-Ilah), and is (al-Ilah) among the beautiful names and attributes of Allah?
It is recommended to name oneself as a servant of God, and the most beloved names are "Abdullah" (Servant of Allah) and "Abdul-Rahman" (Servant of the Most Merciful). It is forbidden to name oneself as a servant of anyone other than Allah. "Al-Ilah" linguistically means "the worshipped one," and "Allah" may be derived from it. The name "Al-Ilah" was mentioned among the Beautiful Names of Allah in narrations of the hadith (Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names), but these narrations are not from the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Many scholars have exerted effort in tracing the Beautiful Names and have included "Al-Ilah" among them, such as Ibn Mandah and Ibn Hazm. Based on this, naming oneself "Abdul-Ilah" is permissible, even if it was not common in the past.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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