Is the name Shihab al-Din forbidden?
Shaykh Bakr ibn Abdullah Abu Zayd, in his book "Mu'jam al-Manahi al-Lafziyyah" (Lexicon of Verbal Prohibitions), mentioned that titles appended to "al-Din" (the religion) are innovations of later centuries and were not known during the preferred centuries (the early generations of Islam). He considers it impermissible to bestow such titles upon a disbeliever, an innovator, a transgressor, or a dissolute person. As for others, the majority consider it disliked ().
Regarding the name "Shihab," al-Khattabi stated that "shihaab" (meteor/flame) is a flame of fire, which is a punishment from Allah. Al-Bukhari reported in al-Adab al-Mufrad that the Prophet, peace be upon him, changed the name of a man who was called "Shihab" to "Hisham."
Therefore, one should not name or title someone "Shihab al-Din," because titles appended to "al-Din" are disliked by most scholars, in addition to the negative connotation carried by the word "Shihab."
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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