If it really is makruh to name a child after an angel, then why do so many Muslims have the names Maalik and Raqib?

Question

Some scholars regard using the names of angels (peace be upon them) as makrooh. (Source: https://islamqa.info/en/1692)

Is there any hadith or verse of Quran that supports this? I don't want to jump into conclusions but I think this might be from a weak hadith. Because if it was really makruh to name someone after an angel, then why do so many Muslims have the name Maalik and Raqib? In case you don't know, these are also names of angels in Islam (Source: http://www.rahmahmuslimhomeschool.co.uk/index/al-malaikah-the-angels-the-names-and-the-responsibilities/).

I'm sure you know Al-Maalik and Ar-Raqib are also names of Allah and we are allowed to name children after names of Allah as long as we omit the "Al-". Would that mean we can name a child after any of the names of Allah except for Maalik and Raqib?

Answer 1

All perfect praise be to Allah

I specially called on my shiekh and we had discussion about your this specific question.

Now, firstly,

Al-Maalik is name of allah, as allah says in quran:

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

and many other places, he has used name maalik for himself, so there is no issue in this name.

Also name Raqib

لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِن بَعْدُ وَلَا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَّقِيبًا

and

لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِن بَعْدُ وَلَا أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَّقِيبًا

So, there is no issue in having names like abdul-maalik, and abdul-raqeeb etc because when we are saying abdul-maalik, everyone know that we are referring to the Allah not the angels so there is no issue.

And also naming after names of malaaika is not bad, until or unless these are under the instructions on naming in islam. i.e there meaning is suitable for naming human beings.

For example, when i google the meaning of izrael, i found:

The name Azrael is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Azrael is: God's help.

So, naming this is nothing prohibited, same goes for jibrael. Now, one thing is clear we can have angels names for us, though some scholars have disliked it. But there is no strong base for this.

A more reasonable view of some scholars is on naming girls on names of angels, they say its makrooh because mushrikeen used to say the angels are daughters of Allah. So we should not name girls on names of angels to avoid any mis-understanding. But this is also not a strong point, no one think we have such belief, so there is no confusion, hence no issue in this too.

Prophet ﷺ said:

"Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt." (Narrated by Termithi and Nasaee, and Tirmithi said it is true and fine hadith.)

Lastly: Now the last thing about using Allah's names removing Al- from it.

Let me quote:

The names of Allaah, insofar as they are applied only to Him – fall into two categories:

1.
Names that only belong to Him, may He be glorified and exalted, and cannot be given to anyone but Him, such as the names Allaah, al-Rabb (the Lord or Cherisher), al-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious), al-Ahad (the Unique), al-Samad (the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks), al-Mutakabbir (the Majestic), and so on. It is not permissible to call any human being by these names, according to scholarly consensus.
2.
Names which do not apply only to Him, and which may be applied to human beings, so it is permissible to call people by them, such as Samee’ (hearing), Baseer (seeing), ‘Aliy (high, exalted), Hakeem (wise), Rasheed (wise). Some of the most well known Sahaabah were called by these names, such as ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib and Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allaah be pleased with them).

What is forbidden is only the names which apply only to the Lord, such as Allaah and al-Rahmaan.

From: Is calling people by the names of Allaah regarded as shirk?(have a look on this for details)

I hope this answers the question.

Jazakallah.

Allah knows best