Question:
What is the ruling of naming children with some names of animals or birds like naming them Asad (Lion) or Saqr (Falcon) or Nasr (Hawk) or Nimr (Leopard) or the likes of that?
Answer:
I do not know of a legislative prevention from naming for example Saqr (Falcon) or Laith (Lion) or Nimr bin Tawlab as came in some of the names of the Sahābah, or Asad bin Musā as come in some of the Tābi’īn and the Mauhaddithīn, or the likes of that from the names which are not names of Tazkiyyah (self-praise), nor imitating the Kuffār, nor names of the Shayātīn, nor names of the Angels, nor despised names, ya’nī they mentioned numerous prohibitions in names.
And likewise they are not names specific to the Lord of the worlds. Like Allāh and Ar-Rahmān and the likes of that. So the likes of these names Saqr bin Jamūd and Hajr, and Nasr and likewise Saqr and the likes of this, we don’t know anything preventing it.
And this is not from imitating the animals which it is prohibited from imitating. For verily the Prophet ﷺ prohibited from the pecking of the crow and the rooster, and the looking around of the fox, and the descending of the camel, and the likes of that which it is known that it is not allowed to imitate from the actions of animals.
And perhaps you see some wrestlers maybe they imitate some movements of the animals. This is not befitting and not allowed to imitate the animals as you have been prohibited from imitating the Kuffār, it takes more precedence imitating the animals. And Allāh said in His Book;
(فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث)
“So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.” [Al-A’rāf, 176]
So this resembling and likening to the dog was in way of disgust.
He said;
وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا فَٱنسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَٰهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُۚ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثۚ ذَّلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاۚ فَٱقْصُصِ ٱلْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُون
“And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayāt, but he threw them away, so Shaitān followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.” [Al-A’rāf, 175-6]
He said;
مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًۢاۚ بِئْسَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّلِمِين
“The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Taurat (Torah), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them).” [Al-Jumu’ah, 5]
So he resembled him to a donkey in way of disgust. This one who who carries it as the donkey carries books.
The point of benefit from this is that imitating the animals is prohibited. But this naming is from the rest of the names which the intent is not imitating and the likes of it is found amongst those that preceded without changing from the Prophet ﷺ or from the Salaf.
Laith bin Sa’d, Nimr bin Tawlab, Asad bin Musā, and the likes of this that you find in the biographies.
Benefited from: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him.
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/7586
Translated by: Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi