Question
Assalamalaikum By the blessings of Allah SWT I am going to be blessed with a second child in the form of baby boy and I want to keep his name as Mohammed Yahya. The reason I chose this name is I used to recite the dua of Zakariyya AS and as he was blessed with Yahya AS, so even I want to keep this name for my child. But someone has told my wife that the name Yahya is Jalaali and so the child will become Jalaali, hence it is not good to keep this name, nauzubillah. So, I just wanted to confirm this, so that I can show this fatawa to my wife. Also, we read in Quran that Allah SWT gave Yahya alayhi salam knowledge, wisdome, understanding, and adherance to the scripture. So hoping for these qualities, I want to keep my child name as Yahya. But, also Yahya AS was kept away from women, i.e., CELIBACY, which was permitted in their sharia, but not permitted in sharia of Muhammad . So, can you put some light on this aspect also. Jazakallahu Khairan.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.
Among the good things enjoined by Sharee‘ah is to choose good names for the children. Undoubtedly, the names of the Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, are the best to be given to the children. So, there is no harm on you to name your child Yahya. Rather, that is a good thing to do, and we ask Allah that your child will have a share in the sense of the attributes of Prophet Yahya (John), may Allah exalt his mention, who carried the same name. Also, this blessed name was given to a group of righteous people and scholars.
However, we do not understand what a Jalaali name means. Nevertheless, we ascertain that there is no impediment to name with this blessed name.
On the other hand, Allah The Almighty praised His Prophet Yahya, may Allah exalt his mention, with many good attributes, one of which is that he kept away from sexual relations with women, even though he was able to do so, according to the preponderant opinvion of the interpreters of the Quran. It may be that celibacy was permissible in his Sharee’ah, but it is not so in ours. Indeed, we are commanded to imitate the Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, in doing what Allah likes and is pleased with, and leaving what Allah dislikes and is displeased with. We are also commanded to do all that brings one closer to Allah; and since marriage in our Sharee‘ah brings one closer to Allah The Almighty, then it is legitimate for us to marry.
Allah Knows best.
Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb