Fatwa ID: 07733

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Question:

I have two questions which I request your ruling for please:
1.    I am the only source of income for my elderly parents who live in Pakistan (I live in the UK and send money to them monthly). I would like to install solar panels on the roof of their house to reduce the electricity expense and to make sure they have constant electricity. Is it permissible to use the money that I need to pay towards Zakat to pay to install the solar panels?
2.    My wife and I had a son. We named him Sami. On his birth certificate, I wanted to name him Mohammad Sami, as my name is Mohammad Salik (however I go by Salik only). My wife was opposed to putting the name Mohammad because she said if we must use the name then either call him Mohammad or Mohammad Sami. If we don’t then we cannot use the name of our beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) in this manner. Could you please advise what the correct opinion is? Is it better to give the full name Mohammad Sami (even if we only call him Sami) or only give the name Mohammad Sami if we call him by his full name (Mohammad Sami)
جَزَاكَ ٱللَّٰهُ خَيْرًا

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Answer:

1. Zakat money is to be given to those in poverty who own less than the Nisab [1] (612.36g of silver, approx. £500 at the time of writing [2]). It is not permissible to give your Zakah to your own immediate family members, even if they are eligible to receive Zakah [3]. You can pay for the solar panel installation from the remaining 97.5% of your wealth. 
2. It is discouraged to name a child with both the name and title of the Prophet s.a.w., i.e. Muhammad Abul Qasim [4]. However, there is no problem naming a child Muhammad only or combining this with any other permissible name. Thus, there is no problem whether you name your child Mohammad, Mohammad Sami, or just Sami. With regards to referring to your child as Sami whilst their name is Muhammad Sami, there is no problem with giving people nicknames [5] provided they are not derogatory in nature [6]. Thus, should you name him Mohammad Sami, then you may refer to him as Mohammad, Sami, Mohammad Sami, or any other respectable nickname.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 2, pg. 339, Darul Fikr:

أَيْ مَصْرِفِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْعُشْرِ، وَأَمَّا خُمُسُ الْمَعْدِنِ فَمَصْرِفُهُ كَالْغَنَائِمِ (هُوَ فَقِيرٌ، وَهُوَ مَنْ لَهُ أَدْنَى شَيْءٍ) أَيْ دُونَ نِصَابٍ أَوْ قَدْرُ نِصَابٍ غَيْرِ نَامٍ مُسْتَغْرِقٍ فِي الْحَاجَةِ

[2] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 2, pg. 295, Darul Fikr:

(نِصَابُ الذَّهَبِ عِشْرُونَ مِثْقَالًا وَالْفِضَّةِ مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ كُلُّ عَشْرَةِ) دَرَاهِمَ (وَزْنُ سَبْعَةِ مَثَاقِيلَ)

[3] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 2, pg. 346, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ: وَإِلَى مَنْ بَيْنَهُمَا وِلَادٌ) أَيْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْمَدْفُوعِ إلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّ مَنَافِعَ الْأَمْلَاكِ بَيْنَهُمْ مُتَّصِلَةٌ فَلَا يَتَحَقَّقُ التَّمْلِيكُ عَلَى الْكَمَالِ هِدَايَةٌ وَالْوِلَادُ بِالْكَسْرِ مَصْدَرُ وَلَدَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ وِلَادَةً وَوِلَادًا مُغْرِبٌ أَيْ أَصْلُهُ وَإِنْ عَلَا كَأَبَوَيْهِ وَأَجْدَادِهِ وَجَدَّاتِهِ مِنْ قِبَلِهِمَا

[4] Sahih Al-Bukhari 110

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ تَسَمَّوْا بِاسْمِي وَلاَ تَكْتَنُوا بِكُنْيَتِي، وَمَنْ رَآنِي فِي الْمَنَامِ فَقَدْ رَآنِي، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لاَ يَتَمَثَّلُ فِي صُورَتِي، وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ”

[5] Sahih Al-Bukhari 3768

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ إِنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا ‏ “‏ يَا عَائِشَ…‏”‏‏

Sunan Ibn Majah 2474

حَدَّثَنَا عَمَّارُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ غُرَابٍ، عَنْ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ مَرْزُوقٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ جُدْعَانَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الشَّىْءُ الَّذِي لاَ يَحِلُّ مَنْعُهُ قَالَ الْمَاءُ وَالْمِلْحُ وَالنَّارُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الْمَاءُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمِلْحِ وَالنَّارِ قَالَ ‏”‏ يَا حُمَيْرَاءُ…‏”‏‏

Sahih Al-Bukhari 3094

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْفَرْوِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَوْسِ بْنِ الْحَدَثَانِ،، وَكَانَ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ ذَكَرَ لِي ذِكْرًا مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ ذَلِكَ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ حَتَّى أَدْخُلَ عَلَى مَالِكِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ، فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَ مَالِكٌ بَيْنَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي أَهْلِي حِينَ مَتَعَ النَّهَارُ، إِذَا رَسُولُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ يَأْتِينِي فَقَالَ أَجِبْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى أَدْخُلَ عَلَى عُمَرَ، فَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى رِمَالِ سَرِيرٍ، لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُ فِرَاشٌ مُتَّكِئٌ عَلَى وِسَادَةٍ مِنْ أَدَمٍ، فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ فَقَالَ يَا مَالِ…‏”

[6] Surah Al-Hujurat 11

{يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا يَسۡخَرۡ قَوۡمٌ مِّنۡ قَوۡمٍ عَسٰٓى اَنۡ يَّكُوۡنُوۡا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّنۡ نِّسَآءٍ عَسٰٓى اَنۡ يَّكُنَّ خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُنَّ​ۚ وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوۡا بِالۡاَلۡقَابِ​ؕ بِئۡسَ الِاسۡمُ الۡفُسُوۡقُ بَعۡدَ الۡاِيۡمَانِ​ ۚ وَمَنۡ لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ}‏