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Fatwa CenterNaming babies after angels, and the name Jannah for girls
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. I have questions about baby-names: 1. Is it halal to name a baby after an angel, like calling the baby Michael or Gabriel? I have heard and read different opinions, but none of them with sources from Quran or Hadith that forbid doing that. 2. Is the name 'Jannah' halal for girls? I have heard that the real Jannah (Paradise) is male, so I was wondering if it is Ok to name a girl like that.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars differed in opinion in regard to the ruling of naming babies after angels, such as Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mika'eel (Michael). Some scholars hold the view that it is prohibited to name with these names, and some of them see that it is only disliked: this is the view of Imaam Maalik and it is the view chosen by Ibn al-Qayyim and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen; whereas some scholars permitted it; and this is the view of the majority of the scholars. Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen 
said in ash-Sharh al-Mumti’:
“In regard to the names of angels, some scholars said, 'It is forbidden to name with the names of angels, and some of them said that it is disliked, and some of them said that it is permissible. The closest to the truth is that it is disliked (to name with names) such as Jibreel, Mika'eel, and Israafeel. We should not name with these names because they are the names of angels.'”
The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads, “The majority of the scholars hold the view that naming with the names of angels, like Jibreel and Mika'eel, is not disliked, but Imaam Maalik held the view that it is disliked to name with such names...”
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Tuhfatul-Mawdood, “Among the disliked names, such as the names of angels Jibreel, Mika'eel and Israafeel, it is disliked to name humans with them. Ashhab said, 'Imaam Maalik was asked about naming with the name Jibreel, and he disliked it...'”
The author of Al-Fawaakih Ad-Dawani 'ala Risaalat Ibn Abu Zayd Al-Qayrawaani, from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence, also reported from Imaam Maalik that this is disliked, and al-Qurtubi reported in his Tafseer that ‘Umar 
and many scholars disliked it as well.
However, some scholars hold the view that it is permissible to name with such names, as we have already mentioned. Abdur-Razzaq reported in al-Musannaf from Ma'amar, who said, “I asked Hammaad ibn Abi Sulaymaan, 'What would you say about a man who names with Jibreel and Mika'eel;' and he answered, 'it is acceptable.'” For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 85225.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd said, “With regard to naming women with the names of angels, then it appears that this is forbidden because this is imitating the non-Muslims as they consider angels to be the daughters of Allaah; High Above is He from what they associate with Him! What is similar to this is naming a girl 'Malaak' (meaning angel) and 'Malakah'.”
As regards naming a girl Jannah, then the view that we adopt here in Islamweb is that this is permissible, and we do not know of any impediment that prevents naming a girl like that.
Allaah knows best.
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