Can You Call Someone Akbar?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Some people have the name “Akbar,” and I just wanted to know if it’s permissible to refer to them by it or if it would be a shirk.
Answer
Thank you for your question. I asked a scholar this question years ago. He told me that if the name Akbar does not begin with “al” (the), it is permissible to use it. Saying “al-Akbar” would mean “the greatest,” which is reserved for Allah Most High.
Please see these links as well:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
