The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave Suhayb the kunya Abū Yahyā (1). He also gave ‘Alī the kunya Abū Turāb in addition to his kunya Abū al-Hasan, and it became his favourite kunya (2). He gave the brother of Anas ibn Mālik, who was still a young child below the age of puberty, the kunya Abū ‘Umayr (3).

His practice, peace and blessings be upon him, was to give kunyas both to those who had children and to those who did not. No prohibition of any kunya is authentically reported from him except that of Abū al-Qāsim. It is authentically reported that he said:

“Name yourselves after me, but do not adopt my kunya.” (4)

People differed concerning this, holding four views:

The first is that adopting his kunya is categorically impermissible, whether used separately from his name or together with it, and whether during his lifetime or after his death. Their principal evidence is the general applicability and unrestricted wording of this (5) authentic hadith. Al-Bayhaqī (6) attributed this view to al-Shāfi‘ī. They said: The prohibition was issued because the meaning (7) of this kunya and designation is exclusive to him, peace and blessings be upon him. He indicated this when he said:

“By Allah, I neither give to anyone nor withhold from anyone; I am only a distributor, allocating where I am commanded.” (8)

They said: It is well known that no one other than he possesses this quality in its fullness.