[names] (1) were unbelievers, that would not make these names objectionable. Everyone knows that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—called them by these names and allowed others to do so. Many of them allege that these men were hypocrites and that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—knew they were hypocrites; yet even so (2), he called them by these names. Alī [ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him] (3) also gave these names to his sons (4).
It is therefore known that it is permissible to call people by these names (5)—whether [that] (6) person bearing the name is a Muslim or an unbeliever—and that this is a well-established matter (7) in the religion of Islam. Whoever objects to calling anyone by these names is among those most manifestly opposed to the religion of Islam.
Yet despite this, if a man among them bears [the name] (8) Alī, Jafar, Hasan, Husayn, or the like (9), they treat him well and honor him, although they have no evidence [in this] (10) that he is one of them. (11 Indeed, Ahl al-Sunna also bear these names, so bearing them does not indicate that such people are one of them 11) (11). Likewise, those other names may be found among them, so bearing [one of them] does not indicate that the person so named belongs to Ahl al-Sunna. Yet these people