Listening to the music of a person whose name means 'God is with us'

15-9-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

The name Tinashe means 'God is with us' Is this shirk and if it is, would it be shirk for me to listen to this person's music?

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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, sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

If this name means 'God is with us', then it has nothing to do with Shirk. Shirk means associating something with Allaah and dedicating acts of worship to them. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood said, “I asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘Which sin is the gravest sin in the sight of Allaah?’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied: ‘To associate something with Allaah, though He is the One Who created you…’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

However, it should be noted that bearing a name meaning 'God is with us' or 'God is with me' is not recommended because such a name implies self-praise.

On the other hand, listening to music is an entirely different issue; it is impermissible to listen to music regardless of the person who is playing it. Music is prohibited in itself as evidenced by the texts of the Quran, Sunnah, and the sayings of the early Muslim generations from among the Companions and righteous predecessors. For further information, please refer to Fatwas 81239 and 81545.

Allaah Knows best.