Bearing the name `Basimullah'

Fatwa no. ( 19047 ) All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Last of the Prophets. To proceed:The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has read the letter sent to His Eminence, the Grand Mufty, from the Judge of Al-Khafjy Court with no. (1244), dated19/7/1417 A.H. It was referred to the Committee from (Part No. 10; Page No. 507) the Secretariat General of the Council of Senior Scholars with no. (4084), dated 22/4/1417 A.H. And included the following question:We received a letter from Chairman of Al-Khafjy police no. (Kh. Sh. 5-4298-12-21), dated 30/5/1417 A.H. With regard to what was sent to them from His Excellency, Deputy Governor of Al-Khafjy of no. (2316), dated 25/5/1417 A.H. In reference to the letter of the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Al-Khafjy with no. (S. T. 191), dated 19/5/1417 A.H. Which included notes on the name of a worker whose name is: Bismillah Muhammad Bashir, an Indian citizen, who works under the warranty of Naif Gatly Al-Shamry. The chief of the police requested in his letter to consider the change of the name of the referred to man.I hope you will read this and give me the Fatwa with regard to the permissibility of this name from the Shari`ah (Law) point of view.

After considering the request for Fatwa, the Committee states the following:It is not permissible to give someone a name of Bismillah because it is a Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) and a supplication which should not be used for other than what it is put forth to. The same applies to Subhan Allah (Glorified be Allah), Al-Hamdu li-llah (praise be to Allah) and the like. Therefore, whoever is given this name should change it to another allowable name. (Part No. 10; Page No. 508) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.