- Names and Attributes of Allaah - Ruling on using the name ‘Abd al-Ilaah.

What is the ruling on using the name 'Abd al-Ilaah? Is this (al-Ilaah
= the God) one of the names and attributes of Allaah? I hope you will
give a detailed answer.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: One of the things that is liked in giving names is to choose
a name that indicates servitude to Allaah i.e., 'Abd [slave] plus one
of the names of Allaah, whether that is 'Abd-Allaah [slave of Allaah]
or the word 'Abd plus any of the beautiful names of Allaah. The most
beloved of such names to Allaah are the names 'Abd-Allaah and 'Abd
al-Rahmaan (slave of the Most Merciful].
Secondly: It is haraam to give such names that indicate servitude to
anyone or anything other than Allaah, such as 'Abd al-Rasool [slave of
the Messenger] or 'Abd al-Nabi (slave of theProphet] and so on. See
also the answer to question no. 7180.
Thirdly: al-Ilaah in Arabicmeans "the One Who is worshipped" or "the
OneWho deserves to be adored and worshipped". The idols were called
aalihah (gods) because the mushrikeen worshipped them instead of
Allaah, and claimed that they were deserving of that. See Ishtiqaaq
Asma' Allaah by Abu'l-Qaasim al-Zujaaji, p. 30; Lisaan al-'Arab, entry
for aliha. Some scholars said that the word "Allaah" is derived from
the word "al-Ilaah" (the God). This is the view favoured by Ibn
al-Qayyim and other scholars, and the initial alif of the word ilaah
was elided.
Fourthly: is al-Ilaah one of the names of Allaah, and is it
permissible to use it in a name signifying servitude to Him, or not?
The name al-Ilaah is included among the beautiful names of Allaah
which are listed insome versions of the hadeeth, "Allaah has
ninety-nine names…", as we see it narrated by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma'
wa'l-Sifaat, and by al-Haakim. But the list of names in this hadeeth
is not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), according to the scholars who are well-versed in hadeeth, as was
mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn Katheer, Ibn Hajar and
other scholars. See Asma' Allaah al-Husna by 'Abd-Allaah ibn Saalih
al-Ghusn, p. 170-173
Because the reports which list the names of Allaah are not reliable,
many scholars have triedto find these names in the Qur'aan and
Sunnah.Among those who included the name al-Ilaah in their lists of
the beautiful names of Allaah are: Ibn Mandah, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Hajar,
Ibn al-Wazeer and Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them). See
op. cit., 352.
Based on that, it is permissible to use the name 'Abd al-Ilah, and
there is nothing wrong with that, in sha Allah. However, it seems that
this name was not known in the past."
We do not find this name among the Sahaabah, based on what we see in
al-Isaabah by Ibn Hajar. We do not find it among the names mentioned
in biographies by various authors, such as Fahaarisal-Siyar by
al-Dhahabi, Tabaqaat al-Shaafa'iyyah by Ibn al-Subki, Wafiyaat by
IbnKhalkaan, al-Tahdheeb by Ibn Hajar, and others. The first usage of
this name that we have come across is 'Abd al-Ilaah ibn 'Ali ibn
al-Husayn al-Haashimi, who was born in 1331 AH and died in 1377, as
mentioned by al-Zarkali in al-A'laam. This is obviously very recent.