Is it permissible to call a child Binyameen?
Question

                Is it permissible for Muslims to give their children the name Binyameen? Or the names of any of the brothers of the Prophet Yoosuf?
Praise be to Allah.
	With regard to giving a child the name Binyameen (English 
	form, Benjamin) and the like, it is permissible in principle, and there is 
	nothing in the name itself to suggest that it is not allowed to call a child 
	by this name. 

	But in terms of what is customary, the Jews are the ones who 
	use this name, and it is not regarded as being a Muslim custom to give one’s 
	child this name, so it is disallowed to use this name for that reason.

	Among the companions of the Messiah (peace be upon him) were 
	people called Matta (Matthew), Yuhanna (John) and so on, but undoubtedly 
	these are not names used by Muslims nowadays. Therefore the scholars 
	disallowed calling one’s children by these names. 

	Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

	Names fall into three categories: 

	1.
	names that are used only by the Muslims

	2.
	names that are used only by the disbelievers

	3.
	names that are common to both groups.

	The first category includes names such as Muhammad, Ahmad, 
	Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali, Talhah and az-Zubayr. They – i.e., ahl 
	adh-dhimmah – should not be allowed to use these names. 

	The second category includes names such as Jurjus (George), 
	Butrus (Peter), Yuhanna (John), Matta (Matthew) and the like. They should 
	not be prevented from using these names, but it is not permissible for the 
	Muslims to use these names, because that would entail resembling them in 
	that which is unique to them. 

	The third category includes names such as Yahya (John), ‘Eesa 
	(Jesus), Ayyoob (Job), Dawood (David), Sulaymaan (Solomon), Zayd, ‘Amr, 
	‘Abdullah, ‘Atiyyah, Mawhoob, Salaam, and so on. These names are not 
	disallowed for either ahl adh-dhimmah or Muslims. 

	End quote from Ahkaam Ahl adh-Dhimmah (3/1317) 

	The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: 

	We are a group of young people who are religiously committed, 
	praise be to Allah. We work together in the same place, and we also live 
	together in the same place, and when we are messing about we call one 
	another by names that are not our real names, such as Jurjus (George), 
	Butrus (Peter), Yuhanna (John), Mikhaa’eel (Michael) and Binyameen 
	(Benjamin). Is that haraam? Please note that we do not call each other by 
	these names except by way of messing about.

	They replied:

	Doing that is not permissible, because it comes under the 
	heading of resembling the disbelievers in their names, and the Prophet 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people 
	is one of them.” So what you must do is avoid calling one another by these 
	foreign names, even if that is by way of joking.

	End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (26/32)

	The names of the brothers of Yoosuf are, as was stated by al-Qurtubi 
	(may Allah have mercy on him): Rubeel (Reuben), who was the eldest of them, 
	Sham‘oon (Simeon), Laawi (Levi), Yahoodha (Judah), Zayaaloon (Zebulon), 
	Yashjir (Issachar), Daan (Dan), Naftaali (Naphtali), Jaad (Gad), Aashir 
	(Asher) and Binyaameen (Benjamin).

	Tafseer al-Qurtubi 
	(9/130)

	Calling one’s sons by these names is also not allowed, 
	because these are foreign names and it is not customary among the Muslims to 
	call their children by these names. 

	Yes, in the answer to question no. 
	193364, we stated that calling one’s children by the names of the 
	Prophets comes under the heading of names that are liked and encouraged, and 
	some of the scholars are of the view that the brothers of Yoosuf (peace be 
	upon him) were also Prophets, but the more correct view is that they were 
	not Prophets. Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

	It should be noted that there is no proof to suggest that the 
	brothers of Yoosuf were Prophets. 

	End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (4/319) 

	As-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

	There are two scholarly opinions with regard to the brothers 
	of Yoosuf (peace be upon him). The view of the majority of earlier and later 
	scholars is that they were not Prophets.

	End quote from al-Haawi li’l-Fataawi (1/367) 

	To sum up: 

	Calling one’s child Binyaameen or calling him by the names of 
	the brothers of Yoosuf is disallowed, for the reasons mentioned above. There 
	are enough Muslim names so that one has no need to call one’s children by 
	these names.

	Please see the answer to question no. 1692 
	for information on names that are mustahabb (encouraged), makrooh (disliked) 
	and haraam (forbidden).

	 Please see the answer to question no. 
	7180 for information on the etiquette of naming children.

	And Allah knows best.