Condemnation of using bad names

The Companion ꜤUmayr bin SaꜤd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ narrates, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Angels curse whoever calls upon someone by that name (a bad title) instead of their actual name.”^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

4. Do not have bad assumptions!

The fourth principle of living together is explained by Allah in the following way:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ  اٰمَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوۡا کَثِیۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ۫ اِنَّ  بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ   اِثۡمٌ

 O believers! Avoid much suspicions; indeed, some suspicions become sin. ^[2]

It is stated in Tafsīr Ṣirāṭ al-Jinān:

In this part of the verse, Allah has prohibited Muslims from making too many assumptions and suspicion, as some forms of this are nothing but sin. Caution necessitates for one to avoid excessive assumptions.^[3]

Three types of assumption

Scholars clarify:

Assumptions (referring to the thoughts that enter our minds) are of three types (in terms of their respective rulings in sharīʿah):

1.   Wājib (necessary): Such as having a good opinion of Allah.