The name ‘Abd al-Subhan

Question

Question: If Zayd named his son ‘Abd al-Subhan (عبد السبحان), is giving this name correct or wrong? Zayd has in mind that “subhan” is a verbal noun (masdar), and a masdar also comes in the meaning of the active participle (ism fa‘il) and the passive participle (ism maf‘ul). So if Zayd, taking the masdar “subhan” in the meaning of the passive participle, interpreted ‘Abd al-Subhan as “servant of the One declared pure,” and by “subhan” in ‘Abd al-Subhan — which here is a masdar in the meaning of a passive participle…

Answer

Is the use of a masdar in the meaning of the active and passive participles sama‘i (based on what is heard from the Arabs) or qiyasi (by analogy)? If it is qiyasi, then a masdar may be taken in the meaning of the active and passive participles, but this requires proof; if it is sama‘i, it will be restricted to the places where it is heard.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.