Ruling on using “ ‘Aashiq al-Sama’ (Lover of Heaven)” as a user name

Question

Praise be to Allah.

As far as we
know, the word ‘ishq (passionate, excessive love) was never used in any
praiseworthy sense by the salaf and the imams. That is because this word
‘ishq refers to extreme love that oversteps the mark, and anything that is
of that nature is blameworthy.

Ibn Mandhoor
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Abu’l-‘Abbaas
Ahmad ibn Yahya was asked about hubb (love) and ‘ishq – which is more
praiseworthy? He said: Hubb, because in ‘ishq there is excess, and the
‘aashiq (one who loves in the sense of ‘ishq or excessive love) is so called
because he fades away out of extreme love as the ‘ashaqah (bind-weed) fades
away when it is cut. The ‘ashaqah (bind-weed) is a plant that grows green,
then it shrivels up and turns yellow. This was narrated from al-Zujjaaj.

End quote from
Lisaan al-‘Arab, 10/251

Abu Hilaal
al-‘Askari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The difference
between ‘ishq and mahabbah (love) is that ‘ishq refers to extreme physical
desire to have what one wants from the object of that excessive love, if it
is another person, and the resolve to have carnal knowledge of that person
when one is able to. If the ‘ishq is devoid of physical desire then it is
possible for the ‘aashiq (the one who loves excessively) to be free of
physical desire towards the one whom he loves excessively. But ‘ishq refers
to a special type of desire that is incessant, namely the desire of the man
to get what he wants from the one whom he loves. The desire to drink wine
and eat fine food is not called ‘ishq. Moreover, ‘ishq is a desire that, if
it goes to extremes and the individual cannot get what he desires, may kill
him and there is no other physical desire that can kill except ‘ishq. Don’t
you see that no one ever died because of desire for wine or food or perfume,
or because of love for his house or his wealth, but many people have died
from the desire to be alone with the one whom they love excessively and get
what they want from him.

End quote from
al-Furooq al-Lughawiyyah, p. 358-359

Moreover, the
word ‘ishq is not known in the language of the Arabs except in a sexual
context.

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

‘Ishq,
according to scholars of the Arabic language, is only used in a sexual
context.

End quote from
Talbees Iblees, p. 153

Based on that,
it is not right (in Arabic) to use the verb ‘ashiqa when saying one
loves one’s father, mother, house, horse and so on. And it is not right to
use this verb when saying one loves the moon, stars, sky/heaven and so on.

If what is
meant by ‘aashiq al-sama’ (lover of heaven) or ‘ishq al-sama’ (love of
heaven) is “excessive, passionate love” (‘ishq) of the inhabitants thereof,
this is exceedingly bad and objectionable.

The Muslims
have many good names and kunyahs, and they have no need for made-up names
that are not free from matters that are objectionable from an Islamic,
rational, linguistic or customary point of view, especially if the one who
is called by that name is a woman, because that may prompt men to be
attracted to or infatuated with her, and they may hope to meet her, and it
is not unlikely that such a name may make her inclined towards the deeds of
those who pursue this excessive love and promiscuity, and she may be
influenced by this name.

And Allah
knows best.

For more
information please see the answer the question no.
7180.