Is it true that, in Islam, girls should not change their last name after they get married?

Question

I heard some people say this before but I know other learned people who have changed their last name after marriage so... which one is it?

Batman, first of all, you didn't answer my question and second of all, you're a rude rude person.

Answer 1

In hadiths it is reported that on judgement day you will be called by your family name. It is forbidden in Islam to take the name of someone who is not your father. Even when you adopt a child you would not change the childs name to yours.


Quran 33:5 and also Dawud hadiths speak of changing the name..

In the country I live you do not have any legal right to change your family name for marriage. As far as my knowledge thew Christians here do not change their family names when they get married .


Just want to add it is not Sunnah to change the last name for marriage. It does not matter if some people in some countries do it. The point is that it is not Islamic to do so.

Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5956
"We were in the habit of calling Zaid B. Harith as Zaid B.Muhammad until it was revealed in the Quran;" Call them by the names of their fathers. This is more equitable with Allah"




The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever calls himself by other than his father’s name (or attributes himself to someone other than his father), will be cursed by Allaah, the angels and all the people." (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2599; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6104).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has cursed the one who claims to belong to someone other than his father." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and others).

Answer 2

1) I remember hearing that some of the reasons were to bring peace among the families or some political reason. Don't quote me on the last part. It was for a good cause. 2) The more you read the Quran, the deeper meaning you will find in it. Also, your intention counts. Why do you want to read it? To find "bad" things in it or to learn about it, etc.. I don't believe the terrorists who claim they are Muslim are truly killing innocents just for Islam. There might be political reasons involved. People who misinterpret the Quran are usually uneducated. Education = opens the mind. The more educated a person is, the more likely they will find the TRUE meanings in the Quran. And plus, life is a test so questioning and wondering is normal to me. 3) Laughing and singing in front of men is haram for women? I don't think so! As long as it is nothing sexual. I remember someone telling me (my mother maybe) that women used to sing for the Prophet! You have to remember where you find your information about Islam. Tell me what surah in the QURAN says that. Also, you have to make sure the hadiths are authentic. A GOOD husband is to be respected. The one who protects you, respects and loves you. "Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers." From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed. 4) Duh! Do you know how old the Quran and the Bible are? The Quran has never been changed! Since day ONE. What? Do you expect rock-hard evidence about prophets millions and millions of years ago? Although I think there is bits of evidence. In my history book, there is mention of the Prophet.

Answer 3

Moroccan Last Names

Answer 4

Honestly, I don't know which way is correct. I have never heard that before.

As for myself, I didn't change my last name after marriage. It was my choice to do it or not and I chose not to. My husband doesn't mind.

As far as other married women in my family, some of them did and some of them didn't.

Answer 5

Most Muslims don't… those who do are adopting the Western practice. Whether they do or not, it's not an Islamic practice.

Answer 6

I personally believe it is forbidden to take the last name of your husband. BUT I am aware there are scholars, respected scholars, who say it is not forbidden (Terry G referenced one).
When I got married I was a Christian and I changed my last name to my husbands. All legal documents show his last name but I introduce myself with my maiden name. One day I'll legally change it back inshaAllah.

Just a side note about what Jenn said about adopting a child. I agree with her you are not to change the child's last name. The child of a married couple takes the fathers last name but the child of a unmarried woman takes the mothers last name. But get this....I live in Morocco and have an adopted daughter. The government would not allow my daughter to take the last name of her birth mother....they did not give us a reason. Of course they won't allow her to take my husbands last name either and this they did give us a reason for....it's against Islam. So against Islam was good for one ruling but not the other. Weird eh?
Anyhow we ended up having to choose a totally separate name for our daughter though we privately use her real last name.

EDIT: Croweye sis/bro that site that Terry posted is well known and so is Mufti Ebrahim Desai. You don't have to agree with him (personally I don't) but it is a real site and real scholar.

Answer 7

yes...you are supposed to keep ur family name when you get married, not change it to your husbands last name

Answer 8

I agree with Kimo and Jenn.

Fatima, it seems you converted to Islam and you don't know anything and you are trying to spread lies, you need help,go to the Doctor, clean the chritianity from your head if you are claim you are a muslim.

Terry G, other questions you are saying things about me, shut your mouth and don't talk about me ok troll, that site you gave is not from the Scholar and it is not a fatwa, this shows how you are soooooooo smart.

Answer 9

No women should not change there last name when they get married. I wanted to do this but the Imam that married me and my husband told me it was haram to do so and told me that I should keep my fathers last name.


EDIT:

The effects of imitating the west in naming ourselves are many. One of them is the way in which people have got used to omitting the word ‘ibn’ (son of) or ‘ibnatu’ (daughter of) between their own names and the name of their fathers. The reason for this is, firstly, because some families have adopted children and given them their surname, so that the adopted child is called Foolaan Foolan [where ‘Foolaan (=So and so)’ stands for a name] and their real children are called Foolaan ibn Foolaan (So and so the son of So and so). Now in the fourteenth century AH, people have dropped the word ‘ibn’ or ‘ibnatu’ – which is unacceptable according to linguistics, custom and sharee’ah. May Allaah help us.

Another effect is the habit of women taking their husband’s surnames.

Originally, the woman is So and so the Daughter of So and so, not So and so the wife of So and so! Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah…” [al-Ahzaab 33:5].

As it is in this world, so it will also be in the Hereafter, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“On the Day of Resurrection, each betrayer will have a banner raised beside him, and it will be said, this is the betrayer of So and so the son of So and so.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5709, and Muslim, 3265).

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allaah preserve him) said: This is one of the beauties of sharee’ah, because calling a person by his father’s name is more appropriate for knowing who is who and telling people apart. The father is the protector and maintainer of the child and his mother both inside and outside the home. This is why the father mixes with people in the marketplaces and takes risks by travelling to earn a halaal living and strive for their sakes. So the child is given the name of the father, not of the mother who is hidden away and who is one of those whom Allaah commanded (interpretation of the meaning):

“And stay in your houses…” [al-Ahzaab 33:33]

(Tasmiyat al-Mawlood, 30, 31).

On the basis of the above, there is no blood tie between the husband and wife, so how can she take his surname as if she is part of the same lineage? Moreover, she may get divorced, or her husband may die, and she may marry another man. Will she keep changing her surname every time she marries another man? Furthermore, there are rulings attached to her being named after her father, which have to do with inheritance, spending and who is a mahram, etc. Taking her husband’s surname overlooks all that. The husband is named after his own father, and what does she have to do with the lineage of her husband’s father? This goes against common sense and true facts. The husband has nothing that makes him better than his wife so that she should take his surname, whilst he takes his father’s name.

Hence everyone who has gone against this and taken her husband’s name should put matters right. We ask Allaah to put all the affairs of the Muslims right.


EDIT:
It seems that what is meant in the question is a woman changing her family name to that of her husband after she gets married. This is haraam and is not allowed in sharee’ah, because it is not permissible for anyone to claim to belong to anyone other than his or her father.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah…” [al-Ahzaab 33:5]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has cursed the one who claims to belong to someone other than his father.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and others). And Allaah knows best.

Answer 10

You have to keep your own surname. The so called learned ppl changed their names because:

- they have poor knowledge of Islam
- they are convert sisters and wanted to change their anti-Islamic surnames as ppl do for example in Malaysia where converts usually change their names to xy Abdul or xy Abdullah

Answer 11

Kimo Says:
In the West they do so because a woman in Christianity is just a follower of her husband and inferior to him.
Islam has honored the women so she doesn't need to take the name of someone else .. she has her independent personality and she should keep her name.....
This is the most nonsense I have ever heard coming from a so-called true Muslim. You need help my dear.

A true Muslim would not seek to create enmity with Christians or any other faith for that matter. Period.