Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear sir,

I am going to married soon. I wanna know after marriage can my wife changed her last name to husband;s name instead of father;s name. Is this leagally allowed in the light of Quran and sunna. and if not why it is not allowed.

I shall be waiting for your reply

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Father or husband name

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 5 (part): Call them by (the names) of their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah.

Allah Subhanah guides the believers, whether they be male or female, single or married, to be called by their father’s name. It is absolutely not recommended, neither legal, nor lawful for a believing woman to change her last name or be recognized by her husband’s name in Islam; but it is the direct command of Allah Subhanah to be recognized by the name of one’s father.

It is not Islamic culture that a believing woman drops her father’s name, and is called upon by her husband’s or anyone else’s name. The guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) is that a person must always be called by his/her father’s name.

If Islamic culture allowed a woman to take the husband’s name, then there is no bigger honor than to have the name of the Messenger of Allah (saws) attached to one’s name! But the wives of the Prophet were always known, recognized and called by their respective fathers’ names, and never by the Prophet’s name.

Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) is and will always be known as Aisha bint Abu Baqr As-Siddiq (r.a.), although she was married to the Messenger of Allah (saws); and what could have been a bigger honor for a believing woman than to attach the name of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to one’s name? But Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) and every noble and chaste wife of the Prophet (saws), even after their marriage to the Messenger of Allah (saws) were and will always be recognized by the name of her natural fathers.

This custom of dropping the woman’s fathers’ name and being called by the husband’s name, is a pagan custom, and must be avoided by the believers, who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day.

Just imagine the state of a woman who drops her father’s name and takes the name of the person she marries: what happens if she divorces the person? Does she revert back to her father’s name? What happens if she chooses to marry again? Does she drop her father’s name again and take on her new husband’s name??? The Guidance and Truth of Islam has accorded every individual, whether male or female an honorable identity and guided them to be called and recognized by the name of their fathers for as long as they are remembered.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan