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:

I am a non muslim male ,i would be getting converted shortly and will be doing court marriage as well as nikaah to a muslim girl, i have a question,

1) Wich first name should i mention on the nikaah namah as well as the court marriage certificate . The new first name or the old first name.

2) Which thing should i do first,court marriage or nikaah.Please advise i will be eagerly awaiting for the reply. 

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Answer:

Revert to marry 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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Which first name should i mention on the nikaah namah as well as the court marriage certificate. The new first name or the old first name.

A name assigned to each individual is no more than a sign or recognition of that person; and there is absolutely no obligation or compulsion in Shariah that a believer is obliged or required to keep a ‘traditional’ Islamic or ‘muslim’ or even an Arabic name.

The only names which Islam prohibits from assigning to a believer are names which connote or denote polytheism or disbelief (Abdul-Lat, Abdul-Uzza, (slaves of the pagan gods like Lat and Uzza, etc.) or names like Ramdas (slave of the Hindu god Ram), etc.; or names which have an inherit evil or vile meaning.

Other than names which connote polytheism and/or disbelief, or names which have an inherently evil meaning….Islam has allowed the believers the complete freedom to chose and assign any good wholesome name in any language they will and please.

Most of the companions of the Prophet (saws) who accepted Islam kept the names assigned to them by their disbelieving parents, and the Prophet (saws) did not change them or order them to be changed unless and until the name had an inherent evil meaning or was associated with ‘shirk’ or disbelief.

Thus my respected brother in Islam, if the maiden name assigned to you at birth by your parents does not connote shirk or disbelief, nor does it have an inherent evil meaning…..you are at absolute liberty in Islam to be called and recognized by the name assigned to you at birth.

If you have indeed for any reason chosen to change your name after your reversion to Islam, it would be best if you now used your new name instead of the one assigned to you at birth.

Your Question: ….Which thing should i do first, court marriage or nikaah. Please advise i will be eagerly awaiting for the reply. 

It is the formal ‘nikaah’ which holds weight and value in the Sight of Shariah Law and in the Sight of Allah Subhanah; the court attestation of the ‘nikaah’ or a ‘court marriage’ is but to follow the legalities of the land one lives in.

Thus if you intend that your marriage is held lawful in the Sight of your Lord, then it is obvious that you should perform the formal ‘nikaah’ first and then get it attested by the court if need be for legal formalities of the law of the land.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan