Question
Is changing the last name (or surname) by a woman after marriage to her husband’s last name (or first/surname) unislamic? My wife wants to change her last name to my first name. I have come across few descriptions online where Qur’anic verses have been quoted and such change is deemed ‘haram’. One such reference is:
Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allaah. (al-Ahzaab 33:5]
And:
Whoever calls himself by other than his father’s name (or attributes himself to someone other than his father), will be cursed by Allah, the angels and all the people. (Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2599;
It should be made clear that my wife’s current last name is NOT her father’s name. Any light on this matter, which is extremely common and not widely discussed, will be highly appreciated.
Answer
The verse and the hadith you have quoted connote that we cannot hide our original descent and claim ourselves by the name of other than our parents. This is not allowed. However, the custom of changing the name after marriage does not imply that the wife is claiming to be daughter of her husband. Therefore, the conclusion from these sources is not correct.
Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Date: 2015-03-12
