Is it Islamic for women to bear their husband's name after marriage?

No

It is not permissible for a woman to take her husband’s name or his family name because that is attributing oneself to someone other than one’s father, and imitating the kuffaar from whom this custom was adopted.

Al-Bukhaari (3508) and Muslim (61) narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.

https://islamqa.info/en/114624

Contact17:
No

It is not permissible for a woman to take her husband’s name or his family name because that is attributing oneself to someone other than one’s father, and imitating the kuffaar from whom this custom was adopted.

Al-Bukhaari (3508) and Muslim (61) narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.

https://islamqa.info/en/114624

Contact17:
No

It is not permissible for a woman to take her husband’s name or his family name because that is attributing oneself to someone other than one’s father, and imitating the kuffaar from whom this custom was adopted.

Al-Bukhaari (3508) and Muslim (61) narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.

https://islamqa.info/en/114624

Thank you

I don't think that is what was meant. Changing your last name is not the same as changing your father name. If you are a girl named Aisha, and your last name is x, and your father's name is y, according to nigeriana customs you are called X Aisha, according to Arab customs you are called Aisha bint Y (Aisha daughter of Y). If you get married to a man with the last name of Z, you change the last name to become Z Aisha but must still retain your father's name Y. Don't confuse father's name with family name.

Akindarchi:
I don't think that is what was meant. Changing your last name is not the same as changing your father name. If you are a girl named Aisha, and your last name is x, and your father's name is y, according to nigeriana customs you are called X Aisha, according to Arab customs you are called Aisha bint Y (Aisha daughter of Y). If you get married to a man with the last name of Z, you change the last name to become Z Aisha but must still retain your father's name Y. Don't confuse father's name with family name.

Last name attributes one to belonging to family even more than fathers name. Some people officially change their surname after marriage so they can't bear their last names any longer. As a result, they attribute themselves to another family. Arabs still keep their family name as well, not all of them answer bint Y. Even in cases where they answer bint Y the family name is included as well for example- Fatima bint Ahmed Al Qatahni. Here, we know that Fatima belongs to Al Qatahni's clan/tribe/family. But we only say Fatima bint Ahmed, we are left to as which Ahmed's family she belongs to. “Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.


The fatwa I quoted was given specifically for changing ones' last name.

Stay blessed.

Last name and father's name are not the same thing. Changing the father's name is what is haram. In Arab culture they don utilise last names. I mentioned this because of the hadith that was referred to about attributing to other than their fathers

Akindarchi:
Last name and father's name are not the same thing. Changing the father's name is what is haram. In Arab culture they don utilise last names

Lineage is linked to the family name not father's name.Arabs use their family names ( I have absolutely no doubt about that). Family name is very important in Arab culture- tribes, lineage,connections are linked to family names.

cc lexiconkabir

Do you mind telling me the name of the prophet?

Akindarchi:
Do you mind telling me the name of the prophet?

What the point of doing that? I am not sure if you are really paying attention to any of the answers I provided.I won't be spending time on this anymore.

Ma salam

^^ I'm coming...

The point of that is because you made a claim that Arabs trace their lineage with tribal names. If you were to mention the full name of the prophet, you would see that he is Muhammad ibn Abdullah...I think his lineage can be traced back several generations this way, I would Google it. While he is recognised as a qurayshi, his lineage is not traced by his tribe but rather the paternal direct ancestors. I didn't mean to annoy or seem pigheaded

From a quick search on Google (FYI since its Google, it may not be correct) his name was Ab al-Qsim Muhammad ibn'Abd Allh ibn' Abd al-Mualib ibn Hshim. In other words his lineage is traced 3 generations without any mention of tribe. Hence why I said in Arab culture they utilise the father name not the family name, I should have clarified that I meant utilised it for tracing lineage. Which is why it is forbidden to change the father's name for a person. I am yet to see any hadith that forbids the change of the tribe.

Akindarchi:
I don't think that is what was meant. Changing your last name is not the same as changing your father name. If you are a girl named Aisha, and your last name is x, and your father's name is y, according to nigeriana customs you are called X Aisha, according to Arab customs you are called Aisha bint Y (Aisha daughter of Y). If you get married to a man with the last name of Z, you change the last name to become Z Aisha but must still retain your father's name Y. Don't confuse father's name with family name.

using your example, is Aisha's last name her father's name or another name of her's?

Akindarchi:
From a quick search on Google (FYI since its Google, it may not be correct) his name was Ab al-Qsim Muhammad ibn'Abd Allh ibn' Abd al-Mualib ibn Hshim. In other words his lineage is traced 3 generations without any mention of tribe. Hence why I said in Arab culture they utilise the father name not the family name, I should have clarified that I meant utilised it for tracing lineage. Which is why it is forbidden to change the father's name for a person. I am yet to see any hadith that forbids the change of the tribe.

I think you misunderstood me at some point. I grew up with Arabs and I can tell you they use their family name as part of their name. What I understood from what you mentioned was that Arabs don't include their family name in their names. I meant to explain that family names are used by Arabs. It is linked to lineage, tribes etc. A person with a strong family name tend to have better connections, are usually powerful etc.

Family names (even in Nigeria) are liked to lineage and. Mr. Akinbode Balogun is different from Mr. Akinbode Momudu. If I decided to change my family name to Balogun, I have attributed myself to another family that does not belong to my father as mentioned in the hadith and its' interpretation.

“Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.


It was not my intention to emphasize on tribes and such. I meant to emphasize on lineage which the hadith talks about

Modified-
Bottom line is that it is not allowed for someone to attribute themselves to another family like changing the surnames. Yes you are right that Arabs can use their fathers' name to find their lineage, but they also use their family names. If not, every Arab would be aware of their generation name dating to the time of Adam. It's also important to note that my father can decide to change his name, but because I keep my last name (just like Arabs) I will still be attributed to my fathers' family.

@ ummeey sorry for derailing your thread.

If, by changing her family name and ascribing herself to another family, she intends to absolve herself of and turn away from her lineal ascription to her own father from whose loins she came, and to make herself a daughter of that other family, then this is a major sin that is extremely forbidden. Its prohibition has been transmitted with rigorously authenticated (sahih) chains in Bukhari and Muslim[like the one provided by the sister above] and other collections of hadith. [The reason for its extreme prohibition] is that it comprises showing ungratefulness for one's blessings, disregard for the rights of inheritance, kinship, reason, and other things, in addition to the severance of kinship ties and parental disobedience that it entails, as Imam Nawawi has explained.

If, however, the matter is not like this, but is merely an ascription of the wife’s name to her husband’s that some people have become habituated to doing without her intending to absolve herself of her lineal ascription to her father and adopting someone else as a father, then what is immediately apparent from the words of Imam Nawawi and others is that it is not forbidden and does not fall under the prohibition.

Imam Nawawi in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, commenting on the hadith, “There is nothing from a man who calls himself by other than his father except unbelief (kufr),” says, “The meaning of, calls himself by other than his father is ascribes himself to him and takes him as his father.” This implies that the one who does not take him as a father has not called himself by other than his father.

it should be noted that the husband is not to force the wife into changing her name.

Allaah knows best.

cc: contact17

jazakallahu khairan

lexiconkabir

Contact17:


I think you misunderstood me at some point. I grew up with Arabs and I can tell you they use their family name as part of their name. What I understood from what you mentioned was that Arabs don't include their family name in their names. I meant to explain that family names are used by Arabs. It is linked to lineage, tribes etc. A person with a strong family name tend to have better connections, are usually powerful etc.

Family names (even in Nigeria) are liked to lineage and. Mr. Akinbode Balogun is different from Mr. Akinbode Momudu. If I decided to change my family name to Balogun, I have attributed myself to another family that does not belong to my father as mentioned in the hadith and its' interpretation.

“Any man who knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father is guilty of kufr. Whoever claims to belong to a people when he has nothing to do with them, let him take his place in Hell.”

“when he has nothing to do with them” means, when he has no lineage among them, as is highlighted in some reports.


It was not my intention to emphasize on tribes and such. I meant to emphasize on lineage which the hadith talks about

Modified-
Bottom line is that it is not allowed for someone to attribute themselves to another family like changing the surnames. Yes you are right that Arabs can use their fathers' name to find their lineage, but they also use their family names. If not, every Arab would be aware of their generation name dating to the time of Adam. It's also important to note that my father can decide to change his name, but because I keep my last name (just like Arabs) I will still be attributed to my fathers' family.

He misunderstood you, i guess he will understand this.

Contact17:
jazakallahu khairan

lexiconk.abir

Wa iyak!

Well I was just putting my 2 cents in, not like I'm an authority or have any studies in the matter. Thanks for the civilised discussion. I do understand your view, and I am also in agreement with imam Nawawi. Again I stress that i didn't mean to annoy or derail the thread but just to share my thoughts. May Allah forgive us our shortcomings

lexiconkabir:


using your example, is Aisha's last name her father's name or another name of her's?

It's another name of hers using my example. Just noticed the question and answered it so as not to seem rude, but like I already posted I agree with imam nawawi's view

Akindarchi:

It's another name of hers using my example. Just noticed the question and answered it so as not to seem rude, but like I already posted I agree with imam nawawi's view

Ok.....then what the sister was saying is totally different from what you were saying...

Really proud and happy about how the discussion turned out.

Jazakallahu khairan to everyone who participated, including the OP for asking the question.

May Allah forgive our shortcoming and guide us toward his path.

Contact17:
@ ummeey sorry for derailing your thread.

No problem