Is it compulsory to change name to marry; once I take Shahadah?
Book of Muslim names
salam
my self mohan, i just want to know about changing the name after convert to the islam.
basically i m from India and i am a Maharashtrian guy i want to marry a Muslim girl who is my college friend from last 12 years we know each other.
she got married 4 year ago to the Muslim guy but within a two month she got divorce that is her arrange marriage. from last 3 years we talk and met with each other. after that her feeling had been change and we fall in love with each other.
then she told me her mother looking for a guy for her marriage she told her mother about me but her mother want Muslim guy. after that i met her mother and asked about our marriage her mother told me the rules and regulation. circumcision and changing the name. i told her mother that i can t change the name rest of the thing as it is i accept Islam but i don't want to change my name.
her mother told me there is no compulsory to change name. then she told her husband (father) father also agreed then they told their son (younger brother) to meet me i met him but he told me the i would have to change my name compulsory for a life time i told him i am the only one son my parent and my father passed away in so i have responsibility to my mother.
then i spoke with mother each and every thing she accept the girl without changing her religion the my mother had met her mother and told her we don't want to convert her to Hindu she will keep her religion as it is after the marriage also but don't ask to change name . my mother told her to change name in nikkah only according to your religion and give him a name for your family and relative but her brother won't agree and just we are hoping ..... i told her about rule and regulation for changing the name in Islam
- Monty0077
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Salaams,
If I understood everything correctly, you are saying that you grew up in a family that practices Hinduism but you want to convert to Islam to marry this Muslimah you've known for several years. You are being told by some individuals that part of that conversion requires you to change your name. It also sounds like your mother is advising your intended wife to change her name?
What I'm unclear about is whether you are referring to you first or last name, as far as what is to be changed. Islamically, you cannot change your last name...no matter what it is or what it means. Every muslim- whether male or female- is to retain the surname of their father.
Regarding your first name, it is advised to change it only if it carries a bad meaning or reference to something unislamic. According to wikipedia the name "Mohan" means enchanting", "delightful", "charming", or "attractive". If we were to look at that alone, there would be no need for you to change it.
However, the article goes on to say that Mohan also is "the name is of one of the five arrows of the God of Love, Kamadeva or Kama, which imparts enchantment to lovers. It is also a name for the God Krishna, given in the incident when he enchants and seduces gopis (milkmaids) and cowherdesses."
Since your name is also attributed to a deity worshipped in polytheism, then that would mean the name is haraam for you to keep, and you must change it to something more Islamic. Therefore I advise you to look into some traditional Islamic names and choose one that you feel suits you and that you are comfortable with using.
-Amy
IslamicAnswers.com Editor
I agree with you sister, i have heard from a reliable source that you do not have to change your name, most people who revert change their name to an Arabic name, however Islam is not exclusivity for Arabs we need people from different backgrounds cultures and nationalities to show the spread of Islam
ALLAH will call us in the judgement day by our nick name. And yes if a person want to marry muslim woman then the man has too be muslim as well. If a muslim man want to marry a non muslim woman then he can marry woman of the book. WALLAH HU EALAM
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
It's absolutely understandable that you want to keep you fathers name and there is nothing wrong with that and changing ones name.
However as far as I know there are three names one should not keep
1) One that is praising oneself. For example, during An-Nabi (s) time, I remember the name of a woman Barrah(righteous) was changed to Zainab because calling oneself righteous is self praising.
2) A sick and disgusting name. You find this even in India, some name their girls "unwanted" and so on
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that a daughter of ‘Umar was called ‘Aasiyah (disobedient), but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) renamed her Jameelah (beautiful). Narrated by Muslim, 2139.
3) I remember another person was AbduAmr(Slave of Amr) and this was changed to Abdurahman(Slave of the Extremely Merciful(Allah)).
There was a man before you, Abu Talib who was an extremely good man, helped Muslims in early Islam, accepted everything about Islam but did not become Muslim.
Why? He could not leave the religion of his father. He will have the lowest punishment in the fire. He can never get out of it. If you enter hell your punishment will be more severe than his. Don't let a name get in the way. Whatever happens, become a Muslim.
Here is a fatwa on name changing.
http://www.islamqa.info/en/ref/23273/changing%20name
http://www.islamqa.info/en/ref/14622