I changed my full name, please advise.
Book of Muslim names
Salaams,
I have read that it is haram to change your surname. My concern is that, when I reverted, I changed my name in full. I took my husbands surname as is traditional in the west. I didn´t know any different and I have changed this by deed poll, as we did Nikah and not a traditional western marriage.
I had not long reverted, so had no idea about the name change. My husband told me it was not usual for a woman to do this but I don´t think he was aware that it is not permitted.
Now I am at a loss of what to do. It will cost me so much money to change my name again and to contact all of the relevant people of yet another name change. Also, the person on my birth certificate, whose name I grew up with, is not my biological father. So, I never actually had my fathers name anyway.
Thank you
malayka
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Assalamu alaykum,
If your previous name and surname did not go against Islam you should have kept them.
In surname people usually put fathers name, or family name etc based on name of one of the forefathers etc. Some people just keep as surname " Abdullaah - slave of Allah" and there is nothing wrong in naming one's self so. Names are for our identity. So keep them simple and Islamic.
If you changed your name or surname, what is haraam in it? Please enlighten me.
Please continue with the name surname which is not against Islam. There is no problem at all.
Hope this helps.
Salaam,
Your brother.
Malayka, As-salamu alaykum,
Leave your name as it is now.
You are correct that in Islam the wife does not take the husband's surname. This is a practice that dates to Christian medieval Europe, where the woman was seen as the husband's property, and would take his name to indicate that she belonged to him.
Muslims are also not supposed to change their surname when converting, though many do. However, there is nothing wrong with changing the first name (given name), and in fact I encourage new Muslims to do so, as a symbol of their new lives.
However, as you said, your last name was not your biological father's name, and changing it again would place an undue hardship on you. So my personal opinion is, keep your name as it is now, and don't worry about it. Your intentions were good, and no great harm has been committed.
And Allah knows best.
Wael
IslamicAnswers.com Editor