Is it permissible for a woman to change her surname to her husbands surname? 


Q. A message has been circulated on social media that it is Haraam for a woman to change her surname to her husband’s surname after marriage. Is this correct?

A. The above confusion stems from the prohibition of denying ones biological association, as Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Waallam mentioned in a Hadith: “Verily, one of the worst lies is to claim (falsely) to be the son of someone other than one’s biological father” (Bukhari)

For e.g. if a person’s name is Moosa and his father’s name is Haniff, he will be referred to as Moosa; the son of Haniff (Moosa Bin Haniff). It will be prohibited to refer to him as Moosa; the son of Ahmed (Moosa Bin Ahmed) as this will be denying his biological association.

In the case of the wife adopting the husband’s surname after marriage, this is not the case. By the wife adopting the husbands surname after marriage, the wife is not denying any biological association at all. The wife is merely indicating family association in which family she married. It is in no way denying her biological association.

Therefore, in the enquired situation, it will be permissible for a woman to change her surname to her husband’s surname after marriage as there is no prohibition in this regard.

Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ismaeel Bassa

themufti.com

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