Can a divorced woman change her child’s surname from her ex-husbands surname to her surname? 

Q. Can a divorced woman change her child’s surname who has her ex-husbands surname to her surname due to spite or hate for her ex-husband? Can she do it for legal purposes?

A. It is incorrect for an ex-wife to change her child’s surname (her ex-husbands surname) to her family surname in order to distance and disassociate her child from the biological father. However, if an ex-wife changes her child’s surname to her family surname for travelling or legal purposes and not to distance or disassociate her child from the biological father, then it would be permissible. (Fataawa Darul Uloom Zakariyyah 7/562)

Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ismaeel Bassa

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