Adding Husband's Name After Marriage

Some Muslim women have added their names behind their names after marriage. This is not permitted by the Shari'a because there are several considerations:

It could be that humans who do not know that the last name of the man (her husband) is his father while Islam is very guarding the nasab and prevents as much as possible the exchange of nasab. As a rule:

سد الذرائع

"Closing various ways in the direction of evil"

It could be that the current generation knows that it is her husband's name, but later generations will be confused. If this is a custom and non-Muslim custom that is their characteristic, we should not join in. It should be a reflection of the women:

"Your father is more entitled to put his name behind your name than your husband"

This is the teaching in Islam which is attributing the child to his legitimate father and grandfather.

Here are some fatwas related to this.


1. Fatwa of Al-Lajnah Ad-Da`imah

ﺍﻟﺴﺆﺍﻝ: 3 ﺷﺎﻉ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺍﻟﺒﻠﺪﺍﻥ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﺔ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺍﻟﺰﻭﺍﺝ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﺳﻢ ﺯﻭﺟﻬﺎ ﻟﻘﺒﻪ ﺯﻳﻨﺐ ﺯﻳﺪﺍ ، ﻓﻬﻞ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﺃﻥ ﺗﻜﺘﺐ ﺗﻜﺘﺐ: ((ﺯﻳﺪ) ﺯﻳﺪ ﺃﻡ ﻫﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﻀﺎﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺠﺐ ﺍﺟﺘﻨﺎﺑﻬﺎ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﺬﺭ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻳﺠﺐ ﻭﺍﻟﺤﺬﺭ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ؟

Has spread in some countries, a Muslim woman after marriage attributes her name to her husband's name or laqab (her husband's title). For example: Zainab is married to Zaid, is it permissible for him to write his name: Zainab Zaid? Or is this a Western culture that must be shunned and careful?

ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ: 3 ﻻ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ}:} ﺍﺩْﻋُﻮﻫُﻢْ ﻟِﺂﺑَﺎﺋِﻬِﻢْ ﻫُﻮَ ﺃَﻗْﺴَﻂُ ﻋِﻨْﺪَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ {(ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻷﺣﺰﺍﺏ ﺍﻵﻳﺔ 5) ﻭﻗﺪ ﺟﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻮﻋﻴﺪ ﺍﻟﺸﺪﻳﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻧﺘﺴﺐ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺃﺑﻴﻪ. ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻓﻼ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺯﻭﺟﻬﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺟﺮﺕ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﺩﺓ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺍﻟﻜﻔﺎﺭ ، ﻭﻣﻦ ﺗﺸﺒﻪ ﺑﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﻴﻦ.
ﻭﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻖ ، ﻭﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﺒﻴﻨﺎ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻭﺁﻟﻪ ﻭﺻﺤﺒﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ.
(ﺍﻟﺠﺰﺀ ﺭﻗﻢ: 20 ، ﺍﻟﺼﻔﺤﺔ ﺭﻗﻢ: 379)

Answer:
It is not permissible for someone to attribute himself to other than his father. Allah says,

ﺍﺩْﻋُﻮﻫُﻢْ ﻟِﺂﺑَﺎﺋِﻬِﻢْ ﻫُﻮَ ﺃَﻗْﺴَﻂُ ﻋِﻨْﺪَ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ

"Call them (adopted children) in the name of their fathers. That is more just by Allah "(Surat al-Ahzab: 5).

Indeed there is a strong threat to those who attribute to other than his father. Therefore, it is not permissible for a woman to attribute herself to her husband, as is the custom of the kuffar and the Muslims who resemble them (Fatwa no. 18147).

2. Syaikh Ali Firkous explained that no woman should be called (her name or full name) with (additional) other than her father's name, she said:

ﻳﺠﻮﺯُ ﻣﻦ ﺣﻴﺚ ﺍﻟﻨﺴﺐُ ﺃﻥ ﻳُﻨْﺴَﺐَ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺀُ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻧﺴﺒﻪ ﺍﻷﺻﻠﻲ ﺃﻭ ﻳُﺪَّﻋَﻰ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺃﺑﻴﻪ ﺃﺑﻴﻪ

It is not permissible in the case of nasab, someone attributes to other than the original nasab or is called with other than his father's name.

He explained that what applies in a customary manner applies in the Shari'a because it is a matter of understanding (widely known). He said:

ﻭﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻌﺮﻭﻓﺔ ﻣﻌﻬﻮﺩﺓ - «ﻓﺈﻥّ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺠﺮﻱ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﺮﻑ ﻳﺠﺮﻱ ﺑﺎﻟﺸﺮﻉ»

"(Adding the name behind) is a matter that has been frank and clear and applies the rules that apply according to adat then applies in the Shari'a" (Fatwa Al-Mar'ah 555).

So hopefully useful