Islam About Women Who Use Husband’s Name As Last Name After Marriage

Haniya Hassan

August 5, 2023

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We often see women changing their names after getting married and usually start using their Husband’s names as their last names. Is it permissible in Islam?

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According to Islamic traditions, a person’s name is always linked with his or her father. Let’s take an example of the companions, Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), Umar bin Khattab (RA), Maryam Bint Imran (RA), Zainab binte Jaish, and many others, you will always find these people using their father’s name.

It is to be noted that even Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s wives never linked their last name to Prophet (PBUH). Like Khadija bint Khuwaylid (RA) and Aishah bint Abi Bakr (RA), they didn’t change their names after they got married to the last Prophet (PBUH). It is clear that there is no evidence that allows women to change their last names after they get married.

Modern traditions make it necessary to change a woman’s name after her marriage. It’s the havoc created by our society which is totally based on falsehood. Like, if a girl has the name “Khansa Khan” then after marriage she will become “Khansa Owais” which has nothing to do with Islam and its teachings. These are the things that are created only by and within our society.

Even if a woman wants to change her name, and use her husband’s name as her last name then she can never do it. During the Prophet (PBUH) days, it was compulsory to link the father’s name as well as if she is married then she can be referred to as “wife of”, let’s take an example, Zainab binte Jaysh zawjun Nabi, this means “Zainab, the daughter of Jaysh, who is the wife of the Prophet (PBUH).