Can a child carry mother’s surname?
Question
Is it permissible to give a child its mother's last name instead of the father's last name? For example, let's say the father's name is Jon Smith, he was not born or raised as a muslim but converted to Islam before marrying his wife. The wife's name is Aisha Yusuf, she was born and raised as a muslim. Would it be permissible to give their child the mother's last name, since it's more Islamic and the child may identify more as a muslim with the mother's last name instead of the father's? Example: Hasan Yusuf instead of Hasan Smith.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is permissible to give the child the mother’s surname for the purpose stated in the email on condition that the intention is not to disassociate the child from the father.[1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Tahmid Chowdhury
Student Darul Iftaa
New York, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
[1]
إحكام الأحكام شرح عمدة الأحكام (1/ 385)
وَقَوْلُهُ " لَكُنْتُ امْرَأً مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ " أَيْ فِي الْأَحْكَامِ وَالْعِدَادِ، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَادُ: النَّسَبُ قَطْعًا
فتح الباري لابن حجر (8/ 51)
وَنِسْبَةُ الْإِنْسَانِ تَقَعُ عَلَى وُجُوهٍ مِنْهَا الْوِلَادَةُ وَالْبِلَادِيَّةُ وَالِاعْتِقَادِيَّةُ وَالصِّنَاعِيَّةُ وَلَا شَكَّ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرِدِ الِانْتِقَالَ عَنْ نَسَبِ آبَائِهِ لِأَنَّهُ مُمْتَنَعٌ قَطْعًا
فتاوى دار العلوم زكريا ٧-٥٥٥
تحفة المودود بأحكام المولود (ص: 135)
هَذَا مِمَّا لَا نزاع فِيهِ بَين النَّاس وَأَن الْأَبَوَيْنِ إِذا تنَازعا فِي تَسْمِيَة الْوَلَد فَهِيَ للْأَب
- Answered by
- Tahmid Chowdhury
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/39006
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-39006
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