Answer: In Islam, it is not permissible for a person to attribute themselves to anyone other than their original lineage. A person is required to maintain their attribution to their father, and this is a clear ruling in Islamic law. The prohibition against attributing oneself to someone other than one’s father is established by unanimous agreement (consensus) among the scholars (ulema).
Allah says in the Quran:
“Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah.” (Quran 33:5)
This means that a person should be called by their father’s name. For example, if my name is Abdurrahman and my father’s name is Hassan, I should be called Abdurrahman Hassan, and not by any other name.
There is also a strong warning in the hadith regarding this matter. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ ) said:
“Anyone who calls himself by other than his father’s name or attributes himself to other than his master’s name, then upon that person is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all of the people. Allah will not accept from that person any righteous deeds .” (Muslim:1370)
Another wording of this hadith, narrated by both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, states:
“Anyone who calls himself and attributes himself to other than his father, and he knows that this is not his father, then Paradise is forbidden for him.” (Bukhari: 6766)
This ruling applies to situations where a person knowingly attributes themselves to someone other than their father. For example, some Muslims, after remarrying, force their children from a previous marriage to refer to their new husband as “father” or “daddy.” They may even change the children’s attribution to the new husband’s name. This is not permissible in Islam.
In the case of the questioner, where the husband is forcing her to take his name and adopt it as her own, this is incorrect, and she should not obey him in this matter. It is not permissible to obey any creation in something that involves disobedience to the Creator, Allah, the Exalted.
However, if the wife is attributed to her husband in documentation or other formalities, but it is clearly stated that this is her husband and not her father, then this is permissible. For example, she may be referred to as “Fulana Zawjatu Fulana” (so-and-so, the wife of so-and-so). This is acceptable because it is a clear attribution to her husband and does not replace her father’s name. Similarly, if there are customs in a particular country or culture where such attributions are used in a way that does not imply a father-daughter relationship, and it is understood that this is merely a technical or customary practice, then this is also permissible.
The principle here is:
“What is recognized by ’Urf (culture) is recognized by Shari’a.”
If the custom is such that the attribution is understood to be a technicality between a husband and wife, and it does not involve removing the father’s name and replacing it with the husband’s name, then it is allowed. However, if the attribution implies that the husband is being treated as a father figure, or if the wife’s father’s name is removed and replaced with the husband’s name, then this is not permissible.
In conclusion, the wife should not obey her husband in this matter if it involves attributing herself to him in a way that replaces her father’s name. However, if the attribution is purely formal and does not imply a father-daughter relationship, then it is permissible.
And knowledge is with Allah, the Exalted.
— Answered by Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan
