FatwaFederal TerritoriesCreed (Aqidah)
AL-KAFI #1509: HUKUM MENUKAR NAMA BAGI MUALAF SETELAH MEMELUK ISLAM
Must a convert to Islam change their own name or their father's name after embracing Islam?
Short answer
The ruling on changing one's own name depends on its meaning.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Creed (Aqidah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
The ruling on changing one's own name depends on its meaning. A name containing disbelief or the names of deities such as Siva or Murugan must be changed, a name with a bad meaning is recommended to be changed, while a name with a good meaning in the native language need not be changed, though changing it to an Arabic name is permissible. A convert is not required to change the father's name, and doing so is discouraged because it may obscure lineage and cause confusion.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Tiada sebarang dalil daripada al-Quran atau hadis Nabi S.A.W. yang menuntut seorang mualaf untuk menukar nama bapa mereka selepas memeluk Islam.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1509: HUKUM MENUKAR NAMA BAGI MUALAF SETELAH MEMELUK ISLAM”, 9 January 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/3953-al-kafi-1509-hukum-menukar-nama-bagi-mualaf-setelah-memeluk-islam. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/convert-changing-name-after-embracing-islam/