So in some cases, changing one’s name is required. Other than that, it is only allowed, or at best recommended. And it would seem to me that it should be discouraged or makrūh if the name already has a good and acknowledged meaning, like John, David, Mary or Sarah, for example. That would seem more like taking naming as a joke and not an act of worship–after all, if Allah thought those prophets and righteous should have had better names, He would have given to them, but since not, why should you? Naming is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. It is the first part of a human’s identity that will stay with them from birth to death, no matter what else happens in their lives.

Thus, it was the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to leave a person’s name as it was without reason to change it. Entering Islam was not, by itself, a sufficient reason.

When looking to the Islamic expansion, and when Persians, Romans and Berbers accepted Islam, it seems from history that some of them kept their names, and others may have changed their names or had their names changed. This may have been out of convenience by Muslim slave owners—if they entered Islam as young slaves—or for record keeping.^[1]Although it was not until the time of AbdulMalik ibn Marwan that record keeping became the responsibility of Arabic-speaking Muslims. Prior to that, the Arab rulers acknowledged some of the … Continue reading But if it was a religious requirement, I would have expected to find a plethora of examples, like slaves of the companions who said their name used to be such-and-such until their master renamed them, unless it was something so well-known it didn’t need example (does that kind of phenomena even exist in our world??). I was also disappointed not even to find ibn Taymiyyah mention anything in Iqtida’ nor ibnul-Qayyim in Ahkam ahl-dhimmah.^[2]Although my perusal was very brief. And if any readers are familiar with al-Wansharisi’s Fatwa compilation, I would be curious if it contains mention, but I do not have a searchable copy at my … Continue reading And Muslim historians frequently differ over the first Muslim in the ancestry of many famous Muslims of non-Arab background. For example, Muhammad ibn Isma`il ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughirah ibn Bardizbah al-Ju`fi al-Bukhari. In other words, they were not certain that the one with a Persian name [Bardizbah in this case] was the first Muslim, or their son with an Arab name [al-Mughirah here] was the first Muslim of the family, although nearly all point to the second.

Another connected issue is family. And since Islam strongly gives priority towards pleasing one’s parents and being dutiful towards them, new Muslims especially should be extra sensitive when around them and should not reject the name their parents chose if they are still alive and you think this would offend them—whether you are happy with their parenting overall or not. Naming is traditionally the right and privilege of the parents, and a lot of thought is often exercised in choosing an agreeable name, and it is a source of great happiness afterwards to hear and see that name linked with their child in positive ways. Only when parents choose an improper name does that right fall.^[3]Years ago, I recall a radio station offering money if someone would name their child Obi-Wan Kenobi. I heard a social worker say she met people named Cocaine, Clamidiya (misspelled), Baccardi, etc. But even when that is the case, one must still interact with them in the kindest and most dutiful manner otherwise, as Allah says:

{وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٤﴾ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٥﴾} سورة لقمان

“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years – give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the final destination. But if they strive to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not; but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do.” [31:14-15]

And remember Ḥazn who I mentioned earlier, the one whom the Prophet ﷺ said should take the name Sahl instead? Do you know how he responded? According to Sa`īd ibn al-Musayyib, the famous tābi`ī and grandson of Ḥazn, who narrated this story to us, his grandfather then said, “I’m not going to change the name my father gave me.” The Prophet ﷺ did not say anything else, acknowledging Ḥazn’s choice, respecting his excuse. Sa`īd then said, “So the stubbornness remains a part of us till this day.” Recorded by al-Bukhari. The point here is that this instance shows that at least some of the Prophet’s name-changing was out of mere recommendation, not out of necessity. Further, it shows that respect to our parents is a valid excuse for not rushing this transition.

A recognized research body for issuing rulings on contemporary issues had this to say about changing one’s name after embracing Islam (translation, emphasis and brackets are mine):

لا يجب تغيير اسم من أسلم من الكفار بعد دخوله في الإسلام إلا إذا كان اسمه ممنوعا شرعا؛ كعبد يغوث، وعبد الحسين وعبد العزى وعبد مناة، فيجب تغيير اسمه الشركي باسم إسلامي ولا يجب تغيير اسم أبيه وأجداده.

It is not required to change the name of whoever became Muslim from the disbelievers except when their name is prohibited by the Sharia, for example Abd-Yaghuth, Abd-Husein, Abd al-Uzza, and Abd Manaat. Then it would be required to change the polytheistic name to an Islamic[ally permissible] name; and it is not required to change the name of the father or ancestors [i.e. surname].^[4]Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah-1, 11/478

Another contemporary group that issues fatawa responded to a questioner:

فالأمر على ما قرأت بتلك الفتاوى، فلا يجب تغيير الاسم -ولو كان أعجمياً- ما لم يشتمل على محظور، فإذا كان هذا الاسم (ناتاليا) يعني يوم ميلاد المسيح عليه السلام، فلا شك أنه ينبغي تغييره، لكن الظاهر والله أعلم أنه لا يجب ما لم يكن هذا الاسم خاص بالمسيحيين فيجب تغييره، وعلى فرض أنه مشتمل على محظور، فقد لا يكون من الحكمة التعجل إلى أن يطلب ممن أسلم حديثا بأن يغير اسمه، فقد يلحقه من ذلك حرج شديد يجعله يرتد عن الإسلام أو نحو هذا من المحاذير، فالأولى أن يؤخر مثل هذا حتى يستقر الإيمان في قلبها.

The basis is as you read from those [other] fatwa: it is not obligatory to change the name, even if it is non-Arabic, as long as it does not contain anything censured. But if this name “Natalia” means “the day Christ was born” then without doubt it should be changed, but it appears that this does not need to be changed as long as it is not a name that is exclusively used by the Christians, and Allah knows best. But if it does contain something censured, then it might not be wise to immediately pressure her to change her name right after she accepted Islam. That could cause her great distress that may make her leave Islam or retract after progressing. So the best guidance would be to delay explaining something like that until faith takes a strong hold in her heart.^[5]I looked this up myself and found it to mean “birthday” or like the Latin Natalie, “Christmas Day” or “born on Christmas Day”. However, does this mean shirk? Not really. Although the … Continue reading

As for the name “Christian”, I personally don’t recommend keeping it in use around the Muslims, and if you could change it legally, later, that may be better. Islamically though, if we understand “Christian” to mean a follower of Christ, and that Christ’s true religion is Islam and the only way to be a true Christian is by being a Muslim, then the meaning of the name itself does not seem to be sacrilegious. Many commentators of the Quran assert that Muslims who were previously Jews are still referred to as being followers of Moses and Jesus in the Quran, and hence receive the double award—one for following the prophet whom they knew from birth, and another for obeying that prophet in following Muhammad ﷺ. But because “Christian” typically means a follower of the religion of Christianity which people understand to be far removed from the original teachings of Jesus ﷺ, then this is where the dislike comes from. In following the Prophet’s guidance of suggesting corresponding good names, a good replacement name for Christian might be “Muslim”, like the famous scholar of hadith, Muslim ibn al-Hajjāj. And Allah Knows best.

What do classical Muslim scholars say about the issue? Ibn Ḥajr al-`Asqalānī wrote in al-Fatḥ:

قَالَ الطَّبَرِيُّ لَا تَنْبَغِي التَّسْمِيَةُ بِاسْمٍ قَبِيحِ الْمَعْنَى وَلَا بِاسْمٍ يَقْتَضِي التَّزْكِيَةَ لَهُ وَلَا بِاسْمٍ مَعْنَاهُ السَّبُّ قُلْتُ الثَّالِثُ أَخَصُّ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِ قَالَ وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الْأَسْمَاءُ إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْلَامٌ لِلْأَشْخَاصِ لَا يُقْصَدُ بِهَا حَقِيقَةُ الصِّفَةِ لَكِنْ وَجْهُ الْكَرَاهَةِ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ سَامِعٌ بِالِاسْمِ فَيَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ صِفَةٌ لِلْمُسَمَّى فَلِذَلِكَ كَانَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُحَوِّلُ الِاسْمَ إِلَى مَا إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ صَاحِبُهُ كَانَ صِدْقًا قَالَ وَقَدْ غَيَّرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عِدَةٌ أَسْمَاءٍ وَلَيْسَ مَا غَيَّرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْمَنْعِ مِنَ التَّسَمِّي بِهَا بَلْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الِاخْتِيَارِ قَالَ وَمِنْ ثَمَّ أَجَازَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ أَنْ يُسَمَّى الرَّجُلُ الْقَبِيحُ بِحَسَنٍ وَالْفَاسِدُ بِصَالِحٍ وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يُلْزِمْ حَزْنًا لَمَّا امْتَنَعَ مِنْ تَحْوِيلِ اسْمِهِ إِلَى سَهْلٍ بِذَلِكَ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ لَازِمًا لَمَا أَقَرَّهُ عَلَى قَوْلِهِ لَا أُغَيِّرُ اسْمًا سَمَّانِيهِ أَبِي انْتَهَى مُلَخَّصًا وَقَدْ وَرَدَ الْأَمْرُ بِتَحْسِينِ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَذَلِكَ فِيمَا أخرجه أَبُو دَاوُد وَصَححهُ بن حِبَّانَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ رَفَعَهُ إِنَّكُمْ تُدْعَوْنَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَسْمَائِكُمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِكُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا أَسْمَاءَكُمْ وَرِجَالُهُ ثِقَاتٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ فِي سَنَدِهِ انْقِطَاعًا بَيْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي زَكَرِيَّا رَاوِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَدْ غَيَّرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعَاصَ وَعَتَلَةَ بِفَتْحِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَالْمُثَنَّاةِ بَعْدَهَا لَامٌ وَشَيْطَانٌ وَغُرَابٌ وَحُبَابٌ بِضَمِّ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَتَخْفِيفِ الْمُوَحَّدَةِ وَشِهَابٌ وَحَرْبٌ وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ

Al-Tabari said, “It’s not proper to give someone an unpleasant name, nor a name that means pure righteousness, nor a name whose meaning is a cuss – and I [ibn Hajr] say this third is a more specific instance of the first – but if names were nothing more than mere titles or signposts wherein the meaning of the attribute was not implied [it might be okay] but the angle of displeasure here is when someone hears the name and thinks that the attribute therein characterizes the individual. For that reason, he ﷺ would change the name to what was true about the individual being called… And the Messenger ﷺ changed a number of names. But nothing that he changed was because the previous name was prohibited, but simply out of good choice… [10/577]

As far as changing your name legally, I would not recommend it unless your parents were deceased and your siblings accepted the change or they had cut you off entirely, and Allah Knows better. However, if your whole family becomes Muslim and all are willing to change their names or at least support you changing yours legally, I would strongly consider it.

When you change your name legally to an Islamic or Arabic name, you should feel more responsible towards living Islamically everywhere and that you are cementing your identity in “the system” even when you are not voluntarily telling people or displaying your religion. You would no longer be able to hide behind a name like “Chris” or “Zach” or “Olivia” or “Judy” and act like a normal Joe hoping people might not discover your religious affiliation and give you biased treatment. You’re a Muslim, happy to be so, like it who likes it, hate it who hates it. That is perhaps the greatest benefit I can think of for changing your name legally if your given name did not suggest any Sharia non-compliance. It may also remove some suspicion about how Muslim you are.

As for keeping one’s given name, aside from that being the default position for new Muslims, according to the Sunnah, perhaps the best benefit may be derived by demonstrating to others that someone just like them can in fact change their faith without having to change every minute thing about themselves, making the transition easier.^[6]As for me, even when I worked at Target for a year with “Chris” on my name tag, my colleagues still asked me “so when did your family come to America?” But I feel obliged to add, as a new Muslim, I wouldn’t recommend new Muslims choose Western/Christian names for their children if they had the choice or it wasn’t too late. In the history of Islam, those who accepted Islam, no matter where they came from, began giving Islamically symbolic names to their offspring, perhaps naming them after their favorite companions, scholars, prophets, or as worshipers of Allah (like `Abd al-Rahman, `Abd al-`Azeez or `Abd al-Malik), or even the name Muhammad after our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

What about the last name or surname?

The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to learn our lineage so that we can keep ties of kinship. Changing our last name would seem to make that a lot harder. Plus, claiming to be the child of anyone other than your father is prohibited in Islam. Even for the African American brothers whose surnames were inherited from someone else died generations ago, they would still need to consider the implications this would have on their immediate family. And even in Arabic and Islamic tradition, freed slaves often carried a slave mawla name referring to the owner or the owner’s tribe (we could say surname) that they were under when they were freed. Reason being, in Islamic Law, there are certain rights and privileges that are set when an owner grants freedom to one of his or her slaves, the most important being a share of inheritance if the freed slave dies without starting a family of his/her own. The freed individual was temporarily raised in their dwellings and gained sustenance in their homestead, and so, in essence, blended with the family. Like it or not, it was a custom followed by many cultures. In Islam however, if a freed slave knew the names of his ancestors, he would state them, and not replace an ancestor with his owner. For example, a famous early scholar was “Sulaiman ibn Mihran, Mawla Bani Kahil”. Mihran was the father, and Bani Kahil is the tribe who possessed him when he gained his freedom. Another way they might say it is, for example, if their last owner was from the Quraish tribe, they would say “al-Qurashi mawlaahum” meaning that he is Qurashi (from Quraish) in the sense of procuring freedom through one of their members. The point is, while slavery is an excruciating part of one’s legacy, entailing systematic oppressing and debasement, some of which remains extant in other forms, it does not provide a compelling reason to make a move that could lead to cutting ties of kinship with other more immediate relatives. And Allah knows best–but this issue, like most here, need greater research.

And I assume that the strongest evidence for not changing the name of one’s lineage is simply the practice of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ibn Abdillah ibn Abdil-Muttalib, and what he acknowledged of his companions, like the Umayyads of Bani Abdi-Shams. While naming one’s self or child Abdil-Muttalib or Abd-Shams is prohibited, the surname of a person is merely a description of their lineage—changing it could be akin to trying to re-write and forge a new history, which is forbidden.^[7]Without strong reason, like entering the witness protection program, which is a separate issue outside this piece. Consider the former NBA basketball player Alaa Abdelnaby.^[8]An Egyptian-American, Alaa was drafted by the Trailblazers and played against the Bulls in the ’92 NBA Finals. While his last name is clearly prohibited (Abdelnaby = slave worshiper of the prophet), it’s not his “given name” that he would normally be called by or referred to.

So why then do some Muslims really insist that you take an “Islamic” name, and think of you as less of a Muslim or suspect your intentions if you don’t?

Especially in India, where this opinion seems most prevalent, many Hindus are named directly after Hindu gods. Ramakrishna, for example, is a common name, an infusion of two well-known Hindu deities. It’s easy to tell Muslims from Hindus simply by names, and Islam has had a presence in India for over a thousand years. Not only does someone usually change their name upon accepting Islam, but they will also eat different food and much of their lifestyle may change immediately, since some of the lines between Islam and Hinduism may be very clear-cut and well-known. Generally, by accepting Islam, you cross the line in every aspect of social life available. Since the society has been divided like that for considerable time, it’s not as strange or foreign of a change to make, even if the personal and family difficulties experienced are cross-cultural. And in Malaysia, for example, Chinese and Indian citizens are required to change their names if they convert to Islam. So becoming a Muslim, in some parts of the world, is much more than a personal choice of individual beliefs, but carries great social expectations and legal ramifications.

In the Levant, many Arab Christians are named Abdul-Masīḥ, or slave worshiper of Christ. Other Arab and even some Pakistani Christians have what we might even call Muslim names. Yet what Muslims refer to as “Islamic” names are simply Arabic names. Some may be specifically encouraged by the Prophet ﷺ like the name Abdullah or al-Ḥārith, but other names are simply Arabic, like Ameer and Salman. These names don’t scream “I’m a Muslim!” At least not in some parts of the Arab world.

Islam does not require Muslims to be distinct from non-Muslims by names.

Had that been the case, the Prophet ﷺ would have created a system that clearly differentiated between believers and non-believers alike, perhaps similar to the “X” that was advocated by the Nation of Islam. But since the Prophet ﷺ did not take such measures, we can say that resemblance of disbelievers by given name is not a discouraged type of resemblance, but one that shows the diversity and tolerance of Islam to those who embrace it from different backgrounds. The separation between Muslims and non-Muslims by name can only be witnessed in some non-Arab countries. In America, and perhaps most western countries, “western” or “Christian” names aren’t necessarily associated with Christianity or any religion. Most people have to use google to find the origin and meaning of their name. And if a black person has an Arabic name, many may not assume that this means they are a Muslim, since some African-Americans chose heritage names with little regard to its possible implications.^[9]I worked at Target with a black-American girl named Aqila. I asked her about the name and she said her father saw it used in a book, liked it and named her that way. She did not know it was Arabic or … Continue reading

Are there any other names or titles a new Muslim may consider changing after entering Islam?

Along this line is one’s e-mail address. I don’t feel the need to give examples, but if you were growing up during the 90’s, then you know that “vanity e-mail addresses” for lack of a better word, were all the rage. Alhamdulillah, we live in a time when e-mail addresses can be procured free without limit from Yahoo, Google or other providers without time or hassle. So once you have become a Muslim, if you have an e-mail address that suggests sin or sacrilege, start another and phase out your old one. Similarly, I would not recommend calling yourself something too overtly Islamic or suspicious. Consider the implications around Muslims (who may even feel uncomfortable by convert zeal) and around friends, family and professionally.

Anything else you own with a provocative and doubtful title may be subject to change as well, for example, a boat, business, or even a pet, if it has a name unbefitting a Muslim owner. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have even changed the name of the town Yathrib to Ṭābah or Medinah since the former sounded like an ill omen.

In any and every case, if you have doubts about your name or something whose title you have responsibility over, consult several Muslim authorities and make sincere prayer for guidance before taking any decisions with far-reaching consequences.

Your name is your title. That is ism [اسم] and `alam [عَلَم] in Arabic, which is like a post for a flag, lamp or sign–identifying and prominent. It symbolizes you when you’re absent, and it follows you wherever you go, in this life and the Hereafter. Once you know yours, keep it.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّكُمْ تُدْعَوْنَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَسْمَائِكُمْ وَأَسْمَاءِ آبَائِكُمْ، فَأَحْسِنُوا أَسْمَاءَكُمْ

“Truly, you shall be called on the Day of Resurrection by your names and the names of your fathers, so choose good names for yourselves.”

For new Muslims eager to express their conversion in multiple dimensions, you could start by repairing any wrongs you’ve yet to right with others concerning their bodies, property and dignity. Likewise, learn to be a good neighbor to all those around you, charitable, courageous and forbearing. Manage your anger better. Be the best of your siblings to one another, and the best servant your parents could ever ask for. Speak less and with more meaning. Realize you’re no hot shot. Get involved with your local Muslim community as often as you can. Learn more about the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his way of worship and living. Worship Allah without holding back. Be with the people, without being selfish. If the only way you show others that you’re Muslim is by name, then you’re simply not doing enough.