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Topic: Changing the Last Name
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 Abu.Haneefah
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Abu Haneefah Ismael El-Tay bin Habeeb
(Cairo, Egypt)
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Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Apr 2003
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As-Salaamu alaykoom
Al-humdulillah, in February of this year, I was able to visit Shaykh Fawzee in Bahrain at his center, Markaz Imam Bukhari. It was the Shaykh?s habit of giving visitors a ride from the durus. It was one of the many ways the Shaykh showed his hospitality. This also was a great opportunity to ask questions. One night, Abu Bakr ?one of the shaykh's students, a good friend of mine Sadeeq and myself rode back from the dars with the Shaykh. This night, I had the following conversation with Shaykh Fawzee regarding the family name:
Myself: Shaykh, I would like to ask you a question regarding the Islamic naming system. Specifically the family names of African-Americans who by and large are descendants from slavery. The family name that we have is actually that of the slave owner, and the owner?s family name was passed down to us. Do U know about this situation, ya shaykh?
Abu Bakr: Their original names were Muslim.
Shaykh Fawzee: I understand. I am aware of this. Your question is regarding this family name, if one in this situation should keep it?
Myself: Yes, I?d also like to ask questions about how a new Muslim should name himself in general.
Shaykh: Ask
Myself: Regarding the first name should it be changed?
Shaykh: It?s better to change it. If when a person hears your name, a kafir comes to mind or one associates that name with non-Muslims, it?s better to change it. This is from the perspective of differing from the kufar. This person should choose a praiseworthy name usually associated with the Muslims.
Myself: What about his father?s name?
Shaykh: It?s haraam for him to change this name. It should remain as it is.
Myself: What do you say about the family name regarding African Americans (the last name)?
Shaykh: Do they know what their original names were?
Myself: Laa Shaykh. It was changed years ago.
Shaykh: I understand. Then it is upon them to choose a good name. It?s permissible to change the one that was given to them.
Myself: It?s permissible ya shaykh?
Shaykh: Why not, if it?s not their name to begin with. It?s another family?s name. Then Laa Bass, it can be changed.
This message was edited by Abu.Haneefah on 2-14-04 @ 6:19 AM
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| al.Arabaanee
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Abu Khadijah Abdurrahman ibn Tony
(Springfield Gardens, NY USA)
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Member
Posts: 153
Joined: Sep 2002
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Wa alaikumussalam
The Afro-Americans have diverse backgrounds. These European surnames that many of us have are also said to have just been chosen by some African people and not being the name of his/her master. Also maybe a Master could have had a child with his female slave or the other way around and thus the child took the European name. The question is what if one is not sure if this European surname is from of his/her ancestors. Should/could the name still be changed in this case? We know that knowledge goes before statements and actions.
Abdur Rahmaan Al-Atharee
إذا التبستِ الأمورُ فعليكُمْ بالأمرِ العتيقِ
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| Abu.Haneefah
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Abu Haneefah Ismael El-Tay bin Habeeb
(Cairo, Egypt)
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Member
Posts: 13
Joined: Apr 2003
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As-Salaamu alaykoom:
You brought up a good point akhee. Something that I did not consider. Perhaps if you are able you can give us further clarification. In regards to me, my grandfather has kept with him details of our family history, as his grandfather was a slave. We know for a fact that name was changed and the Caucasian family that it belongs to still resides in Gainesville, Georgia. As for the situation of others, AllahuAlim.
This is an issue that I felt needed clarification as we find Muslims naming themselves in many ways. Some have placed Al-Athary or As-Salafy or Al-Amerky as a family name. Some have ignored their father?s name completely. Some have taken the father?s first name and disregarded the family name and so forth. I find this even among some callers. So it had become somewhat confusing as to what was permissible and what was not. Each person should fear Allah as regards to lineage, because this is one of the things that Islam came to preserve. However just as it is haraam to deny your ancestry it is just as much haraam to claim the ancestry of another.
Ismael El-Tay ibn Habeeb
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| Ibrahim.Sales
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Aboo Mahmood Ibrahim bin Addison Sales
(Columbia, SC)
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Member
Posts: 21
Joined: May 2003
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A brother, after reading this post, asked me to post this question to one of the duaat who can take this question to the one of the 'ulamaa.
"My mother (while she was a non muslim) married a man when I was 6 months old. I was raised beleiving he was my father until I was about 10 or 11 years old when he adopted me legally in the kaafir courts and they told me that he wasn't my biological father. I never knew my real father and to this day i carry the last name of my "adopted" father (my mother's husband). My children also carry this name. The question is what should I do in this situation? It seems to me that Sheikh Fawzee's naseehah applies to my situation also as my disconnection to my lineage occurs directly at my birth and not generations ago as the previous questioner's did. Truly, knowledge precedes speech and action so I am reluctant to change it just like that, without the proper knowledge. Anyone who can bring mmy question to one of the shuyookh, it would be greatly appreciated. My family is in need of this answer."
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| al.Arabaanee
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Abu Khadijah Abdurrahman ibn Tony
(Springfield Gardens, NY USA)
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Member
Posts: 153
Joined: Sep 2002
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| al.Arabaanee
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Abu Khadijah Abdurrahman ibn Tony
(Springfield Gardens, NY USA)
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Member
Posts: 153
Joined: Sep 2002
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As salamu alaikum
Does anyone know if it is an obligation to change our names according to the government or is it good enough to have the Muslims refer to us with a particular name for those of us who reside in non-Muslim countries?
Baarakallahu feekum
Abdur Rahmaan Al-Arabani
إذا التبستِ الأمورُ فعليكُمْ بالأمرِ العتيقِ
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| muhammad.hamza.sk
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unspecified unspecified
(unspecified)
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Member
Posts: 52
Joined: Dec 2002
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As-Salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaah
Further to this topic, I posted a question that was asked on my behalf to our Shaykh, Muhammad bin Haadee (hafidhahullaah) regarding the lineage of the child born of fornication (see http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=6&topic=3200 ) and he established that the one born outside of wedlock does not have a father. Since then I no longer use the surname I previously used.
Can I then choose my own Islaamic surname or do I take the surname of my mother that she possessed at the time I was born? Or shall I just leave my name simply as "Muhammad" and forget about applying a surname to myself?
I apologise for dragging this topic on and on but I am at the moment having a bit of an "Identity Crisis" with regards to my name and I wish to ensure that, bi ithnillaahi ta 'aala, my children have a solid lineage, beginning from myself.
Jazzakamullaah khayr!!!
Akhook,
Aboo Ahmad Muhammad as-Salafee
London, UK
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| al.Arabaanee
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Abu Khadijah Abdurrahman ibn Tony
(Springfield Gardens, NY USA)
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Member
Posts: 153
Joined: Sep 2002
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| alatharee
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Aboo Abdillaah Umar Bryant
(Dammam, Saudi Arabia)
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Member
Posts: 78
Joined: Sep 2002
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What constitutes an "Afro-American" and what is the permissibility of using the term? What is the source of the term and does it have an Islaamic basis?
Can it be proven that all people of darker skin in America came from Africa? Even if it can be proven, can the term still be used?
Is there such thing as a white Afro American? For example, a white man traces his roots back to South Africa or Kenya for 500 or so years and his family migrates to the States, is he considered "African American"?
What is the basis of the term when many black Americans have Native American and Latino lineage?
Do we find the Salaf using similar terminology? For example, can one say Afro-Syrian or Mekki-Habashi?
If someone can shed some scholastic light on this I would appreciate it.
Barak Allaahu Feekum
Aboo Abdillaah Umar
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أذا اشتد صيف الحزبيين , وشتاء القطبيين , وخريف السروريين , فاعلم أن الأمة بحاجة إلى ربيع السنة و الدين
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| ibrahim.bukhari
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unspecified unspecified
(unspecified)
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Member
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Joined: Dec 2002
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Taken from Webster's New World College Dictionary 4th Edition:
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Afro-American or African-American: An American having ancestors from sub-Suharan Africa; black American ---- adj. of African-Americans or their culture; black
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Afrikaner: A white South African whose native language is Afrikaans, esp. one of Dutch ancestry.
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In a more perfect world, we would all simply be called "children of Adam"
waAllaahu alam
 | | An-Nisa (4):1 |
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship. Surely, Allâh is Ever an AllWatcher over you. |
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| | Az-Zumar (39):6 |
خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ He created you (all) from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife [Hawwa' (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs (of the sheep, two, male and female; of the goats, two, male and female; of the oxen, two, male and female; and of the camels, two, male and female). He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness, such is Allâh your Lord. His is the kingdom, Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away? |
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| | Al-Hujurat (49):13 |
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2). Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware. |
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Aboo Khaleel "Ibraheem" Bukharee Ibn Abdullaah
Michigan - USA
This message was edited by ibrahim.bukhari on 2-21-04 @ 2:02 PM
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| ibrahim.bukhari
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unspecified unspecified
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Member
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To add even more confusion to the issue:
Where does a person (like myself) who is half white (european-american mother) and half black (african-american father) fit in to the mix? Everyone always says to me "Masha'Allaah I thought you were an arab"?
Does this make me a Euro-Afro American, Arab Look-a-Like?
All the different lables seem to be rather silly at times. For me personally, the bottom line is this... my identity is Muslim, my culture is Islaam and I prefer a name that reflects my BELIEFS, not my color, nationality or ethnic origin. For example, my last name is Bukhari (legally changed) and to my knowledge NOBODY in my family history is from Bukharest, however I took the name because of my love for the Sunnah and it helps identify me as a Muslim insha'Allaah, and like many other African Americans I assume that my fathers original family name was lost during slavery.
If somebody wants to discuss my racial make-up, family background etc. that's fine, but to me it's just a small matter of "worldly affairs".
The Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alaihi wa salam said:
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"I order you with five things which Allaah ordered me with: The Jamaa'ah, listening, obeying, hijrah and jihaad in the way of Allaah. So whoever seperates from the Jamaa'ah by a hand span, he throws the yoke of Islaam from his neck, unless he repents. And whoever calls with the call of jaahiliyyah, then he is from the hoarded heap of Hell-fire"
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Related by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2863) and at-Tiyaalisee (no. 1161) and others. It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albanee
Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Tamiyyah rahimahullaah mentioned in Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa (3/456):
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"Everything which is outside the call of Islaam and the Qur'aan, with regards to lineage, land, nationality, schools of thought and ways, then it is from the calls of jaahiliyyah"
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Aboo Khaleel Ibraheem Bukharee Ibn Abdullaah
This message was edited by ibrahim.bukhari on 2-21-04 @ 7:05 PM
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14-02-2004 @ 6:12 AM
