Fatwa: # 22577
Category: Misc. Fiqh
Country: United Kingdom
Date: 4th October 2012

Title

Are you allowed to change a name on a grave stone?

Question

Are you allowed to change a name on a grave stone

Answer

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The purpose of a grave stone is to identify the inhabitant of the grave. Therefore:

1)     If, only by changing the name, the person can be identified by those that visit the graveyard then one is allowed to change the name.

2)     If, by changing the name, the person cannot be identified by those that visit the graveyard, then one should not change the name.[1]

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mahmood Patel
Azaadville, South Africa

Student Darul Iftaa

 

Checked and Approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net

 


[1] وقال الشيخ الإمام فخر اللأئمة البزدوي-رحمه الله تعالى-: ولو احتيج إلى العلامة حتى لا يذهب الأثر ولا يمتهن لا بأس به. اهـ (الفتاوى السراجية، ص133، زمزم)

 

فَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ الْحَاكِمُ النَّهْيَ عَنْهَا مِنْ طُرُقٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: هَذِهِ الْأَسَانِيدُ صَحِيحَةٌ وَلَيْسَ الْعَمَلُ عَلَيْهَا، فَإِنَّ أَئِمَّةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ الْمَشْرِقِ إلَى الْمَغْرِبِ مَكْتُوبٌ عَلَى قُبُورِهِمْ، وَهُوَ عَمَلٌ أَخَذَ بِهِ الْخَلَفُ عَنْ السَّلَفِ اهـ وَيَتَقَوَّى بِمَا أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُو دَاوُد بِإِسْنَادٍ جَيِّدٍ «أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - حَمَلَ حَجَرًا فَوَضَعَهَا عِنْدَ رَأْسِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ وَقَالَ: أَتَعَلَّمُ بِهَا قَبْرَ أَخِي وَأَدْفِنُ إلَيْهِ مَنْ تَابَ مِنْ أَهْلِي» فَإِنَّ الْكِتَابَةَ طَرِيقٌ إلَى تَعَرُّفِ الْقَبْرِ بِهَا. (حاشية ابن عابدين، 2/ 237-238)

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