Is a girl’s name a part of her Purdah?
Answer
Assalāmuʿalaikum Wa Raḥmatullāhī Wa Barakātuh,
Purdah refers to the concealment of certain parts of the body and, according to some scholars, it may also include the concealment of certain aspects which are not part of the body but are linked to the body e.g. the voice of a woman under certain circumstances.
It should be noted that the name of a person is merely for identification and recognition purposes; hence, it is excluded from the laws of Purdah.
Furthermore, there are certain women who feel that their names should not be manifested publicly, especially where there exists the presence of males, such as in the case of social media. This too is an acceptable practice.
However, one should not regard it to be a ruling set out by Islāmic Law.
And Allaah Ta’aala knows best
Wassalaam,
Ismail Moosa (Mufti)