I am married for the second time and since I got married my husband happily added his name with my daughter’s name. Recently I heard that step father’s name cannot be added but now her birth certificate, school and passport everything includes this name. We will tell her everything when she is matured enough. We have no intention to hide anything from her in future in-shaAllah. She is only 5 years old now. But can we keep the surname of the step father as everywhere it is in use already?
Answer
(Fatwa: 489/459/N=1434)
When this daughter of yours is with your previous husband then it is not lawful and correct to write the name of your present husband in the birth certificate, voter ID and passport etc as her father; rather it is necessary to use the name of previous husband i.e. the real father of your daughter.
ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ [الأحزاب : 5]
وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من ادعى إلى غير أبيه أو تولى غير مواليه فعليه لعنة الله والملائكة والناس أجمعين لا يقبل منه صرف ولا عدل متفق عليه (مشكوة شريف ص 239)، وقال في روح المعاني (21:226): ويعلم من الآية أنه لا يجوز انتساب الشخص إلى غير أبيه ، وعد ذلك بعضهم من الكبائر اهـ
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband