Should she change her name after becoming Muslim so that she can go for Hajj?

Question: 3093

I married a muslim man 6 years ago and converted to Islam
I was planning to go for Umra but I have heard that I cannot go because I still use my christian name which is XXXX . This name is on my passport and all other documents, although I have a muslim name also which is XXXX .
Please advise me wether or not I have to legally change my name before applying for Umra or Haj.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

From the point of view of sharee’ah, the validity of a person’s Hajj or ‘Umrah has nothing to do with their name. So long as there is no haraam meaning in your old name, it is permissible for you to keep it, although using an Arabic name that has an acceptable meaning is better. (See Question #1692). From the official point of view, when you go to the embassy to apply for the Hajj entry visa, it should be sufficient for you to take a certificate from the Islamic centre proving that you have embraced Islam; in sha Allaah there should be nothing to prevent you from coming to perform Hajj. You should hasten to do Hajj and ‘Umrah as soon as possible, accompanied by a Muslim mahram (husband, or close relative to whom marriage is permanently forbidden). And Allaah is the source of strength.

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Source:

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid