Does a Revert to Islam Have to Change a Name Linked to Hinduism?

Walekumussalam,

Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Alhamdulillah! First of all, congratulations on accepting Islam. May Allah keep you firm upon the religion.

Regarding names, the general principle is that if a person’s name is associated with a deity or god that is worshipped in a religion other than Islam, it is better to change that name. This is because it is preferable for a Muslim’s name to reflect Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and have a good meaning.

Therefore, if your name is indeed taken from the name of a Hindu deity (such as Shiva, for example), then it would be better and more appropriate to change it. However, changing one’s name is not a requirement for accepting Islam. This means that if someone does not change their name, their Islam is still valid, but adopting a name with a good Islamic meaning is considered better.

If you wish, you may choose a name that has a good meaning and is well known among Muslims, such as:

Abdullah (Servant of Allah)

Abdur Rahman (Servant of the Most Merciful)

Muhammad

Ahmad

Yusuf

Umar

Ali

Finally, we pray that Allah grants you steadfastness in Islam, fills your heart with faith, and makes the path of the religion easy for you.

Aameen.