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Fatwa CenterDeciding on marriage based on the match of names
Question
I approached a girl for marriage and after her family inquired other people about me for more than a month, then one Imaam asked the name of my father and the name of my mother based on the request of the father of the girl. They claimed that they needed their names for Istikhaarah and to match the names, then they refused me because the names did not match. Does this have any source from religion and what is its evidence?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
If they inquired about the name in order to perform the Istikhaarah prayer, then this is permissible, and this is confirmed in a narration of the Prophet 
; in this regard you may refer to Fatwa 81434. As regards asking the name in order to assure that the names match, then this is superstition and this is most likely to be a request of magicians or fortune-tellers and it does not have any religious evidence. On the contrary, there is evidence which prohibits it. For instance the Prophet said: "Whoever goes to a magician, or fortune-teller, or soothsayer and asks him about anything, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days." [Muslim] However, you should not be saddened about this matter; it might be that Allaah will bless you with a wife better than her, as there is wisdom in everything which Allaah decrees.
Allaah Knows best.
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