Fatwa ID: 03593

Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid

Question

Salaam, I just wanted to know if the name 'Maya' can be used by Muslims and what it means?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa alykumus Salaam,

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Indeed you shall be called on the day of Judgement with your names and the names of your fathers, so give good names to yourselves.”[1]

The name Maya is not an Arabic word. Different languages have different meanings for this word. In the Persian language, it means generous or gracious nature. In Hindu mythology, it is an alternate name of the Hindu goddess Durga. In Roman mythology, Maia is the name of a goddess who is the daughter of Atlas.[2]

Maya does not have an Islamically accepted meaning in some languages and neither does the name have a meaning in Arabic.

Therefore, it is not advisable to name someone Maya. However, the name Maya could be changed to Mariam, which is a good name in Islam.[3]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammed Kamran Abid

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith# 4948

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_(given_name) https://quranicnames.com/maya/

[3] https://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/125901#_edn2