[Q 654] How People Will Be Called on the Day of Judgement

QUESTION:

On the Day of Judgement, will a person’s children be called by their mother’s name or their father’s name?

ANSWER:

It is mentioned in a blessed Hadith that the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said:

“You will be called on the Day of Judgement by your names and the names of your fathers, so keep good names.”

Likewise, in another narration, it is mentioned that when Allah Almighty gathers the former and latter people on the Day of Judgement, every covenant-breaker will have a symbolic banner, and it will be announced: “This is the treachery of so-and-so, son of so-and-so,” meaning that he will be called in relation to his father.

Similarly, some narrations mention that on the Day of Judgement, people will be called by the names of their mothers.
Therefore, narrations exist regarding people being called by both their fathers’ names and their mothers’ names.

The scholars have explained these narrations in several ways:

In the Maidan-e-Mahshar (Plain of Resurrection), the attribute of Sattari (concealing faults and sins) of Allah عزوجل will be manifested greatly. People may be called by their mothers’ names in order to conceal the faults of mothers and to protect those born through Zina (fornication) from embarrassment and disgrace. After entry into Jannah (Paradise), or in places where lineage is intended to be made known, they will be called by their fathers’ names.

It has also been stated that a person may be called by his father’s name when alone, and by his mother’s name in front of others.

Another explanation is that people may be called by their mothers’ names in order to manifest the honour of Sayyiduna Isa عليه السلام, considering that Allah Almighty created him without a father. Likewise, it may be for demonstrating the greatness of Sayyiduna Hasan and Sayyiduna Husayn رضي الله تعالى عنهما, since through their mother Sayyidah Fatimah al-Zahra رضي الله تعالى عنها they possess the honour of direct relation to the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.

Similarly, Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمة الله عليه stated that if the narration regarding being called by mothers’ names is established, then the word “fathers” (Abaa) in the Hadith may be understood in a collective sense, just as masculine forms are often used while the ruling includes both men and women. It is also possible that some people will be called by their fathers’ names and others by their mothers’ names.

The blessed Hadith states:

وعن أبي الدرداء – رضي الله عنه – قال: «قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” تدعون يوم القيامة بأسمائكم وأسماء آبائكم، فأحسنوا أسماءكم» ” رواه أحمد، وأبو داود.
(Mirqat al-Mafatih, Hadith no. 4768)

It is stated in Lama‘at al-Tanqih:

قوله: (تدعون يوم القيامة بأسمائكم وأسماء آبائكم) قد جاء في بعض الروايات أنه يدعى الناس يوم القيامة بأسماء أمهاتهم، وقيل: الحكمة في ذلك ستر حال أولاد الزنا لئلا يفتضحوا لعدم الآباء لهم، وقيل: ذلك لرعاية حال عيسى بن مريم عليهم الصلاة والسلام إذ لا أب له، وقيل: لإظهار فضل الحسن والحسين وشرفهما سلام الله تعالى عليهما بإظهار نسبتهما إلى رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-، فإن ثبتت هذه الرواية حمل الآباء على التغليب كما في الأبوين، ويحمل أنهم يدعون تارة بالآباء وأخرى بالأمهات، أو يدعى البعض بالآباء والبعض بالأمهات، أو في بعض المواطن بهم وفي بعضها بهن، والله أعلم.
(Lama‘at al-Tanqih, Vol. 8, p. 105)

It is stated in Mir’at al-Manajih:

“Some narrations mention that people will be called by their mothers’ names. The wisdom may be that illegitimate children are not disgraced, or to manifest the honour of Isa عليه السلام, or to demonstrate the greatness of Hasan and Husayn رضي الله تعالى عنهما because, through Sayyidah Fatimah al-Zahra رضي الله تعالى عنها, they attain the honour of relation to the Noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. There is no contradiction between these narrations. It may be that at the beginning of the Day of Judgement people will be called by their mothers’ names and later by their fathers’ names, or they may be called by their mothers’ names publicly and by their fathers’ names privately. It is also possible that the word ‘fathers’ here refers to ‘mothers,’ as sometimes one parent is referred to by the designation of the other.”

(Mir’at al-Manajih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih, Vol. 6, Hadith 4768)

It is stated in Fatawa Khaliliyyah:

“Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud narrated from Abu al-Darda رضي الله تعالى عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said that on the Day of Judgement you will be called by the names of your fathers, so keep good names. And A‘la Hadrat, Fadil-e-Barelvi قدس سره العزيز, stated that on the Day of Judgement the Divine attribute of concealing faults will be manifested, and people will be called in relation to their mothers.

Therefore, it may be said that on the Day of Judgement, in some places children will be called in relation to their fathers where the purpose is to make their lineage known, while in other places they will be called in relation to their mothers where the Divine attribute of concealing faults wishes to hide a mother’s sin from others so that neither she nor her child is disgraced before anyone. It is possible that one of these situations will occur after entry into Paradise and the other in the Plain of Resurrection.”

(Fatawa Khaliliyyah, Vol. 3, pp. 173–174)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 14th June 2026.