Lineage Is More Than a Surname

 

Do You Know the Name of Your Great-Grandfather’s Grandfather?
We all carry names, surnames passed down from father to child, neat labels that tie us to a lineage. Yet, how often do we pause to ask: do these names truly tell the story of those who came before us? Do they capture the courage, wisdom, faith, and resilience that define a family?

It is true that in many societies, including within Islamic legal structure, children are named after their fathers for clarity of lineage and social order. This system serves an administrative purpose.

But it is equally true that a family’s true continuity is not carried by names alone.

Islam Honors Women Beyond Naming

Allah chose to immortalize women by their own identity and actions, not by male association.

Maryam (AS): A lineage remembered not by surname

Allah named an entire chapter of the Qur’an after Maryam:

“And mention Maryam in the Book…”

(Qur’an 19:16)

She is not introduced through a husband, but through her own devotion and righteousness. Her honor is preserved eternally, proof that remembrance in Islam is not dependent on male lineage.

Ṣafā and Marwa: A woman’s faith made worship

Allah says:

“Indeed, Ṣafā and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah.”

(Qur’an 2:158)

This ritual exists because of Hājar (AS). Millions reenact her struggle every year, showing that a woman’s faith can define collective worship for generations.

History Also Preserves Women’s Lineage

Queen Amina of Zazzau (Nigeria)

She ruled, expanded territories, and fortified cities.

Her lineage lives through leadership and courage, not through a surname passed to children.

Fatima al-Fihri, Women Who Built Civilizations

Long before modern debates about lineage, women were already shaping the intellectual and moral foundations of the world. The world’s first known university was founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, a Muslim woman, in Fez, Morocco. Al-Qarawiyyin has educated scholars for over a thousand years. Its legacy survives not through a surname passed down, but through knowledge that continues to enlighten humanity.

Women as Global Bearers of Legacy

 

 

Across history, women have preserved lineage through institution-building, leadership, and wisdom:

Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as Pharaoh and expanded trade routes

Cleopatra shaped diplomacy across empires

Queen Nzinga defended sovereignty and statehood

Queen Amina of Zazzau expanded cities and military strategy

These women are remembered without relying on male surnames, proving that legacy is not confined to naming systems.

Balance Without Erasure

Acknowledging patrilineal naming does not diminish women.

But reducing lineage only to a man’s name erases half of the story.

Women carry:

• Faith into the home
• Values into the next generation
• Identity into memory

Names may organize families, women sustain them.

What Truly Endures

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When a person dies, their deeds end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.”

(Sahih Muslim)

None of these depend on gender or surnames.

The Truth in Full

Lineage has structure, but legacy has soul.

A name may follow a man,

but continuity lives in those who nurture, teach, and shape generations.