Q. I was born a Christian, but last year I became a Muslim in order to marry the man I loved. Yet at the time of my marriage, I was wondering whether all this conversion and marriage was valid because in my mind I was not truly convinced about Islam, and I was going through the process for the sake of my marriage. Now I am more committed to Islam, although at times I entertain some doubts about basic things, including God. Another point I would like to ask is whether it is absolutely necessary to have a Muslim name. My mother-in-law suggested a loving name, which I adopted, but I would prefer to use my parental name.
Liz
A. The first thing to point out is that your marriage is valid, regardless of how you felt about Islam when you uttered the declaration of God’s oneness and Muhammad’s message.
This is due to the fact that you were a Christian, and a Christian woman can marry a Muslim man retaining her religion. In fact, her Muslim husband should put no pressure on her to convert. If she wishes to become a Muslim, this should be based on true conviction and under no pressure. Had you belonged to a different religion, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. you would have needed to convert to Islam before your marriage to a Muslim man could take place. From the technical or legal point of view, your marriage would be valid when you declare yourself a Muslim, even though your conviction is not firm. To us, as humans, things are taken at face value. It is God who judges you, and every one of us, according to what He knows of our true motives. Now that you say you are a better Muslim, there is no question about the validity of your marriage, despite your occasional doubts. What you should do is to read more about Islam, and to discuss your doubts with a scholar.
It is not necessary to change your name unless it is symbolic of a different religion or has a totally unacceptable meaning. The Prophet did not change the names of his companions, except when a name had a bad meaning or was associated with idolatry. Liz, which is short for Elizabeth, has no such associations. From the Islamic point of view, you can continue to use it and be a Muslim.