Bin Gregory Productions

On the subject of names, one curious naming convention here has to do with converts to Islam. I don’t know what the actual rate of conversion in Malaysia is, but it is significant. I’m forever running into converts. My next door neighbor turns out to be an Iban convert. As you probably know, it is customary when converting to take or be given an Islamic first name. Although very common, it is by no means a requirement of conversion. Many American converts will simply add the Islamic first name to their existing name, like my friend Muhammad Steve, or never officially change their name at all. The only time Nabi Muhammad changed somebody’s first name was when it had an explicitly unislamic meaning, such as Abdul ‘Uzza, meaning the servant of the pagan god Uzza.
Anyway, here in Malaysia, many people believe or are instructed that they must drop their family names and take the last name “Abdullah” when they convert. This is a huge obstacle to conversion for many people. Even if they themselves are amenable to the idea, it is a slap in the face to the family that many interested in conversion are unwilling to do. There is no reason why a convert should need to do this. To my knowledge, Nabi Muhammad never changed a convert’s family name. The names of the Noble Companions of the Holy Prophet are replete with family names predating Islam, like Sayyidina Omar Al-Khattab or Sayyidina Othman Al-Affan, may Allah be well pleased with them.
If converts knew the circumstances under which it is necessary to add “Abdullah”, they would be even more resistant if not offended. It is in the case of bastard children. Muslim children born out of wedlock do not take their father’s name; there is no relationship between the father and child at all. In this case, the child will take the last name “Abdullah”. I don’t mean to say there is anything wrong with the name Abdullah or any stigma attached to the name itself. It is a beautiful name in its own right, and many children are given this name, which means the servant of God. Nabi Muhammad said that he was happiest when Allah Almighty called him by that name. According to Islamic spirituality, all people have eight true names, one of which is Abdullah. So far from being a scarlet letter, it is a veil of modesty cast over people coming from an unfortunate situation. But it does not apply to converts.

Naming conventions in Malaysia are very different from the States. Most muslims do not use hereditary names. Instead, the father’s name is the child’s last name. Ahmad the son of Hasan is named Ahmad Hasan, or Ahmad bin Hasan, the bin meaning “son of”. Because of the different systems, you will have a bit of trouble when you register the birth of your child in both countries. If you give your child your hereditary name, then if you are Hasan Smith, your son Ahmad’s full name in Malaysia would be Ahmad Smith Hasan Smith. Fine in the US, odd in Malaysia. On the other hand, if you do as I have done and abandon your hereditary name, you would simply put “Ahmad” as his name, and in Malaysia your son would be Ahmad Hasan Smith. His son would be Salih Ahmad. The Smith hereditary name will end with you.
Fine in Malaysia, but when you go to the US embassy, they will insist that your son’s name is just “Ahmad”, because the Malaysian birth cert calls the two fields “name” and “father’s name” instead of “given name” and “surname”. Confused yet? It is really just a matter of convention, but I have had to submit three affidavits so far to clarify this point for my three kids, and I’ll be doing it one more time in about two weeks for KakUda. You would think the US Consul in Malaysia would be a little more aware of Malaysian custom. A hint for those about to go through it; “It’s the same damn thing” is not an acceptable explanation on your affidavit.

It’s interesting to note, by the way, that a small number of Malays with Arab ancestry, the entire Chinese population, the Sikhs and other minorities here do use family names. When these folks are identified in the news, their father’s name is never mentioned. The famous lawyer Karpal Singh, for example, must be officially named Karpal Singh Mohinder Singh (or whatever his father’s first name is). But he is simply referred to as Karpal Singh. Nobody gets confused. I guess Malaysia is just way ahead of the US when it comes to multiculturalism.
The only folks who don’t get their names how they would like them are muslim converts who want to keep their family names, like Ahmad the son of Hasan Smith. Ideally, Hasan Smith would like for his son to be Ahmad Hasan Smith, and his son to be Salih Ahmad Smith. That would be the perfect blend of both systems, in my humble opinion. The large and growing number of Chinese converts would prefer this kind of thing, I think. The telegenic Chinese convert Ridhwan Teh Abdullah would prefer his (hypothetical) son to be Hisham Ridhwan Teh, or perhaps Hisham Teh Ridhwan, but not Hisham Teh Ridhwan Teh, I would hazard.