Change Name?

I have the most typical muslim name you can imagine and wanted to ask if it was ok if I should go by 'Mo' or something similar instead of the whole form as that’s what I’ve been used to my entire life and change it on linkedin etc before I start my summer internship

 

If you're based in the UK, you can even use the shorter/different version in official and legal documents, name change is at will by law. Even without thinking of it as changing a name, perfectly fine to use a shorter version anyway (Liz instead of Elizabeth, Jim instead of James, Mo instead of Mohammed etc.)

 

I’ve been called ‘Mo’ my entire life by all friends, the only people who call me by my full first name are my parents, so it’s more of a way of translating that familiarity into the workplace

 

You can certainly shorten it. However, forgive me for being blunt, but it is evident that you feel weak, insecure, and lack integrity. There is no benefit to being called 'Mo' instead of 'Mohammed'.

  1. Most people are unconcerned about your name or religion, especially in London or NYC. If you are trying to hide your Muslim identity, do you really believe that fasting or praying won't reveal it?

  2. You are not being clever by going by "Mo"; people will infer that your name is Mohammed. Everyone, both Muslims and non-Muslims, will subconsciously perceive you as a lily-livered individual lacking confidence and dignity because you are afraid to go by your own name.

  3. Ex-Muslims often use the name "Mo" to distance themselves from their Muslim identity. If you are a Muslim why would you emulate them?

  4. More importantly 'Mo' distorts the name of Rasul Allah (saw).

If all of the above is okay with you, go ahead; it is a free country. 

Regardless of one's faith, you should uphold your identity instead of altering it to conform to the fictitious ideals of others, which is unnecessary in a multicultural cities like London or NYC. The secret to earning respect is to be genuine.

 
Most Helpful

Yea, this is a good idea. People generally would much rather do business with William Kingston than Muhammad. Its just how the world works.

So change your name to whatever gets you ahead. Be it Mo or William.

 

Same reason Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman.  People want Jewish lawyers.

 

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