Back to search

Is it permissible to change one's name with the intention of avoiding dangers or insecurity at work?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a man is asked for his name and he states a name other than his own, without a compelling necessity or need, this is considered forbidden lying and a characteristic of hypocrites. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The signs of a hypocrite are three: whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays." Changing the name "Muhammad" to "Michael" under the pretext of fear of danger is a delusion of the self and whispers of Satan. Muslims continue to be named Muhammad without facing dangers. The duty is to adhere to the name and take pride in it. If there is a strong suspicion of danger in a specific situation, one can resort to equivocation and allusions, such as saying: "I am a servant of Allah." If that does not suffice, another name can be mentioned in that specific situation, provided it is not a name exclusive to Christians. The general principle is that if one is unable to openly practice the rituals of his religion and fears for himself and his religion, he must emigrate to a country where he can feel safe.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy