KARACHI: A video of a prominent Mufti commenting on the spelling of actress Urwa Hocane’s name has gone viral on social media.
The scholar was featured on a private TV channel’s Ramadan transmission discussing the Islamic perspective on deliberately altering names.
During the program, the host highlighted a growing trend where celebrities modify the spelling of their names for stylistic or modern appeal. In Urwa’s case, her original surname “Hussain” is now spelled and pronounced as “Hocane.”
The Mufti responded that it is not permissible to distort someone’s name. “‘Hocane’ is not an Arabic name, and using such a version is not correct,” he said. He cited a historical example, noting that Ali ibn Abi Talib once observed a person mispronouncing someone’s name and remarked that doing so is an injustice, as correctly pronouncing a person’s name is their right, and it is given by their parents.
He further explained that care should be taken even when choosing Islamic names. Some avoid the name “Muhammad” due to its respect and responsibilities, and likewise, deliberately altering a name is considered inappropriate.
