GB15: Dedicated to Amana KurinnaIntro: Amana Kurinna is a Hungarian lady who posted a review, which I quote: “I have embraced Islam and have changed my name to Amana Kurinna. You suggested the spelling of Amana slightly different to what Aamna Shariff of Indian actress has. Does that matter? I notice Muslim women especially from Pakistan wear beautiful Dopata over their heads and shoulders. Does this serve the same purpose as Hijab does?”
Reply:Hi Amana Kurinna,
It is good to hear from you and I welcome you to the community of Muslims in Europe. May you live in peace with your name and Islam! My answers to your questions are as follows.
Regarding the spelling of the name “Amana”: I would say that it really does not matter how you spell your name as long as you are pleased with your name and it doesn’t look out of place in the society you live in. People in different parts of the world spell and pronounce the same Islamic name differently to suit the format and sounding of their local cultural names. For example, in Pakistan the name is spelled Amana Shareef, in India it is spelled Aamna Shariff but both names mean the same name and are pronounced exactly the same way. Indians have a liking of adding an extra letter to their names like AAmna ShariFF and AAmir Khan. Another example is of the name "Noor Jahan" that is a popular name In Pakistan; in Spain the spelling of the first name has slightly changed from Noor to Noori and is used countrywide as "Noori Gonzales".
Regarding the covering of head with Dopata: it is a social convention of respect and modesty in the Indo-Pak region. Some women would like to cover their heads with Dopata as a mark of respect when greeting their not so close elders or to observe modesty in the their community when they travel out of the house. However, I have seen Muslim women from other parts of the world saying Friday prayer without covering their heads. I always cover my head with Dopata whenever I pray to Allah to show my respect for Him but I don’t cover my head during all other occasions of the day.
Dopata: It is a part of Salwar Kameez dress, which is a Pakistani national dress and is popular in the Indo-Pak region. Head covering is a pre-Islamic period Christian custom that they brought with them when they embraced Islam and Muslims have adopted it as Hijab in most Muslim countries. Like you would bring European skirt, trouser and Jeans custom with you when you have embraced Islam in Europe. However, none of these dresses has anything to do with Islam and there is no Islamic dress prescribed in Qur’an.
Should you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Salaam.
