Many non-Muslims avoid using my given name (Muhammad) - oversight or disrespect?
Assalamu alaikum. My full name is Muhammad Bin (Last Name). Growing up in a Pakistani household I'm used to relatives, especially older people, calling me by my last name because of that cultural habit where some feel the name Muhammad is too elevated for daily use. I'll tell them my name is Muhammad and seconds later they'll introduce me to someone else as Last Name like they’re correcting me. It’s always annoyed me but I’ve rarely pushed back and said, “Actually, it’s Muhammad,” because I don’t want to get into a debate about it in front of family. Lately I’ve noticed something else: in professional emails from non-Muslim colleagues or clients they address me simply as Last Name - not “Mr. Last Name,” just the surname on its own. This has happened often enough that it makes me wonder whether it’s just sloppy or if there’s something else behind it. With how much casual Islamophobia is out there and how people talk about the Prophet ﷺ, it’s not impossible to imagine some refusing to say the name on purpose. Non-Muslim coworkers don’t have the same cultural reasons for preferring a surname, so it feels odd that they’d do the same thing. None of those messages were overtly rude or unprofessional, so maybe I’m overthinking it and it’s a small micro-aggression. I do try to be careful with people’s names and double-check spelling when I write to them, so it stings a bit when others don’t show the same care. I also haven’t been the one to correct them in an email - I’m uncomfortable being “that” person who replies, “By the way, my name is Muhammad.” I know I should get over that and politely clarify my name when needed, but it’s easier said than done. Has anyone else experienced something like this at work? How did you handle it - did you correct people, let it slide, or address it differently?