Q: What is the ruling on a person who attributes himself to someone other than his father to facilitate matters of life such as getting an identity card or so? He just changed one word of his full name. For example, his real name is Mohamed Ali Said and he changed it to Omar Ali Said, so his current full name is Mohamed Omar Ali Said. He does not deny his real father, family, and people. In fact, he is still in contact with them and recognizes his father as his real father. When people ask him about his real father, he refers to him. Also his real father is dead and so is the person to whom he related himself. Is it permissible for this person to keep relating himself to a person other than his father or not? Does the serious menace made by the Prophet (peace be upon him) apply to this person or not? We need your Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) to go by the right view. May Allah reward you with the best. It should be noted that this person related himself to someone other than his real father before he knew the Hadith of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) forbidding it.