He was named after Maher-shalal-hash-baz, a biblical prophetic-name child, and raised a Christian by his mother, an ordained minister.[1][5] During his college basketball career, he went under the first name of Hershal.[6] In 2000, he converted to Islam, changing his surname from Gilmore to Ali, and joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – a revivalist movement within Islam. In interviews, he has recounted numerous problems he has encountered at airports, with banks, and otherwise in everyday life as an American Muslim since the September 11 attacks.[7][8][9]