Re: Non- Arab and Non- Persian names of Muslims in our cultures
History is the reason!
The story of sub-continent is not any different from England (and Britain in general) that shifted from it’s Celtic and Roman roots, and heavily adopted Saxon and Norman traditions in their language and culture, as the invaders became settlers. Similarly, sub-continent had been invaded by foreign powers time and time again (and its about time people make peace with their own history), hence it is our ever so complex history and geography that’s effectively and deeply shaped our appearance, identity, culture, language, heritage and lifestyle. Just to give you a slightly different but relevant example, Western India at one point in history was a colonial state of Portuguese Empire. Now today, one way to measure the lasting legacy of imperial Portugal is that people in Goa to this day and age are still giving their children Portuguese names, ad the old fashioned, visibly recognisable Catholicism is still intact in that part of India. So that’s sub-continent for you. It’s full of open secrets.
But just to briefly answer your question, since Islam was brought to sub-continent by Arabic, Persian and Turkish forces, the locals who converted to Islam looked up to them and took cues from them to shape their own new and distinguish identity. It’s pretty similar to how newly Arab Muslims used to go to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to request him to name their child and give him/her a uniquely ‘Islamic’ identity. As it was a common practice amongst Arabs to name children after idols and objects, whereas Islam came with emphasis on giving children meaningful and personality defining names.
Same is the case with Pakistanis as well. I think you’d find that vast majority of Pakistanis are proud bearers of their non Arabic, non Persian family names that are basically titles of native subcontinental tribes and clans. My family name, my final-final surname is neither Arabic nor Persian.