Muhammad Ali's son was detained by immigration officials at an American airport who quizzed him about his name and whether he is Muslim, according to a lawyer.

Muhammad Ali Jr, the 44-year-old son of the world-renowned boxer, was kept back at an airport in Florida earlier this month, family friend and lawyer Chris Mancini told the Courier-Journal, a Kentucky newspaper.

According to the newspaper, officials questioned Ali for nearly two hours, repeatedly asking him "Where did you get your name from?" and "Are you Muslim?".

Ali was reportedly travelling from Jamaica with his mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali, Muhammad Ali's second wife, when he was detained at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on February 7.