Miscellaneous Queries Regarding Reverting To Islam

I was born into a non-Muslim family. I later embraced Islam and began following the Maliki Madhab. After that, I followed Twelver Shiism and the Ja‘fari school for a period of time. I then left Islam and remained outside the religion for approximately ten years. I now sincerely wish to return to Sunni Islam, repent to Allah Ta’ala, and resume practising the religion correctly. Please assist with the following queries:

Q1) My parents are not Muslim. My mother wishes to leave all her property to me since I am her only child. Her properties exceeds a third of her estate. Is there any way she can do this which will be recognized in Shari’ah as lawful? Please also outline the differences if we live in a Muslim or non-Muslim country.

A1) In Islam, a Muslim cannot inherit from a Kaafir (disbeliever) and vice versa. Hence, after accepting Islam, you will not inherit from your mother. Yes, if she makes a bequest for you as stated in the query, then you will become the owner of all the properties even though it exceeds one third of the estate as she is not a Muslim. Hence, the law of making a bequest for an heir or it exceeding one third is not applicable to her. The above is the ruling for living in both a Muslim or non-Muslim country. Another option is that you may ask her to sell over all her properties to you instead of gifting, as the gifting procedure is quite stringent. Therefore, for a small sum of money, she may sell it over to you.

عن أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِىَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قَالَ: لا يَرِثُ الْمُسْلِمُ الْكَافِرَ، وَلا الْكَافِرُ الْمُسْلِمَ (صحيح البخاري 2/1001)
وَاخْتِلَافُ الدِّينِ أَيْضًا يَمْنَعُ الْإِرْثَ وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ الِاخْتِلَافُ بَيْنَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْكُفْرِ بِقَوْلِهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «لَا يَرِثُ الْمُسْلِمُ الْكَافِرَ وَلَا الْكَافِرُ الْمُسْلِمَ» ، وَأَمَّا اخْتِلَافُ مِلَلِ الْكُفَّارِ كَالنَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَالْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَالْمَجُوسِيَّةِ وَعُبَّادِ الْوَثَنِ فَلَا يَمْنَعُ الْإِرْثَ حَتَّى يَجْرِيَ الْمِيرَاثُ بَيْنَ الْيَهُودِيِّ وَالنَّصْرَانِيِّ وَالْمَجُوسِيِّ؛ لِأَنَّ الْكُفْرَ كُلَّهُ مِلَّةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ (البحر الرائق 8/500)

Q2) After returning to Islam, should I make up the obligatory prayers and Ramadhaan fasts that I missed during the approximately ten years in which I was out of Islam? Will sincere repentance and returning to Islam remove the obligation to make up the acts of worship relating to that period?

A2) Once a person accepts Islam, then all their previous sins are forgiven. As such, after accepting Islam, you will not have to make Qadha (cover up) of the missed fast and Salaah.

ومنها ما رواه مسلم في صحيحه مرفوعا إن الاسلام يهدم ما كان قبله، وإن الهجرة تهدم ما كان قبلها، وإن الحج يهدم ما كان قبله (1) ومنها ما رواه مالك في الموطأ مرفوعا ما رؤي الشيطان يوما هو أصغر ولا أدحر ولا أغيظ منه في يوم عرفة وما ذاك إلا لما يرى من تنزل الرحمة وتجاوز الله تعالى عن الذنوب العظام إلا ما رؤي يوم بدر فإنه رأي جبريل يزع الملائكة (2) فإنها تقتضي تكفير الصغائر والكبائر ولو كانت من حقوق العباد لكن ذكر الاكمل في شرح المشارق أن الاسلام يهدم ما كان قبله أن المقصود أن الذنوب السالفة تحبط بالاسلام والهجرة والحج صغيرة كانت أو كبيرة، وتتناول حقوق الله وحقوق العباد بالنسبة إلى الحربي حتى لو أسلم لا يطالب بشئ منها حتى لو كان قتل وأخذ المال وأحرزه بدار الحرب ثم أسلم لا يؤاخذ بشئ من ذلك، وعلى هذا كان الاسلام كافيا في تحصيل مراده ولكن ذكر صلى الله عليه وسلم الهجرة والحج تأكيدا في بشارته وترغيبا في مبايعته فإن الهجرة والحج لا يكفران المظالم ولا يقطع فيهما بمحو الكبائر وإنما يكفران الصغائر. ويجوز أن يقال: والكبائر التي ليست من حقوق العباد أيضا كالاسلام من أهل الذمة وحينئذ لا يشك أن ذكرهما كان للتأكيد ا ه‍. وهكذا ذكر الامام الطيبي في شرح هذا الحديث وقال: إن الشارحين اتفقوا عليه. وهكذا ذكر الامام النووي والقرطبي في شرح مسلم. وذكر القاضي عياض أن أهل السنة أجمعوا على أن الكبائر لا يكفرها إلا التوبة (البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق (2/ 593.

Q3) Are the obligatory prayers and Ramadhaan fasts that I performed while following the Ja‘fari school considered valid from the perspective of Sunni jurisprudence? If some, or all, of those acts of worship are not considered valid, must I make them up after returning to Sunni Islam?

A3) We are not fully aware of the particular Ja’fari school of thought that you were following, hence, it will be difficult to issue a ruling regarding the Salaah and fasts carried out whilst you were following the Ja’fari school of thought. If you could give us more information regarding what the beliefs are and ideologies of the above-mentioned school of thought, then we will issue a ruling Insha’Allah.

Q4) When I first began practising Islam, I followed the Maliki Madhab. Am I therefore required to follow the Maliki Madhab in every issue? Where there is genuine hardship, such as in the matter of a bequest or inheritance, may I follow a recognised opinion from another Sunni Madhab under the guidance of a qualified and trustworthy scholar? Would doing so be considered:
• impermissible combination of rulings from different madhhabs, known as Talfeeq?
• or the improper pursuit of dispensations and the easiest opinions based on personal desire?

A4) It is not necessary upon you to follow the same Madhab after you revert and enter the fold of Islam. Furthermore, once you have entered the fold of Islam and chosen the Madhab, then it is not permissible to make Talfiq (change over) to another Madhab due to ease in the particular Madhab. If you do so, then you will be following your base desires, as this is what one’ Nafs (base desires) wants; that there should be laxity and ease in everything.

Q5) Would it be permissible for me to leave the Maliki Madhab and adopt another Sunni Madhab completely, and then follow that Madhab consistently and in a disciplined manner?

A5) As stated in #4.

ان الاجماع على منع اطلاق التخيير اي بان يختار ويشتهي مهما اراد من الاقوال في اي وقت شاء (شرح عقود رسم المفتي ص101)
قال ابن الهمام حكم المقلد في المسئلة الاجتهادية كالمجتهد فانه اذا كان له رايين في مسئلة وعمل باحدهما يتعين ما عمل به وامضاه بالعمل فلا يرجع عنه الي غيره الا بترجيح ذلك الغير الخ , فالمقلد اذا عمل بحكم من مذهب لا يرجع الي اخر من مذاهب اٰخر (خلاصة التحقيق 5)
[Fataawa Mahmoodiyya Pg.626 Vol.2 – Farooqiyyah]

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani

Date: 27 Safar 1448 / 11 August 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb