Question:-
Is it necessary for a revert to have his Muslim name registered on his identity document or will it be acceptable to leave his non-Muslim name?
Answer:-
The primary objective of an I.D. document is to identify an individual. Now, if the non-Muslim name remains on the I.D. document then the correct identification will not be achieved and could ultimately lead to a number of complications. For example, if a new Muslim happens to be travelling with his old I.D. document with his non-Muslim name registered on it, and (Allah forbid!) he meets in an accident and passes away in such an area where he is unknown, then the Muslims of the area may be confused with regards to the status of his religion. On the other hand, if the I.D. document reflected his Muslim name, then the Muslim burial committee would recognize him as a Muslim and hence, arrange for his Ghusl and burial according to Islamic rites.
In conclusion, although changing one’s particulars on one’s identity document is not a Shari’ee requirement for the validity of one’s Imaan, it is a requirement for proper identification purposes in all instances. A revert should therefore record his proper Muslim name on his I.D. document as soon as possible.
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 03 Jumadal Ukhra 1443 / 06 January 2022
