Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam brother,

I am in love with a non muslim man and have introduced him to islamic faith so as to get married.

He has alhamdulillah been reading and learning. The only hitch is his old parents. I read on your site that it is permissible to conceal,the purpose being not to cause hurt and pain. He did propose to his parents that he would like to accept islam. The parents are fine with him doing the islamic practices (the modern belief- belief in all and practise all faiths)

BUT when it comes to legal reverting, it would cause immense hurt.

Thus,the current decision is to go ahead with the legal reverting and conceal from parents.What would be the islamic perspective on this please clarify?

And how important is change of name?

Legal would involve in all documents to be written under faith ISLAM, then parents could find out for eg. passport and for the purpose of umrah/hajj. So how do we conceal all of that?

I am thorougly confused, doesnt concealing become a part of lying and lying is haraam right?

Please assist. JAZAKALLAH.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Convert issues

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: I am in love with a non muslim man and have introduced him to islamic faith so as to get married.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.521 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad

On the day of Khaibar, Allah's Messenger (saws) said to Hadrat Ali (r.a.): "Proceed and do not hurry. When you enter their (disbeliever’s) territory, invite them to embrace Islam and inform them of Allah's Rights which they should observe, for by Allah, even if a single man is led on the right path (of Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nice red camels (the most expensive possession of the times!)."

Beloved Sister in Islam, All Praise is due to Allah Subhanah Alone Who guided you to invite a disbeliever to accept the Truth of Islam. Allah is our witness, if even one person is guided to the Straight Path of Allah through you, it would be better for you than possessing the most valuable of possessions in the sight of the Lord Most Merciful.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

My beloved sister, as your brothers and sincere well-wishers in Islam, we implore you to make your intention to lead the person to the Truth of Islam for the sake of saving his soul and to earn the Pleasure and Good Will of Allah Subhanah; for then your reward with Allah Subhanah will be secured, Insha Allah.

Your Statement: I read on your site that it is permissible to conceal,the purpose being not to cause hurt and pain.

Beloved Sister, although it is permissible in Islam to conceal some things under certain circumstances and for an absolutely genuine reason; we wish to clarify here that it is not a general permission! Thus it is of absolute paramount importance that the permission to conceal some things be taken in the context that it was intended.

Your Question: Thus,the current decision is to go ahead with the legal reverting and conceal from parents.What would be the islamic perspective on this please clarify?

Beloved Sister, if one feels that one’s announcement of reverting to the Truth of Islam might put too much of a social burden on him, or that his immediate family and loved ones would oppose his reversion, or that his faith in Islam might be put on trial if he announced his conversion to his society, or for any other valid and genuine reason; there is absolutely no harm if the brother wishes to conceal or defer his announcement that he has reverted to Islam, provided of course, that his heart is absolutely firm in acceptance of the Truth of Islam.

There are several examples in the Quran and also in lives of some of the companions of the Prophet (saws), whereby they concealed their acceptance of the Truth of Islam from their society.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Mumin verses 26-28:

26 Said Pharaoh: "Leave me to slay Moses; and let him Call on his Lord! What I fear is lest he should change your religion or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!"

27 Moses said: "I have indeed called upon my Lord and your Lord (for protection) from every arrogant one who believes not in the Day of Account!"

28 A believer from among the people of Pharaoh who had concealed his faith (from the disbelievers) said: "Will ye slay a man because he says `My Lord is Allah'? When he has indeed come to you with Clear (Signs) from your Lord? And if he be a liar on him is (the sin of) his lie: but if he is telling the Truth then will fall on you something of the (calamity) of which he warns you: truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies!

The noble King of Abyssinia, An-Najashi, who was a Christian had accepted Islam but kept it hidden from his people. Upon his death, the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself performed the funeral prayers as offered for a believer for this noble soul.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.404 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) informed his companions about the death of An-Najashi and then he went ahead (to lead the funeral prayer), and the companions lined up behind him in rows and he (saws) said four Takbirs.

Thus in light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, it is permissible for one to conceal his acceptance and reversion to Islam if he fears for his life, his faith, or for any other genuine reason; provided his heart is firm on the Truth of Islam.

Your Question: And how important is change of name?

Most of the companions of the Prophet (saws) who reverted from paganism to Islam kept the names given to them by their parents at birth. The Messenger of Allah (saws) changed the names of only a handful of his companions whose original names were either based on ‘shirk’ or had an evil meaning.

If the name of a person who wishes to accept Islam does not have an evil meaning, or his name is not based on ‘shirk’; there is absolutely no need to change his original name.

Your Question: Legal would involve in all documents to be written under faith ISLAM, then parents could find out for eg. passport and for the purpose of umrah/hajj. So how do we conceal all of that?

If the brother who wishes to revert to Islam fears that an announcement of his reversion might severely hurt or disturb his relationship with his parents, or that their social and emotional pressure might put his faith in trial; there is absolutely no need to announce his reversion.

To accept Islam as one’s way of life is a reversion of one’s heart and something between an individual and his Creator, Who is well aware of the condition of each in His creation.

Your Question: I am thorougly confused, doesnt concealing become a part of lying and lying is haraam right?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verses 104-105:

104 Those who believe not in the Signs of Allah Allah will not guide them and theirs will be a grievous Penalty.

105 It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah that forge falsehood: it is they who lie!

106 Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah utters (terms of) unbelief, except under compulsion his heart remaining firm in faith; but such as open their breast to unbelief, on them is the Wrath from Allah and theirs will be a Dreadful Penalty.

107 This is because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject faith.

108 Those are they whose hearts, ears, and eyes Allah has sealed up and they take no heed.

109 Without doubt in the Hereafter they will perish!

Firstly, ‘to conceal’ and ‘to lie’ are two completely different acts, and Islam has absolutely prohibited the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day to lie except in two situations:

When in the state of war with the enemies of Islam.

When one says something good to make peace between people.

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2631 Narrated byKa'b ibn Malik

When the Prophet (saws) intended to go on an (war) expedition, he (saws) always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he would say: ‘War is deception’.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.857 Narrated by Um Kulthum bint Uqba

That she heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar."

Under all other circumstances, except the two quoted above, lying would be considered a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah; but to conceal one’s faith for fear of putting one’s faith on trial if one’s reversion to the Truth of Islam is announced, provided one’s heart is absolutely firm on belief, would definitely not be considered a ‘lie’, nor a sin in the sight of the Lord Most Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan