Marriage of a New Muslim Who Conceals His Islam to a Muslim Girl

Question

Zayd is educated and holds a high post in government service. He says that his prospective son-in-law, Ram, has accepted Islam, but secretly, and no one apart from Zayd knows this secret; and for certain considerations relating to property and the like, Ram has not changed his Hindu name. Now Zayd wants his Muslim daughter to be married to Ram. The question is: may a non-Muslim keep his old Hindu name even after accepting Islam?

Answer

Just as his disbelief is known to all and is not hidden, so too his Islam must be announced: either by his accepting Islam in a gathering or announcing that he has become a Muslim, or by his regularly performing the prayer in congregation in the mosque together with the Muslims; or else a Muslim girl should not be married to him on the strength of his secret Islam in the…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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