Parity (Kafa'a) of a New Muslim

Question

Question: A non-Muslim became Muslim: he recited the complete kalima together with its translation and meaning: [ar]لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله[/ar] “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” A disagreement has arisen among us concerning him. Some people say that this man is a Muslim, that we will regard him as a member of our community and give him all the rights that Islam has given a Muslim.

Answer

This man is a Muslim according to the Shari‘a. His life and property will be protected in exactly the same way as the protection of the life and property of a long-standing Muslim (qadim al-islam) who practises the whole religion is commanded. By virtue of Islam his past sins have been forgiven.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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