New revert entering the Sacred Precincts without changing his name
Question:
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ has read what was sent by to the General Chairman by the Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs. This letter was referred to the Committee by the Administration of Scholarly Research and Ifta’. This letter is no. 23l that was sent in 1408 A.H. The Undersecretary sent this message: “I have received a request from the Embassy of the Custodian of the Two Sacred Mosques in Bonn. It inquires if it is obligatory upon he who embraces Islam to change his name in order to be admitted access to the sacred area in order to perform Hajj or not? Can he who does not change his name be admitted entrance to these places? I would like to receive an answer in order to send it to the embassy there.”
Answer:
After reviewing the question, the Committee responded that if he confirms that he is a Muslim, he is legally permitted to enter to the sacred precincts regardless of his name.
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.
- Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz , Shaykh Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan , Shaykh Abdul-Razzaq al-Afify
