The Supreme Court has held that Islam recognizes no distinction between a “new Muslim” and a “Muslim,” declaring that referring to a convert with a separate label is neither permissible under Shariah nor acceptable under the Constitution. According to the detailed judgment, a three-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar ruled that once a person embraces Islam, he or she becomes equal in status, dignity, and rights to all other Muslims. The court emphasized that in Islam, the standard of superiority is not lineage, caste, or previous religion, but piety and righteous conduct. The court observed that adding prefixes such as “new Muslim” alongside a person’s name in an FIR or official records reflects a discriminatory approach. Such terminology, it noted, is not only contrary to Islamic teachings but also violates the constitutional guarantees of equality and human dignity enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.
SC rejects distinction between ‘new Muslim’ and ‘Muslim’
Published on: February 19, 2026 1:55 AM