‘Child must follow religion of parent granted custody by civil court’

KUANTAN: A child, whose parent converts to Islam, must follow the religion of the parent granted custody by the civil court, said Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman.

He said the Pahang Administration of Islamic Law Enactment 1991 states: “Where at the moment of his conversion to Islam, a muallaf (convert) whether male or female, has a child who has not attained the age of 18, and the child has been ordered by a court, other than the Syariah Courts, to be in the custody of the muallaf, and the muallaf decides that the child be converted to Islam, the said child becomes converted to Islam at the time custody was granted.

Dr Abdul Rahman said only if the case is challenged, will it be referred to the civil court.

“As long as she or he is muallaf, the Islamic Council will look after their welfare,” he said.

He added that the conversion into Islam by any individual who is “baligh”, (which according to the “hukum syara” is normally 15 years old) is considered by his or her own right.