How to Convert to Islam and Become a Muslim

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam.

Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one’s previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness. The Prophet said to a person who had placed the condition upon the Prophet in accepting Islam that God would forgive his sins:

“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)

When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. The person’s record is clean, and it is as if he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible.

The Holy Quran and Hadeeth (prophetic sayings) both stress the importance of following Islam. God states:

“...The only religion in the sight of God is Islam...” (Quran 3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Quran, God states:

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the Hellfire).” (Quran 3:85)

In another saying, Muhammad, the Prophet of God, said:

“Whoever testifies that there in none worthy of being worshipped but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Prophet, and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His word[1] which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from Him; and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God will eventually admit him into Paradise, according to his deeds.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, also reported:

“Indeed God has forbidden to reside eternally in Hell the person who says: “I testify that none has the right to worship except Allah (God),’ seeking thereby the Face of God.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

The Declaration of the Testimony (Shahada)

To convert to Islam and become a Muslim a person needs to pronounce the below testimony with conviction and understanding its meaning:

I testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”

The translation of which is:

“I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.”

To hear it click here or click on “Live Help” above for assistance by chat.

When someone pronounces the testimony with conviction, then he/she has become a Muslim. It can be done alone, but it is much better to be done with an adviser through the “Live Help” at top, so we may help you in pronouncing it right and to provide you with important resources for new Muslims.

The first part of the testimony consists of the most important truth that God revealed to mankind: that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God. God states in the Holy Quran:

“We did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘none has the right to be worshipped except I, therefore worship Me.’” (Quran 21:25)

This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it be praying, fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any form of worship to other than God (whether it be an angel, a messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, a tree) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam, and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.

Worship means the performance of deeds and sayings that please God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed, either by direct textual proof or by analogy. Thus, worship is not restricted to the implementation of the five pillars of Islam, but also includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family, and saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered acts of worship, if such is done with the intention of pleasing God. This means that, to be accepted, all acts of worship must be carried out sincerely for the Sake of God alone.

The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad is the servant and chosen messenger of God. This implies that one obeys and follows the commands of the Prophet. One must believe in what he has said, practice his teachings and avoid what he has forbidden. One must therefore worship God only according to his teaching alone, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by God.

One must try to mold their lives and character and emulate the Prophet, as he was a living example for humans to follow. God says:

“And indeed you are upon a high standard of moral character.” (Quran 68:4)

God also said:

“And in deed you have a good and upright example in the Messenger of God, for those who hope in the meeting of God and the Hereafter, and mentions God much.” (Quran 33:21)

He was sent in order to practically implement the Quran, in his saying, deeds, legislation as well as all other facets of life. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, when asked about the character of the Prophet, replied:

“His character was that of the Quran.” (As-Suyooti)

To truly adhere to the second part of the Shahada is to follow his example in all walks of life. God says:

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love God, then follow me.’” (Quran 3:31)

It also means that Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger of God, and that no (true) Prophet can come after him.

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you but he is the Messenger of God and the last (end) of the Prophets and God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)

All who claim to be prophets or receive revelation after Muhammad are imposters, and to acknowledge them would be tantamount to disbelief.

We welcome you to Islam, congratulate you for your decision, and will try to help you in any way we can.

Source: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/204/

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Footnotes:

[1] God created him through His statement, “Be!”

How to make dawah

Bismillah Rahman Raheem

Thanks for your question about your good question concerning the spreading of Islam. This indicates a strong commitment from you to share this message of worshipping Allah as One God, Alone and without any associates or partners. This is a basic duty for each of us as Muslims. We commend you on your endeavor for learning and search for correct knowledge in matters concerning Islam.

First let us begin with Basics Of Islam [click].

Here are some important points to keep in mind:

1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially about our religion.

2. Islam has the proof for everything that it teaches. Our sources are authentic and original. They are:

• The Quran [click]
• Teachings of Muhammad [click]

This is a unique part of Islam, not available in any other ancient religions.

Also, keep in mind while talking with people and answering their questions, sometimes "questions" contain misinformation. We must qualify what it is that someone is saying against what they mean.

Take special care in offer your answers. Keep your replies simple and to the point. Do not wander from subject to subject while answering a question.

Another important point is to remember that patience is an important part of the character of the Muslim and that you must not become angry or outraged at what people say to you or by the quesitons that they are asking. If you feel that it is too much for you to deal with, then simply walk away.

Also, don't try to be funny or sarcastic. This is distracting and not appropriate. Very often while giving the answer, we hear the person we are talking to saying something like, "I didn't know that." Or they might say, "This is actually something good." When this occurs we ask them, "Are you ready to rethink your position? Are you prepared to worship your God and your Lord without and partners?"

After all, isn't this what Islam is really all about? The most important subject is the worship of Almighty God, without any partners or associates or "gods" besides Almighty God.

Dawah is a word in Arabic that means "to invite" or "to offer to share." This is a very important part of being a Muslim and it can be somewhat difficult at times. Yet it is not impossible. The fact is that sharing Islam is a very simple concept. The difficulty comes in when you are trying to communicate the idea to others, especially when they have already been predisposed to believe in something else and to believe that Islam is something bad.

Keep in mind at all times that you are on a special mission to deliver a message of inviting people to worship Allah according to the way that He wants to be worshipped. You are to call them to know the truth and how to follow it. You do this with both your kind words and correct actions.

Your words are used in lectures, sermons, books, tapes and dialogs. These words help people to understand the truth of Islam.

Your actions are observed by others through your behavior and manners. You become the role model for what Islam is all about.

Both methods (dawah by words and actions) were used by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when delivering the message of Islam. He was the perfect example of what he was calling the people to do. Ayesah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that if you would like to see a living example of the Quran walking, then simply look to Muhammad, peace be upon him. His life was the best example of the noble teachings and principles set forth in the Quran.

Muslims are supposed to advise everyone by using a gentle and simple approach to attract the hungry souls to the Way of Allah. For sure today more than ever, people need to know about Islam and be able to put it into practice. We all need an example to follow.

Actually, the problem is not so much calling or inviting to people to the message of Islam, as it is the way that we go about it. The way that we present ourselves and the message is most important and unfortunately, something that many of the Muslims are not taking into consideration these days.

Some have actually ruined the image of dawah due to the rigid methods, mistakes and misunderstandings they are applying. This gives a very negative impression about Islam and the Muslims in general. Considering all of the detraction and negative media against Islam and Muslims occuring in these days, it is vital that we approach our dawah with wisdom, kind invitation and logical discussions.

One example of negative dawah is the false concept that so many Muslims have today about debating the Christians about their Bible. This is very incorrect and not a part of the teachings of the Quran or the way of Muhammad, peace be upon him. While there are a number of things that we might be able to share with them about what we believe that is similar to what they might find in their Book, it is not correct to try to attack their Book, their beliefs nor their understandings. A wise man once said, "Debates bring a lot of heat, but not very much light." Leave the idea of debating and do not attend any functions where these types of activities are taking place. Pray for the Muslims to wake up to the dangers of this as a tool for dawah before it is too late.

Another thing to stay away from is the so called "miracles" about the Quran and Islam that are not mentioned in the Quran or in the Sunnah of the prophet, peace be upon him. One example of the idea of some trees in Germany that are twisted around to spell, "Laa elaha illa lah, Muhammad rasoolulah." This is not true. The picture is a fake and anyone can easily prove this is not real. So where would you be if you had insisted that this was a "proof" that Islam is the right religion?

Other fake "miracles" include; a fish with "Allah" written on it; a tree bent toward Mekkah in prayer; a pumpkin with "Bismillah Rahman Raheem" on it. Please verify this by visiting our website page on these stories at:

http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/pumpkin.htm

Another area to avoid is the misconception about the "miracle of numbers" in the Quran. The stories are many and all of them are false. There is no miracle of "19" in the Quran; this not the occurance of the word "day" and "night" 365 times (the Muslim calendar is 354 days anyway); the words "angel" and "devil" do not occur the same number of times; and all of the mathematical equasions mentioned about the earth and the water are worthless to someone who is trying to understand about Allah and Islam. So please stop this propaganda and DO NOT FORWARD these messages to everyone on your list.

That is NOT dawah. That is a waste of time and energy. The fact is, that this will turn people away from the truth and destroy the pure message of Islam.

When we are going to talk with folks about Islam, we should first begin with the word itself. Let people know that there is a difference between the word "Islam" and what some people are doing. Visit our page on this subject of the explanation of words before you try to discuss Islam with anyone:

http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/word/

"ISLAM" - Explain to them that "Islam" can be understood both, as a verb and as a noun. As a noun, it is the religion that was completed by Allah for all human beings 1,400 years ago. The message came with Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the Arabic language.

As a verb, the word "Islam" means the surrender, submission, obedience and peace in sincerity with Allah.

Next, explain to them that the word Muslim comes from the word Islam itself. And the Arabic uses a prefix to the verb rather than a suffix to indicate the one who is preforming the verb or action. So instead of being an "Islam-er" we are "Mu-islims" (Muslim).

Remember: K.I.S.S. (Keep It So Simple)

Next you might logically break down the word "Allah" and let them know what it comes from and how it is the perfect word to describe and represent the Lord of the Worlds, The Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

"Allah" comes from the root "elah" and the plural is "awliha." When the article "the" is placed in front of "elah" in Arabic, it becomes "Al-lah." In this state the word can no longer be made plural, nor can it be associated with gender. That is to say, that "Allah" can actually be used to represent the meaning of "One only to be worshipped, never plural, always singular and never man nor woman."

"Quran" is another word that you might explain to them. Let them understand that the Quran is not a book and that it is actually "alive" today in the hearts of over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims around the world. This is a real miracle. There is no other book like it. No book can compare to it and no other major religion today has their original preserved in the original language by so many followers of the religion.

For instance, you might ask the person, "Did you know? - Over NINE MILLION Muslims Memorized the Entire Quran. 9,000,000 + Muslims living today have memorized the entire Quran in the original Arabic language. But surprisingly over 75% of all Muslims are not Arab. In fact, the largest number of Muslims today are in Indonesia.
And did you know? That every Muslim in the world, over 1.5 billion have all memorized some of the Quran and each of them desires to memorize it entirely?

"Prophethood" in Islam is also an area that brings people to a better understanding of Muslims and what Islam is really about about. Let them know that as much as we love and honor and respect all of the prophets from Adam to Abraham and Moses and David, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all, we never worship them. As a matter of fact, that is where people begin to go the wrong way, by over praising something or someone in the creation. All praise and worship is due to Allah, alone.

You might like to read and share the messages about Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Jesus, peace be upon him, from the Muslim perspective. You could print these pages out and share them or ask them to visit the links online if they can.

"Muhammad" - "Jesus"

"Human Rights" is a favorite of mine to talk about. And then rights in general in Islam. Of course it is Allah, who has the first and most exclusive right, that of being worshipped alone without any partners.

"Women's rights" There are areas to discuss and in particular of great interest today, is the rights of women. Also, you could mention that today more than ever before, women are coming into Islam in greater numbers than men. This is a fact.

There are many areas to open up the dialog, but always keep in mind that the message is to call people to worship Allah, Alone without any partners.

Make the clear distinction between what "Islam" teaches and what some "Muslims" do. Ask them to consider some of the bad people in history who were supposed to be Christians, yet what they did does not represent the Christians or Jesus.

"Islam" is not what some Muslims do. It is what all Muslims are "supposed" to do.

So all in all, you need to adopt gentleness and politeness in presenting your arguments. Allah Almighty addresses His Prophet, saying:

“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.” (An-Nahl: 125)

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “Indeed, gentleness adds more beauty to the atmosphere it reposes therein.”

Actually, nothing is more needed now, in making dawah, than correct knowledge, gentleness and wisdom. The reason for this is to dispel all the superstitions and lies spread against Islam. All this needs wisdom, patience and perseverance, and such polite methods brings quick results and has rapid effect on the audience.

Consider the wife of Abu sufyan, Hind and her saying to Muhammad, peace be upon him, after she came to Islam; "I never wanted to see anyone on the face of the earth to be put down more than you and your family. But now, I do not see anyone on the face of the earth more honored than you and your family."

This is a clear example of the prophet's effect on people's hearts and minds through his behavior and manners. Callers to Islam must follow this great example in their efforts to share the message of Islam instead of turning them away.

Always consider your audience and who it is that you are speaking to. If the people are not familiar with the Arabic language, then there is no real need to speak Arabic or make all of your quotes in Arabic and then try to translate everything to English. This is silly and could turn people away. Remember to keep everything on their level and not try to talk above them or talk down to them.

Allah is the All Knower.

Visit our page on this subject and then write back to me with more questions:

http://www.islamtomorrow.com/dawah/

Also visit:

www.IslamTomorrow.com/word

More important links re: Islam - Research - Answers - Audio

Thanks again for your question. All good is from Allah & mistakes were from myself.
May Allah guide us in Truth, ameen.
Salam alaykum - Yusuf Estes

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