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?”
When
one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of
their previous life. One need not to 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.”
The Prophet of God, may God praise 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.”
The Declaration of the Testimony
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 have
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 he may help you in
pronouncing it right.
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.”
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.
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