Want to Be a Muslim? The  most  fundamental  belief  in  Islam  is  that  there  is no  true  god  (deity) but Allah.He, the One, the Only, the First and the Last, has no partners, sons, daughters   or   intermediaries.He   is   Alone   in   His   Dominion   and   in   His Omnipotence.It  is  a  very  simple concept,  it  is  simply  the  truth.Nevertheless sometimes  the  pure  belief   in   God  can   be  overwhelming. Often  we  are surprised when we call for God and He answers immediately.

The  religion  of  Islam  encompasses  that  simple  concept –that  God  is  One and  wraps  it  in  a  package  called  submission.Islam  means,submission  to  the will  of  God. The  root  word  of  Islam  (sa-li-ma)  is  the  same  that  is shared  with the  Arabic  word  meaning  peace  and  security.  In  essence,  peace  and  security comes  from  living  life  according  to  God’s will.Like  a  circle  of  life  it  always begins  and  ends  in  the  same  place –there  is  no  god  but  Allah.When  we submit  to  the  will  of  God,  we  are  Muslims  and  to  demonstrate  our  sincerity we  testify  that  we  are  Muslim  by  saying,  alone  or  in  the  company  ofother Muslims, la  ilahaillaAllah,  Muhammad rasooluAllah. There  is  no  true  god (deity)  but  Allah  and  Muhammad,  may  the  mercy  and  blessings  of  God  be upon him, is His messenger.

Whenever any human being experiences and understands God’s mercy, Satan  tries  his best  to  harm  that  individual.Satan  does  not  want  us  to  feel comfort  and  mercy;  he  wants  us to  feel  anxious  and  depressed.He  wants  us to make  mistakes  and  commit  sins.Satan despairs of ever feeling God’s love therefore  he  wants  to  corrupt  as  many  human  beings  as  he  can:

“…surely I will  sit  in  wait  against  them  (human beings)  on  Your  Straight  Path.Then  I will come to them from  before them and behind them, from their right and from their left…”(Quran 7:16-17)

Whenever  a  person  realises  the  truth and  wants  to  become  a  Muslim, Satan introduces the word ‘but’.I  want  to  become  a  Muslim…BUT!But  I  am not  ready.But I don’t speak Arabic.But  I  am  white.But  I don’t really know about  Islam. God  warned  us against  Satan  and  his cunning  ways:

“O children of  Adam. Let not Satan deceive you.”(Quran  7:27)and “Surely Satan is an enemy to you so take him as an enemy.”(Quran 35:6)

Satan’s whispers try to prevent  us  from  converting  to  Islam.These  ideas should not stand in the way  of a  person connecting, or reconnecting with the Most  Merciful  God. In  this series  or  articles  we  will  discuss some  of  the  most prominent myths, lay  them  open to scrutiny  and see that God is indeed Most Merciful.He makes converting to Islam Easy, not difficult. No buts!

1. I want to be a Muslim but I do not want to change my name.

A   person   embracing   Islam   does   not   have   to   change   his   or   her name. Prophet  Muhammad,  may  the  mercy  and  blessings  of  God  be  upon him,  said  that  everybody  was  entitled  to  a  good  name,  a  name  that  had meaning  or  character. For  the  vast  majority  of  people  it  is  not  an  issue, however if  you discover that your name has a bad meaning or an association with   sinners   or   tyrants   it   is   better   to   change   it   to   something   more acceptable.If the person’s name is a name  of  an  idol  or  reflects  servitude  to something or someone other than God, then it has to be changed.Remember though  that  Islam  is  easy.If  changing  your  name  officially  would  cause hardship,  distress  or  harm,  it  would  suffice  to  change  it  only  among  friends and family.

2. I want to be a Muslim but I do not know any Arabic.

The  religion  of  Islam  was  revealed  for  all  people,  in  all  places,  at  all times. It is not a religion exclusively for  Arabs or Arabic speakers.In  fact the majority  of  the  world’s 1.4 billion Muslims are  not  from an  Arab  background. A person can become Muslim without knowing a single word of Arabic; it does not affect his or her ability to accept Islam. However, the language of Quran is Arabic  and  the  daily  prayers  are  performed in  Arabic,  so  although  it  is  not necessary to learn the whole language, after conversion it will be necessary to learn some Arabic words.

If  a  person  is  unable  to  learn  enough  Arabic  to  perform  his  prayers because of a speech defect or because he is not able to pronounce the Arabic, he must try as much as he can. If learning at least some Arabic is not possible, then  he  is  relieved  of  this  obligation,  because  God  does  not  burden  people with  more  than  they  are  able  to  bear. However  God  also  says  that  he  has made  learning  Quran  easy,  therefore  it  is  obligatory  for  a  person  to  try  his best.Allah says, “God burdens not a person beyond his scope.”(Quran 2:286) And  says, “And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember.”(Quran 54:17)

A  man came  to  the  Prophet  and  said,“O Messenger of God, I  cannot memorize something from the Quran so teach me something suffices me.” He said, “Say,Subhan-Allah  wal-hamdu  Lillaah  wa  laa  ilaaha  ill-Allaah  wa Allaahu  akbar  wa  laa  hawla  wa  la  quwwata  illa Billaah(Far  removed  is  God from  every  imperfection,  praise  be  to  God,  there  is  no  god  except  Allah  and God is Most great, and there is no power or strength except with God).”[1]

Entering   the   fold   of   Islam   is   easy.It   is   a   simple   process,   free   of complications.In part 2 we will discuss circumcision, the fact that Islam has no ethnic  or  race  restrictions and  becoming  Muslim without  knowing  very  much about Islam.

Footnotes:[1]Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i

There  is  no  god  but God. It  is  a  simple  statement  that  should make converting  to  Islam  easy. There  is  only  One  God,  and  only  one  religion, nothing  could  be  more  uncomplicated. However,  as  we  discussed  in  the previous article, whenever a person realises the truth and wants to become a Muslim, Satan introduces the word but.I want to be a Muslim…BUT. But I am not  ready. But I don’t speak Arabic, or but I do  not  want  to  change  my name. Today we will discuss more myths that prevent people from converting to Islam.

3. I want to be a Muslim but I do not want to be circumcised.

Prophet  Muhammad  said  that  every  child  was  born  in  a  state  of fitrah, with  the  correct  understanding  of  God.[1] And  the  traditions  of  Prophet Muhammad  tell  us  that  the  conditions  related  to fitrah (the  natural  state  of being) are five.

“Five things are part of the fitrah:  shaving  the  pubic  hair,  circumcision, trimming  the  moustache,  plucking  the  armpit  hairs,and  cutting  the  nails.”[2] This  is  believed  to  be  the  ancient  way,  the  natural  way,  followed  by  all  of the Prophets, and enjoined on the believers by the laws that they brought.[3]

The  majority  of  Islamic  scholars  agree  that  circumcision  is  obligatory  for men  providing  they  do  not  fear  that  it  may  harm  them.When  assessing  the degree of harm a man must look to the Quran and the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad for  guidance. If a man  is not able to  be circumcised  due to fear of injury or any other valid reason that may make his life miserable, the obligation is waived.It is not permissible for the issue to become a barrier that prevents  a  man  from accepting  Islam.[4] In  other  words,  it  is not  a  condition for  becoming  a  Muslim.Also,  it  does  not  prevent  a  man  from  leading  the prayers.[5] There is no requirement for female circumcision in Islam.

4. I want to be a Muslim but I am white.

Islam is  the  religion  that  was  revealed  for  all  people,  in  all  places,  at  all times.It  was  not  revealed  for  aparticular  race  or  ethnicity.It  is  a  complete way  of  life  based  on  the  teachings  found  in  the  Quran  and  the  authentic traditions  of  Prophet  Muhammad. Although  the  Quran  was  revealed  in  the Arabic  language  and  Prophet  Muhammad  was  an  Arab,  it  would  be  wrong  to assume  that  all  Muslims  are  Arabs,  or  for  that  matter,  that  all  Arabs  are Muslims. In fact the vast majority of the world’s 1.4 billion Muslims are  not Arabs.

There  are  no  racial  or  ethnic  requirements  for  one  to  be  a  Muslim. In  his final sermon Prophet Muhammad reiterated this fact very succinctly.

“O people! Your god is One and your father is one. Verily, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and a non-Arab has no superiority over an Arab; a red person  has  no  superiority  over  a  black  person  nor  does  a  black  person have  superiority  over  a red person,  except  by  piety.”[6] “O humankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.” (Quran 49:13)

5. I want to be a Muslim but I do not know anything about Islam.

There  is  no  need  to  know  a  lot  about  Islam to  become  a  Muslim.It  is enough to know the meaning  of testimony and the six pillars of  faith. Once a person   has   embraced   Islam, there is time for him to learn about his religion. There  is  no  need  to  rush  and  be  overwhelmed. Take  things  slowly, but steadily move forward at your own pace. There is time to understand the inspirational beauty and ease of Islam, and to learn about all the prophets and messengers  of  Islam  including  the  last  prophet, Muhammad. A  Muslim  never stops learning; it is a process that will continue until death.

Prophet   Muhammad   said, “The  believer  will  never  have  enough  of listening to good things (seeking knowledge) until he reaches Paradise.”[7]

6. I want to be a Muslim but I have committed too many sins.

When a person says the testimony of faith (Shahada), I testify that there is no  god  but  God  and  I  testify  that  Muhammad  is  His  messenger,  he  becomes like  a  newborn  baby.All  his previous sins, no matter  how  great  or  small  are washed  away. The  slate  is clean,  free  from  sin,  shiny  and  white; this is a  new beginning.Allah says, “Say to those who have disbelieved that if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them…”(Quran 8:38)

There is no compulsion for anyone to accept the truth of Islam.However if your heart tells you there is only One God, do not hesitate.Allah says, “There is  no  compulsion  in  religion.Verily,  the right  path  has  become distinct  from the wrong path.Whoever disbelieves in evil and believes in God, then he has grasped  the  most  trustworthy  handhold  that  will  never  break.And God is All-Hearer, All-Knower.”(Quran 2:256)

Footnotes:

[1]Saheeh Muslim

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari,Saheeh Muslim

[3]Ash-Shawkani, Nayl al-Awtar, Baab Sunan al-Fitrah

[4]Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/115, Al-Ijaabaat ‘ala As’ilatal-Jaaliyaaat, 1/3,4

[6]The  text  of  the  Farewell  Sermon  can  be  found  in Saheeh  Al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim, and in the books of At-Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad.

[7]At Tirmidhi

We finished Part 2 by mentioning that when a person converts to Islam all his  previous  sins,  no  matter  how  grave  or  small,  are  eliminated. The  slate  is clean,  free  from sin,  shiny  and  white;  this  is  a  new  beginning. However  there are some people who may hesitate to accept Islam because they fear they will be unable to stay away from sin. We begin part 3 by discussing this topic.

7. I want to be Muslim but I know there are some sins I cannot stop doing.

If  a  person  truly  believes  that  there  is  no  god  but  Allah,  he  or  she  should accept   Islam   without   delay,   even   if   they   believe   they   will   continue   to sin.When a  person  is used to living a life  unencumbered by any set of moral principles,  Islam  may  at  first  seem  like  a  set  of  rules  and  regulations  that  are almost impossible to fulfill.Muslims do not drink alcohol, Muslims do not eat pork, Muslim women must wear  scarves, Muslims must pray  five times every day.Men and women find themselves saying things like, “I could not possibly stop drinking”, or “I would find it too difficult to pray every single day let alone five times”.

The  reality  is  however,  that  once  a  person  has  accepted  that  there  is  no god  worthy  of  worship  but  Allah,  and  developed  a  relationship  with  Him  the rules  and  regulations  drift  into  insignificance. It  is  a  slow  process  of  wanting to please God. For some, accepting the  guidelines  for a happy life is a matter of days, even hours, for others it can be weeks, months, or even years. Every person’s journey into Islam is different. It is important to remember that God forgives all sins. A believer can, by the mercy of God, be admitted to paradise no  matter  what  sins  he  has committed. On  the  other  hand,  a  non  believer, one  who  worships  something  or  someone  other  than  the  One  True  God,  will be admitted   to eternal   Hellfire. Therefore   given   a   choice   between   not accepting  Islam  altogether  or  being  a  Muslim  who  is  sinning,  the  second choice is certainly much better.

8. I want to be a Muslim but I am afraid to inform others.

As we  have  stressed  repeatedly  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  should prevent a  person  from  embracing  Islam.If  one  fears  the  reaction  of  others, such as his or her parents, siblings or friends, and feels that they are not ready to inform them, still they should convert and  try to practice Islam in secret as much as they can. As time passes, and the connection with God is established, a person’s faith will become stronger and they will know how to handle the situation better. In fact the new Muslim will almost certainly feel liberated and begin to feel the need to inform the whole world about the beauty of Islam.

In the meantime it is a good idea to slowly and subtly prepare your friends and  family  for  the  changes  that  will  obviously  take  place.Perhaps  one  could begin  to  talk  openly  about  God  and  religion  in  general,  express  an  interest  in other faiths  or  Islam  in  particular.When  a  person  begins  to  practice  Islam, which   is   in   fact   a   way   of   life,   those   close   to   them   often   notice   a difference. They will see a newfound respect for them,the family and society in  general;  they  will  also  see  a  change  in  demeanour  often  from  anxious  and unhappy to relaxed and contented.

Islam  is  a  way  of  life  and  it’s  difficult  to hide  it  for  long. It  is  important  to remember that when  people learn of  your conversion to Islam there will be a reaction. It will range  from those that are  happy and accepting, to those who feel  upset  and  disappointed. Often  those  upset,  with  time  get  over  it  and begin to accept the change. And when they see many positive changes in you, they  may  actually  begin to  appreciate  your  conversion.One  needs  to  stay strong,   determined   and   know   that   God   is   with   you. Your   words   and experience  may  very  well  lead others  to  follow  your  example. Trust  in  God, learn  all  you  can  about  your  new found  faith  and  let  the  light  of  Islam  shine through your eyes.

9. I want to be a Muslim but do not know any Muslims

Some  people  learn  about  Islam  from  reading,  others  from  watching  the behaviour  of  Muslims  they  see  in  their  cities  and  towns,  some  even  learn about Islam from programs  on  TV and for others, it is the sound of the call to prayer. Often people seek and find the beauty of Islam without ever meeting a Muslim. It  simply  is  not  necessary  to  know  Muslims  before  accepting  and converting to Islam.

Conversion to Islam is as easy as saying the words,I testify that there is no god but God and I testify that Muhammad is His  messenger. The conversion does  not have to be  done in a  mosque  (Islamic centre) and nor are witnesses needed  for  the  conversion. These  things  however,  are  manifestations  of  the brotherhood  of  Islam  and  mark  the  beginning  of  a  new  faith  with  the  moral and spiritual support of others. If there is no Islamic centre nearby or Muslims to help, one can simply follow the procedure explained in the “How to convert to Islam and Become a Muslim”.

Consequently after conversion it could be very helpful for the new Muslim to  make  contact  with  other  Muslims. Members  of  your  new  spiritual family can   be   found   by   approaching   local   mosques   and   Islamic   centres,   or introducing  yourself  to  the  Muslim  who  lives  down  the  street,  catches  the same  bus,  or  works in  the  same  company. However,  even  if  a  new  Muslim  is totally alone, he or she is connected to 1.5 billion other Muslims.

If you want to Be a Muslim? Before or after conversion this website is available to help new Muslims or those  thinking  about  converting  to  Islam. There  are  literally  hundreds of  easy to  understand  articles  about  Islam. After  your  conversion,  this  website  will help  you  get  started  as  a  new  Muslim  by  giving  you  useful  resources.

Source: Islamhouse.com