Seeking to revert to Islam

[northern_sis]

Salaam Aleikum , I have been quite fascinated with Islam and the pure beauty and truth of it. I wish to revert to Islam soon, but I am located far from the local masjid in town here, in southern Wisconsin.:) Any advice would be appreciated. :)

[al-malibari]

Walaikumussalam Wa rahmatullah .
Inshallah this from Islam QA will help,
Its between you and your creator , you don't need any witnesses inshallah.

If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has the full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion ordained by Allah (SWT) for all human beings, he should pronounce the "Shahada" (testimony of faith) without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is explicit in this regard, as Allah (SWT) has stated.

"Truly, the Religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (3:19)

In another verse of the Holy Qur'an, Allah (SWT) has stated:

"And whosoever desires a religion -other that Islam, never will it be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who are lost." (3:85)

In addition, Islam is the only Religion prevailing over all other religions, Allah (SWT) has stated in the Holy Qur'an:

"And to thee We have sent the Book in truth, (This Qur'an) confirming the scripture that came before it, and a witness over it..." (5:48)

Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), said:

"Islam is based on five pillars: testifying that there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah and His servant; performing the prayer; paying the Zakat (obligatory charity); fasting the month of Ramadan; and performing Hajj."

The Shahada can be declared as follows:

"ASH-HADU ANLAA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH WA ASH HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN ABDUHU WA RASUULUH."

The English translation is:

"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy to be worshipped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."

However, it would not be sufficient for anyone to utter only this testimony orally either in private or in public. One should believe in it from the heart with a firm conviction and unshakable faith. If he is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in his daily life he will find himself a newborn person.

This will move him to strive more and more to improve his character and draw nearer to perfection. The light of the living faith will fill his heart until he becomes the embodiment of that faith.

What should be next after declaring the testimony of faith (Shahada) and then becoming a Muslim? He should know the real concept underlying this testimony, which means accepting the Oneness of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as the last of the Prophets, and meeting its requirements. He must behave accordingly applying this true faith to everything he says or does. What do the words of "Shahada" signify.

The significant point which every Muslim must know is the truth that there is no god to be worshipped other than Allah, (Glory be to Him). He is the only true God, Who Alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the Giver of life and Sustainer and Nourisher of mankind and all creation with His unlimited bounties. Man must worship Allah, Who Alone is worthy of worship.

The second part of the "Shahada" i.e. "Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh" means that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one should be in any doubt about this matter. In fact, the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe in what he has said, to follow his Teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship A11ah alone according to the message revealed to him.

What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service; showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's Commandments both in utterances and actions, whether explicit or implicit and in private or public.

Worship falls into two categories:

1. Visible (manifest or outward) 2. Invisible (concealed or inward)

Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakat (obligatory charity), observing the fast in the month of Ramadan, performing Hajj, recitation of the Holy Qur'an, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.

This type of worship is associated with the movement of the parts of human body, [actions].

Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgment, in the Hereafter, in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone)

This type of worship does not involve movements of parts of the body but it surely has a bearing on one's heart which, subsequently, affects one's way of life (beliefs).

It should be borne in mind that worship not dedicated to Allah alone, will be rejected as one form of polytheism or "shirk", which amounts to apostasy, from the Islamic point of view.

The next step for a devotee newly converted to Islam is to purify himself by taking a bath (total ablution). He should then resolve to comply with all the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He disowns all forms of polytheism and false beliefs. He should reject evil and be righteous. Such rejection of evil and being righteous is one of the requisites of the motto of Islam that is, Lailaha Illal Laah.

Allah has stated in the Holy Qur'an:

"... whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that will never break..." (2:256)

We have to consider that when we declare from our hearts, "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah." It implies on our part of love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislation which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of "there is no god worthy to be worshipped but Allah," to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah. This is the finest anchor of belief which make material the meaning of "AL-WALA" and "AL-BARA". It means that a Muslim should love and be loyal to his Muslim brothers. He should, as a practice, dissociate himself completely from the practices of unbelievers and refuse to be influenced by them, both in worldly and religious matters.

We conclude with a humble prayer to Allah that He may cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Ameen.

[Bluegazer]

Hello northern_sis,


You have to first believe in the 6 Pillars of Faith and the 5 Pillars of Islam.


To read about the 6 Pillars of Faith, click on the following link:

http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-2.htm


To read about the 5 Pillars of Islam, read the following link:

http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch3-16.htm


The Shahada [Testimony of Faith] is the most important element of Islam. It's the first of the Five Pillars of Islam. The first part of the Shahada is pronounced as follows:

Ash'hadu an laa ilaaha illa'llaah


Most translate it as "I bear witness that there is no god but God", but a better translation is "I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except God."


Once you understand this, you understand the implications of this first part of the Shahada, which are that only God Almighty should be worshipped. Therefore, you should know which acts are considered "acts of worship" and be careful to direct these acts to God Almighty alone and to no one else.

An excellent book that deals with this matter of Monotheism in Islam is Bilal Philips' book "The Fundamentals of Tawheed [Islamic Monotheism]". I highly recommend that you read it, since it contains an excellent explanation of this most important element of Islam.


The second part of the Shahada is pronounced as follows:

Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasullu'llaah


Which is translated as "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God"


Once you believe that Muhammad was truly sent as God's final Messenger, that means that you should love him, honour him, believe that what he predicted will happen and obey his commands.


But you have to be careful about what is attributed to be a saying of Muhammad [peace be upon him]. There are many fabricated and weak sayings that are presented as sayings of the Prophet [peace be upon him]. To stay away from them, you have to follow what the scholars of the science of hadith say about a certain saying. Only when they deem that saying as authentic can you then be confident that it was really a saying of Muhammad [peace be upon him].


A book which talks about the science of hadith is Bilal Philips' "Usool al-Hadeeth"


So, if you're convinced about Islam, then you can convert to Islam by simply saying the Shahada in Arabic and English.


I advise you to also say the Shahada again in front of other Muslims. You can do this in a Mosque. The people in charge of the Mosque will then provide you with a certificate that you're a Muslim. This will help you get a visa to enter Saudi Arabia and then Mecca to perform the Pilgrimage [Hajj], which is the one of the Pillars of Islam.


Don't hesitate to ask any question. I hope I was able to help.


Regards,

Bluegazer

[PaxVobiscum]

Assalamo Alaiukum Dear Sister,

Guiding one's heart to the truth is Allah's greatest blessing. It is very nice to hear that you are ready to take the Shahadah (I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger). Here are few of my suggestions:

1. Take the shahadah as soon as possible (even if you are alone you can pronounce the Arabic and English words; you can repeat it later in front of some Muslims, to inform them that you have entered the community).

2. Try contacting the local mosque by phone. Hopefully they will be able to arrange some sister to visit you and assist you in taking the very first steps after the Shahadah. You can also try to contact the Muslim Student's Association in Wisconsin (not sure if this address is updated or not)

2200 East Kenwood BLD.
Milwaukee - Wisconsin - 53201
Phone: (414) 229-4884

Just tell them your situation and ask if they can arrange someone to visit you (or if you want to visit them).

3. It might also be possible for you to get the email contact info of some voluntaring sisters here (I think you will need to check with the moderators here), you can have voice chat with them to discuss the basic stuff and other matters of concern.

Please feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

May Allah guide us all to the right path
Your Brother

[brother4ever]

:wasalam:
Sister
First of I am going to congratulate u that u r going accept Islam the path.
Warm Welcome to TTI ,I hope u will enjoy here & share/learn lot's of things.SIster plz feel free to ask any questions that you may have.May Allah guide us all to the right path.

ALLAH HAFIZ
ur Brother