How To Become A Muslim
Based on a booklet by The
Cooperative Office for Call and Guidance - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the
universe. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon Mohammad, His last messenger.
The purpose of this hand-out is to
correct a false idea spread among those willing to adopt Islam as their faith.
Some people have a wrong notion that entering into the Islamic fold requires an
announcement from the concerned person in the presence of high ranking scholars
or shaikhs or reporting this act to courts of justice or other authorities. It
is also thought that the act of accepting Islam, should, as a condition, have a
certificate issued by the authorities, as evidence to that effect.
We wish to clarify that the whole matter
is very easy and that none of these conditions or obligations are required. For
Allah, Almighty, is above all comprehension and knows well the secrets of all
hearts. Nevertheless, those who are going to adopt Islam as their religion are
advised to register themselves as Muslims with the concerned governmental
agency, as this procedure may facilitate for them many matters including the
possibility of performing Hadj (Pilgrimage) and Umrah.
If anyone has a real desire to be a
Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion
ordained by Allah for all human-beings, then, one should pronounce the "Shahada",
the testimony of faith, without further delay. The Holy Qur'an is
explicit on this regard as Allah states:
- "The Religion in the sight of
Allah is Islam"
In another verse of the Holy Qur'an,
Allah states:
- "If anyone desires a religion
other than Islam (Submission to Allah), 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 hell fire)."
In addition, Islam is the only religion
prevailing over all other religions. Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:
- "To thee We sent the Scripture in
truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in
safety:..."
Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah (Peace
and blessing of Allah be upon him), said:
"The superstructure of
Islam is raised on five (pillars): testifying that there is no God (none truely
to be worshiped) but Allah, and that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah,
performing the prayer, paying the Zakah (poor-due), fasting the month of
Ramadan, and performing Hadj".
The Shahada can be declared as
follows:
"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH
WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".
The English translation is:
"I bear witness that there is
none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the
Messenger of Allah"
However, it would not be sufficient for
anyone to only utter this testimony oraly either in private or in public; but
rather, he should believe in it by heart with a firm conviction and unshakeable
faith. If one is truly sincere and complies with the teachings of Islam in all
his life, he will find himself a new born 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 would be next after declaring
oneself a Muslim? One should then know the real concept underlying this
testimony which means the Oneness of Allah and meet its requirements. One must
behave accordingly, applying this true faith to every thing one speaks or does.
What do the words of the "Shahada"
signify? The significant point which every Muslim must know very well is the
truth that there is no God (deity) to be worshipped other than Allah. He - glory
be to Him - 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 ash-hadu anna Mohammadan rasul-Allah) means that Prophet
Mohammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one must have
two opinions about this matter. In fact the Muslim has to obey the commands of
the Prophet (PBUH), to believe him in what he has said, to practice his
teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship Allah alone according
to the message revealed to him, for all the teachings of the Prophet were in
fact revelations and inspirations conveyed to him by Allah.
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 of man whether explicit or implicit.
Worship fall into two categories:
Visible worship includes acts such as
uttering the two parts of the "Shahada", performing prayers, giving Zakah
(the poor-due), 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
movement of the parts of the human body.
Invisible worship is to believe in
Allah, in the Day of Judgement (in the Hereafter), in the Angels, in the Books
of Allah, in the Prophets of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good
and bad are determined by Allah alone).
This type of worship does not involve
movement of parts of the body but it surely has bearing on one's heart which
subsequently affects one's way of life.
It should be borne in mind that any
worship not dedicated to Allah alone will be rejected as one form of polytheism
and this causes apostasy from the Islamic fold.
The next step for a newly revert to
Islam is to purify himself by taking a complete bath. He should then
resolve to comply with the principles and rules of Islam in their entirety. He
should disown 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
equisites of the motto of Islam - that is, Laa Ilaha Illallah.
Allah states in the Holy Qur'an:
- "... whoever rejects evil and
believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy Hand-hold, that never
breaks..."
We have to consider that when we declare
from our heart that "there is no god (deity) worthy to be worshipped but Allah",
it implies on our part love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of
Islamic legislations 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 firmest anchor of belief
which materialise 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 unbelievers and refuse to be influenced
by them, both in worldly and religious matters.
We conclude with a humble prayer to
Allah that may He cleanse the hearts and souls of those who are genuine seekers
of truth and may He bless the community of believers. Aameen.
