What's The Proper Way To Enter The Fold Of Islam?

Salam Alaekun

May Allah accepts the Ibadah of our new sister coming into the fold of Islam. This reminds me of a sister that reverted to Islam through Allah and me years ago. She declared the Shadah first and I handed her over to sisters for the ritual bath.

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 `Shahaada', the testimony of faith, without further delay. The `Shahaada' is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.

With the pronunciation of this testimony, or `Shahaada', 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, but if the sin involved usurping a right of another human, such as stealing, then they should strive their utmost to return what was wrongly taken. 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.

If One Wants To Convert To Islam, Then What Needs To Be Learnt After The Shahadah?
The term in Arabic for convert is Aslam. When Muslim scholars speak about conversion they say wal kafir idha aslama. In the Qur'an the term "repentance" (Tawbah) is also used:

", But if they (the pagans, polytheists) repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them, " (9:5).

There are several steps to be discussed regarding the process:

How To Become A Muslim

For the common unbeliever to become a Muslim, he/she must pronounce the two statements of the Shahadah: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger." A person who has previously believed in Judaism or Christianity has to add[/b]: "[b]And I bear witness that Jesus is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, and His word which He gave to Mary, and a spirit from Him." This expression is to signify a rejection of both the Jewish misconception and derogation of Jesus, and the Christian misconception and exaggeration of his position.

The Prophet (s.A.w.) said: "Whoever testified that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partners with him, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and His word which He has thrown into Mary, and a spirit from Him, and that Paradise is true and that Hell is true - Allah will let him enter Paradise with what action he did." (Bukhari, Muslim)

Witnesses To Conversion

From a religious point of view, there is no need for any witnesses to a conversion, but for a person from a non-Muslim background to be known as a Muslim, he or she must officially register their acceptance of Islam so as to be treated as a Muslim in all aspects of life, such as civic and personal matters. This is especially important in non-Muslim countries: I am aware of the case of an elderly, hospitalised brother who embraced Islam sometime before passing away. Nearly all his visitors during this period were Muslims, but because his conversion was not recorded officially, his body was handed over to his immediate family who carried out the funeral procedures according to non-Islamic ways.

Ghusl

Once the Shahadah has been pronounced the new convert becomes subject to the rules of Islam. If the new Muslim is an adult, male or female, Ghusl is obligatory to enable the person to perform his or her prayers. It is not permitted, when a person comes to announce his conversion, to ask him or her to go and perform Ghusl first; this means delaying his conversion, and no-one knows what may happen during this delay.

Abu Hanifah (r.a.) says that there is no obligation on the convert to perform Ghusl because Allah (s.w.t.) says:

"Say to the unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from unbelief), their past would be forgiven them, "(8:38).

Many people embraced Islam and the Prophet (s.A.w.) did not ask them to take a bath. When Amr Ibn al-'As accepted Islam, the Messenger of Allah said to him:

"Did you not know that Islam wipes away what happened before, and repentance wipes out what was before."

The explanation to this apparent contradiction is that Allah will forgive sins according to a person's rights. The obligation to perform Ghusl comes after conversion, to enable the new convert to offer his or her prayers. When Qays Ibn Asim accepted Islam, the Prophet (s.A.w.) asked him to take a bath.

Circumcision

The male convert should be circumcised, as this is part of the natural manners recommended in Islam. If circumcision would pose any risk to health it may be delayed until the person is fitter and more able to cope with it. The scholars refer to the example of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) who circumcised himself at the age of eighty. Some Muslim scholars would not accept an uncircumcised person leading prayers. Incidentally, there is no requirement of circumcision for females in Islam.

Shaving The Head, Removing Bodily Hair

It is recommended for the new convert to shave his head (men only) and to remove body hair from the armpits and the private parts (both sexes). It is reported that Kulayb came to the Prophet to declare his Islam, and to one he told him to shave his hair, and to another convert he said:

"Clean off the hair which grew while you were a disbeliever, and circumcise yourself."

Changing The Name

If the name is an ordinary one according to the culture of the person accepting Islam, there is no need to change it. But if it has a meaning which is objectionable on Islamic grounds (such as Abd al-Masih, the servant of the Messiah), it has to be changed.

Family Matters

If the convert is in a marriage which is not acceptable in Islamic law, it is automatically nullified when he accepts Islam. For example marriage to a blood relative who is actually prohibited for marriage (Mahram) is of course null and void. If a man was married to two sisters, on accepting Islam he would have to choose between them. If a Muslim convert's wife remains a Jew or Christian, the marriage remains valid, but if she is of any other religion, the marriage is nullified.

Underage children become Muslim once one of the parents accepts Islam. Adult children are free to choose.

Wills And Inheritance

A difference of religion prevents inheritance; a Muslim cannot inherit from a non-Muslim or vice versa. Inheritance here refers to cases where a person dies in the state (without having made a will) and the estate is distributed to heirs according to the law of the land. According to Islamic law, a Muslim cannot inherit from a non-Muslim relative in this manner.

Wills, on the other hand, do make a difference: a Muslim may accept what has been left to him in a will by a non-Muslim relative. A Muslim with non-Muslim relatives may leave up to one-third of his estate to them in his will, but the other two-thirds must go to Muslim relatives.

May Allah guides us on the right way.

What is a "ritual bath"? Another corruption of water baptism in christendom?


this portion intrigued me a lot. Why the EMPHASIS on REJECTING the Lordship of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, the sacrifice of His blood for one to become a muslim? What if someone was a past Ogun worshipper? Is there a special renunciation that must be undertaken or is this rejection of the gospel another sinister but clear indication that islam is nothing but a repudiation of christianity really?

(i) God is One. He has neither a partner, nor a son or daughter. He is One in the true sense of the word that has no room for the concept of trinity, or for any other form of camouflage monotheism or a disguised polytheism.

(ii) The Holy Prophet Muhammad, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is the last Messenger of Allah after whom no messenger or prophet of Allah (in any sense of the word) will come.

(iii) The Holy Qur'an is the last of the divine books revealed on the Holy Prophet, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and all its contents are true.

(iv) The life Hereafter is the eternal life one has to live after his death where he will have to face the fate of his good and evil deeds.

(v) All the teachings given by the Holy Qur'an or by the Holy Prophet, Salla-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, in absolute and unambiguous terms are true and acceptable.

Once a person accepts all these fundamental beliefs as true, both verbally and in his heart, he becomes a Muslim.

Salam


You don't have to rush her so that it wont be as if they are forcing her to revert and her husband needs to exercise lots of patient. Get her islamic books to read, just like 'the Ideal Muslimah' and she would love it.

It took many years for the holy prophet to preach the oneness of God, just like Moses too. Introduce muslim sisters and let her be friends to her. When she starts moving with them, she would know what is right from wrong. Also, let her establish regular prayer and by doing that, she would be dropping some things gradually because she would know that, Allah would frowns at this if she does that.

Just like how Allah touched a christian through me; when Allah touched her heart, she declared the Shahadah, I handed her over to muslim sisters for the bath.

When we saw later, she told me that she wouldnt be wearing Hijab because she would feel somehow in it but I had to calm her down, gave her materials to read. If I had told her that look, thats what Allah want and if you don't do it like that, it would be a sin. She would feel bad thinking Islam is a religion of compulsion and not giving her freedom. But Alhamdulillah, she is now a full fledged Muslimah, knowledgeable and she has been introducing people to Islam because I made her learn some facts about the religion she came from. You must also let her know that Islam does not lay hardship on Muslims and let know that there is enjoyment in Islam as well.

May Allah make it easy for her and please do let me know how it goes.

Maa Salam

May ALLAH increase our knowldge.