New Muslims’ First Steps to Connect with Allah

Before I accepted Islam I was Christian. Jesus (peace be upon him) was the one I would always pray to; for Christians he is the mediator between God and Man.

How Can I Make My Heart Love Allah?


How Can I Make My Heart Love Allah?


Becoming Muslim called for a lot of adjustment and, to begin with, it was very difficult.

Realizing that praying to Jesus was out of the question I actually felt like I had lost my best friend. Having felt for so many years that God was quite unapproachable, He felt even more unapproachable now.

I had accepted Islam with my head but my heart was lagging behind, and the media had seen to it that when I thought of Allah that I thought of a God of wrath.

I needed to feel a connection with Allah. But how?

Quran


The Quran is a holy book like no other; it is not a compilation of accounts, stories or musings written by men, it is the actual speech of the Lord of the Worlds. To connect with Allah, it made sense to turn to His Word.

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. (Quran 2:186)

Have you ever read the tafsir of this verse? It blew my mind and melted my heart. The first part of the verse, Allah is speaking directly to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but in the second part He speaks directly to us. “Indeed I am near.” Allah wants us to know that He is not distant, far away or detached. He is near.

This provided me with a lot of comfort. Our Lord wants us to know that He is there for each one of us as individuals. SubhanAllah.

Allah reveals so much of Himself through the Quran if we can take the time to read and deeply reflect. How?

Through His Beautiful Names!


Every single chapter of the Quran (with one exception) begins with the reminder that Allah is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem; He is the source of mercy and kindness.

He is Ar-Razaq (our Sustainer), Al-Haleem (The Forbearing), Al-Hafiz (The Protector) and Al-Wadud (The Loving One). I strongly urge anyone to learn as much as they can about the Names of Allah so that by knowing Allah you can more easily connect with Him.

I Don’t Feel Love for Allah, but Fear


I Don’t Feel Love for Allah, but Fear


Prayer


Five times a day we are called to pray. When you are a new Muslim, this can seem quite daunting; wudu must be done, there are movements to remember and Arabic words to wrangle with.

I promise that this all comes with time and it won’t be long until you can pray with ease. When you are comfortable with your salah you will realize that it is a beautiful conversation between you and Allah. We praise Him and in return He offers us forgiveness and guidance.

And the most beautiful part of the prayer is the sujood (prostration).

The Prophet Muhammad said:

The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration. (Muslim)

Do you find that when you are in sujood your heart melts? I know that if I come to my salah with a heavy heart, fears or worries, it is in sujood that my Lord comforts me.

More Merciful Than a Mother


Is there a greater love in the human race than the love that a mother has for her child? It is a love that comes without conditions paired with the desire to nurture and protect.

It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said:

“Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allah, and there was a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for her child). When she found her child she embraced him and put him to her breast. The Messenger of Allah said to us:

Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire?

We said:

‘No, by Allah, not if she is able not to.’

The Messenger of Allah said:

Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to her child. (Bukhari and Muslim)

4 Ways to Increase Your Love for Allah


4 Ways to Increase Your Love For Allah


How to Connect with Allah


1- Think Well of Allah


The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am… If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed. (Muslim)

If you come to Allah and expect His love and mercy, then that is what you will find. If you wish to be close to Him, He will come closer to you.

2- Obligatory Acts


The Prophet Muhammad said:

Allah says: “My slave does not draw closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than that which I have made obligatory upon him…If he were to ask of Me, I would surely give to him; if he were to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge. I do not hesitate about anything that I want to do as I hesitate to take the soul of a believer, for he hates death and I hate to hurt him.”” (Bukhari)

SubhanAllah, how beautiful is this hadith? Your relationship with Allah will grow and strengthen by performing your salah, fasting the month of Ramadan, giving in charity and making Hajj (if you are able).

3- Dhikr


This is remembrance of Allah. We spend so much of our time waiting; for a bus, at an appointment, to fall asleep. Use this time to engage in dhikr. No one needs even notice, la illaha illa Allah doesn’t even require any movement of the lips! Alhamdulillah.

4- Gratitude


Recognizing the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon you will not fail to help you appreciate the generosity and kindness of your Lord.

If you would count up the favors of Allah, never would you be able to number them. (Quran 16:18)

5- Avoiding Major Sins


Abu Huraira reported:

The Messenger of Allah said:

Verily, when the servant commits a sin a black spot appears upon his heart. If he abandons the sin, seeks forgiveness, and repents, then his heart will be polished. If he returns to the sin, the blackness will be increased until it overcomes his heart. It is the covering that Allah has mentioned: No, but on their hearts is a covering because of what they have earned.” (At-Tirmidhi)

Sin blackens the heart and a heart black with sin will feel far from Allah. May He give us the ability to avoid major sins and to draw close to Him with that which is pleasing to Him.

Ameen.

 

Converting But No Mosques Near Me: What Can I Do?

QI am about to convert to Islam because it is beautiful. However, in my native country, there are no mosques and virtually everybody is Christian. In this milieu what is the proper way to follow? Thanks.


ANSWER

Try to find some through the contacts in islamicfinder.


There are quite a number of mosques and other Islamic services in Hungary, though most of them are in Budapest.


Islam should make you a better person, so much so that your family and friends notice an improvement in you.


Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by all the new things you have to learn as a new Muslim. Allah doesn’t expect you to change overnight.


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Salam (Peace) Laszl,

I am so happy for you that you want to be a Muslim.

Alhamdulillah (all praise to Allah) that He has guided you to His religion.

I am also happy to tell you that there are quite a number of mosques and other Islamic services in Hungary, though most of them are in Budapest. You can find them through Islamicfinder.

Insha’ Allah (if Allah wills) through these organizations you will be able to learn more and more about your new religion, and also you will be able to meet other Muslims who might live a reasonable distance from you so that you can get together occasionally, especially for the `Eids (Islamic public celebrations).

As for actually becoming Muslim, you don’t absolutely have to do it publicly. After all, Islam is, first, about your relationship with your Creator and, second, about your relationship with others.

However, it is a good idea to pronounce the Shahadah (testimony of faith) before one or more Muslim witnesses — or even by phone or Internet through some Web sites — because there are some legal ramifications in the case of your death, such as issues of burial and inheritance from you.

I hope that does not frighten you, but Muslims must always keep in mind that they can die at any minute. None of us has any guarantee that we will live to see tomorrow.

And, of course, if you ever get the chance to make Hajj — which I hope you will someday — you might need some documentation that you are Muslim in order to get a visa.

Lifestyle Changes


If you are sincere in your Islam, it will involve some changes in lifestyle.

Most important is that you learn to perform salah, the Muslim ritual Prayer, and that you get into the habit of performing the Prayers five times a day.

The salah is what distinguishes a Muslim from a non-Muslim, so it is essential that you learn to perform salah as soon as possible.

You may have to change your sleeping habits a bit so that you can get up in time for the fajr (dawn) prayer, and it might take some ingenuity to find the time or place to pray at work. But it is so vital for your relationship with Allah.

For some the salah seems like a burden, but it only takes a total of perhaps 45 minutes a day. It is also refreshing—physically and spiritually—so it can actually help you to be better in your work; it should never be thought of as a waste of time.

A Better Person


Your Islam should help you to develop your character.

You should become more honest, trustworthy, kind, generous, modest, chaste, and hardworking.

If you have trouble controlling your temper, Islam should help you to do so. If you are the kind that worries too much, Islam should help you to put your troubles in the hands of Allah.

In short, Islam should make you a better person, so much so that your family and friends notice an improvement in you.

You will also have to give up eating pork and drinking alcohol. It is even forbidden for a Muslim to sit with others who are drinking—and it is a major sin to do so.

This might be a very difficult step if you are in the habit of doing so, especially with friends. But if your friends are real friends, they will understand your need and refrain from drinking in your presence.

You and they can still enjoy playing or watching football, for example; just switch to drinking soft drinks.

All of this will come gradually, of course.

It may be more difficult for you if you don’t have Muslims near you so that you can spend your leisure time with them. But who knows, perhaps there are some in the next town. Try to find some through the contacts in Islamicfinder.

It is a great blessing, alhamdulillah that we have the Internet and telephones to help us connect with others who are far away.

Certainly, such a long-distance relationship is not the same as a personal one, but you might locate some other Muslims near you.

As you grow in your new faith, you will find that your attitude towards many things changing. As you understand Allah more, you will recognize His majesty and His right to make laws that govern our lives.

So many people today, even many of those who call themselves Christians, believe that “times change” and that moral values must change, too.

Even if they worship God once a week, many people do not apply moral or religious values in their daily lives. This, of course, is not how Muslims should think. They know that human nature does not change and that Allah has given us moral laws for our own good.

Gradual Change


My last piece of advice to you is not to let yourself be overwhelmed by all the new things you have to learn as a new Muslim.

Be easy on yourself—but not lax. Allah doesn’t expect you to change overnight. But be steady (and slow) in your efforts.

Improve yourself gradually.

Don’t try to suddenly make too many lifestyle changes at one time; especially don’t throw yourself into doing many extra voluntary acts of worship. Learn the essentials, perform the essentials, and then gradually increase.

Once again, welcome to Islam!

I hope this helps.

Salam and please keep in touch.