First published on: A Simple & Easy Guide to Be a Muslim

 Ahlan Writer

Are you wondering “How to be a Muslim?”


Do you have this desire in your heart to be a Muslim?


Well, this is absolutely beautiful.

What is Islam?


    Islam is the same message that all Messengers from the beginning of time have been teaching.


Islam is NOT a new religion. Actually, all Messengers from Adam, Noah, Abraham, to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad were Muslims, in submission to their Creator who sent them.

God is All-Wise, He doesn’t change His mind. In fact, he sent the same message of pure monotheism (tawhid) with all Messengers. The message, in essence, is: worship your One and Only Creator, do not associate anyone with Him, and follow the Messengers.


God is beyond any need, He is Self Sufficient. Nothing is impossible to Him. God doesn’t “need” a son in order to “forgive and show mercy” to His slaves. He doesn’t “need”, He is not incapable of forgiving. He simply can forgive and show mercy directly to His slaves. But He created us for a deeper, wiser and more sophisticated purpose.

    He created us to test who is really sincere and who isn’t. Moreover, we have the ability to learn and make a choice. This choice is the proof of our sincerity because we can disobey but we can also choose Him, and choosing Him above anyone and anything else is the proof of sincere love and faith. Accordingly, He will offer eternal paradise wherein we can get whatever we want for eternity without ever working again. All we need to do is just commit to His path in this short temporary world.

This is Islam, the Message of all Prophets


     Allah (Arabic for The One & Only deity worthy of worship) sent revelations before like the Torah to Prophet Moses and the Gospels (Injeel) to Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them). However, these books were sent for specific people and not meant for all mankind, unlike the Qur’an (The last revelation). Emphatically, it is academically a known fact that these documents (Torah & Gospels) have been edited and altered and their original forms are nowhere to be found today.

This is why Allah sent the last and final message which is the Qur’an and it has been preserved in its original form, absolutely protected and memorized by millions of people around the world. Therefor, this book is unrivaled and undefeated. And it’s the Ultimate Proof for the Truth of Islam.


Essentially, everything in Islam has a purpose. It’s not just random orders. Whatever we’re asked to do, helps us grow in a certain way and helps us connect with Allah and explore ourselves more deeply.

Here’s a Guide to be a Muslim


Islam is easy and beautiful. There are 5 pillars in Islam:

1. The testimony of faith (Shahadah):


If you want to be a Muslim, you simply say the testimony of faith (Shahadah) with your tongue.


When you do, all your past sins will be forgiven.


The point is, if you believe in your heart and have love for Allah and His peace, then you must say it with your tongue.


Just like if you love someone, it’s not enough to keep it in your heart and mind, you have to say it.


So we say the Shahadah which is the testimony of faith.

*The Shahadah in Arabic:

Ash hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash hadu ana Muhammadan Rasoolu Allah

* In English (other languages):

     I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of Worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is The Messenger of Allah.

     Neither, you need to be in a certain place, nor there is any complicated process to be a Muslim. Basically, it’s very simple and natural. As, Allah already sees you and listens to your heart and mind. He is The Near The All-Hearing, All-Seeing. Thus, if you believe, then you just utter the Shahadah directly, and He accepts it.

When you do, you become officially a Muslim. Then we learn and grow bit by bit.

2. Daily Prayers:


     Next thing is to learn how to pray because prayer is communication with Allah. And Allah wants to help us daily and guide us daily and love us and be part of our daily lives that He gave to us.

So we talk to Him through those beautiful prayers, 5 times a day we speak with The King and get His love, light and comfort. Further more, we remember that we belong to the King and to Him, we will return.

Certainly, If you think about it, it’s very Generous of Him! Obviously, who else wants to call you five times a day every day and hear you speak to Him except this Most Merciful Creator who never gets tired from hearing us?! 

3. Zakat:


     Also, we give a small amount to charity to help the poor. That’s the annual “zakat” comes from the word “purification” because it is a purification of our wealth and our hearts by giving others.

4. Pilgrimage:


     Only if we are able, we go to pilgrimage (Hajj) where all mankind from all backgrounds gather to worship their One and Only God, Allah. Also, to remember that they are all equal and they come from the same Source and to Him they will return.

5. Fasting:


    Lastly, in Ramadan, we fast to discipline our body and feed our soul and learn how to control our physical being and focus on our spiritual being.


That’s it 🙂

So the five pillars are:


Saying the testimony of faith (Shahadah).


Establishing prayers.


Giving annual alms (Zakat).


Going on pilgrimage if it’s possible and if one is able financially and physically.


Fasting in the month of Ramadan from dusk to sunset [If there are no health reasons to exempt it].


That’s it. Very simple, but deep and beautiful and engaging for the heart and mind and body.

If this makes sense to you and appeals to your heart and mind,


then go ahead and say the Shahadah.

Here is a recording of it that you can follow:


How to Say the Shahada & Embrace Islam


If the Arabic seems challenging for you, simply divide it bit by bit.


Say:


Ash  Hadu


An


La


ilaha


illa


Allah

Wa


Ash Hadu


Anna


Muhammadan


Rasoolu


Allah.

That’s it. 😊

So, If you said it sincerely and with conviction, then you have become a Muslim.

CONGRATULATIONS!


You now have over 1.8 Billion brothers and sisters around the world.


And Allah omits all your past sins. You start clean and fresh with a clean slate.

[Note: if you’re indebted, you need to pay your debt. Allah forgives our sins, but we need to give people their due rights if we owe them something out of honesty and trustworthiness].

And from now on, know that Allah treats you with His Mercy and Generosity. The Messenger of Allah said that Allah says,

Whosoever intended to perform a good deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as a complete good deed. And if he intended to perform it and then did perform it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds up to seven hundred times, up to many times multiplied. And if he intended to perform an evil deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as a complete good deed. And if he intended it [i.e., the evil deed] and then performed it, then Allah writes it down as one evil deed.”  [Al-Bukhari & Muslim](1)

What if you seek Allah’s Forgiveness?


  Indeed, you’ll always find Him Near and Forgiving. Allah Almighty says in a Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith):

O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.”   [At-Tirmidhi](2)

And know that if you come to Allah one step, He’ll come towards you many more steps. The Prophet (PBUH) said,

My Lord says, ‘If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ”   [Al-Bukhari] (3)

This is Allah. Your Creator and my Creator. The One & Only, The Incomparably Forgiving and Merciful.

If you started walking on His path, congratulations! May your journey please and soothe your heart and mind.

If you’re reading this now with sincere desire to know, find and embrace The Truth, then know that you’re blessed and that Allah sees you and appreciates your efforts and is close to you and will help you.

May Allah descend His unique peace and ease upon your heart.