INTRODUCTION


Every individual is born into a religious environment that is


not necessarily in accordance with his or her choice; children


are raised to follow the religion or ideology of their family, society,


or culture. Even as new-born babies, they are assigned


either the religion of their family or the ideology of the state; in


some countries, the child’s assigned religion is even recorded on


the birth certificate. By the time individuals reach their teens,


they have usually accepted the beliefs of their parents or their


particular society. Since these beliefs have come to feel normal


to them, they may give no thought to examining and possibly


changing them.


However, individuals often encounter, or are exposed to, various


beliefs and ideologies throughout the course of their lives, leading


many to question long-held beliefs, traditions, or philosophical


ideas. They begin to question the validity of their own beliefs.


Seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion, especially upon


realizing that the believers of every religion, sect, ideology, and


philosophy claim to profess the one and only truth.


There are only three possibilities: 1) everyone is correct, 2)


everyone is incorrect, or 3) only one is correct and the rest are


incorrect. It is impossible for all of them to be upon the true


religion because the fundamentals of all religions are different.


On the other hand, to claim that they are all incorrect is to deny


that Allah (the Exalted) revealed His will to humankind. This


proposition will seem absurd to those who believe in a wise


Creator. After all, why would Allah create human beings and


not reveal a way to the truth? So which religion is the right


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 10


one, and how can the seeker of truth come to know it? This is


the main subject of this work.


When beginning the search for the true religion, one should keep


in mind the following four things:


Firstly, Allah has given us the ability and the intellect to discover


the answer to this crucial question, which is also a life-changing


decision: What is the true religion?


Secondly, Allah, the Most Compassionate, has not left us to go


astray without any guidance. Indeed, He sent us prophets with


scriptures to show us the right path.


Thirdly, we should always remember the underlying reason


for this search: the everlasting life to come depends upon


adopting the true religion in this life. This should be our ultimate


motivation and a driving force to keep us searching until we are


completely satisfied.1


Fourthly, we can only determine the true path and make a


rational and correct decision if we willingly put aside all the


emotions and prejudices which often blind us to reality.


Kind regards,


Majed S. Al-Rassi


Phone: 966 50 5906761


e-mail: majed.alrassi@gmail.com


1 The Bible, in its present form, confirms that seeking the truth is the main


cause for salvation. In John 8:32, it has been stated, “and you will know the


truth, and the truth will set you free.” Muslims believe that the existing versions


of the Bible contain elements of the original true message, although it


has been altered significantly over time.


11 |


WHAT IS MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO TURN


TO ISLAM?


It is a fact that Islam is growing rapidly in the West and around


the world. In the U.S. alone, the number of Muslims has risen


dramatically, from about 10,000 in 1900 to at least several million


people today. Here are four main reasons why non-Muslims


become Muslims:


1. Islam teaches that all believers are equal in the eyes of God,


and it forbids any form of racism or discrimination due to


colour, land of origin, tribe, etc.


2. Islam does not have a religious hierarchy; there is no


priesthood in Islam, so individuals have a direct relationship


with God, without intermediaries. All Muslims are taught to


do good and avoid evil and to educate themselves about their


religion, and they go to reputable scholars for knowledge


and advice.


3. Islam teaches that all its followers are considered normal


human beings. No one is allowed to exalt himself or herself


over others by claiming divinity, or to deceive the community


by claiming to have a direct message and/or direct alliance


with God, or to have spoken with God. No one can make the


false allegation that God has taken him as a son and that as a


result of that, people should follow this person blindly!


Unfortunately, some members of the clergy utilize this


concept to deceive their followers for their own personal


benefit. An example is when they convince their followers


that they cannot be questioned and are beyond reproach; some


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 12


even solicit sexual relations from vulnerable individuals who


come to ask them questions and/or seek forgiveness from


sins through them.


I spoke to one young woman who turned to Islam after


waking up from her sleep and discovering this huge lie


and deceit… finally realizing that she had squandered her


modesty and decency in the bed of a drunk clergyman!


4. Islam teaches its adherents to establish and strengthen their


own direct relationship with Allah, where no intercession


is needed from another person. In Islam, there is no church


to act as an intermediary between an individual and Allah.


It rejects the concept of seeking forgiveness of sins by


confessing to a priest, an ordinary human being, who has no


authority to absolve anyone of sin.


Muslims must follow the guidance of God’s law as it has been


revealed, and this will lead them to success. If individuals


err, they only have to turn to Allah, because He is the Oft-


Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Islam frees the mind from


barriers and roadblocks, granting its followers unobstructed


access to Allah. It teaches that Allah is the only One from


Whom people should seek forgiveness. He does not need


intermediaries (in any form) standing in between, presenting


themselves as the gatekeepers to Allah and contending that


only through them may people have access to Him. Islam


strictly rejects the man-made concept of confessing one’s sin


to a human being such as a “priest”, and it rejects the act of


seeking salvation through this person. Allah is All-Hearing,


All-Seeing, Most Merciful, and Most Knowledgeable. He


is All-Rich. He does not need intermediaries to convey


13 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


people’s needs to Him. People need only to raise their hands


and say, “Allah, please forgive me; I promise to repent,” and


Allah will forgive them.1 That’s it!


In general, this direct relationship is a means of accessing


Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. This concept is logical and


straightforward; anyone would naturally be pleased to hear


and believe it.


However, Allah (God) warns humankind that He refuses to


forgive those who associate partners with Him:


{Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but


He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And


he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far


astray.} (Quran 4: 116)


1 Islam teaches that one must repent for the sake of Allah only (not out of


compulsion or to be seen doing so), stop committing the sin, sincerely regret


it, and intend not to return to it.

15 |


BEST DECISION SHE EVER MADE


Islam is often called the fastest growing religion, and each person


who embraces Islam has a unique story and unique reasons.


Despite widespread misconceptions about women in Islam, a


growing number of women are finding that Islam is the true religion


and the best way of life. Ann Ronayne’s story is below;


she welcomes emails from readers and can be reached at ann.


ronayne1@gmail.com.


“Me? Go live in Kuwait? No way!” That was my reaction when


my manager tried to persuade me to take a position in Kuwait.


But I was to learn that {...the command of Allah is a decree of


predestiny that is ever fulfilled.} (Quran 33: 38)1


I was born and raised in suburban Washington, D.C. in a


Catholic family, and I attended Catholic schools. In the 1960s,


the Catholic Church made major changes in its teachings in an


attempt to be more modern; it tried to focus more on positive


aspects and de-emphasize what was considered negative:


punishment, regulations, abstinence from certain foods at certain


times, etc. (Even so, Catholics in the West routinely ignored


many of the rules that still existed, such as the prohibitions on


contraceptives.) The Mass, which had always been said in Latin,


was said in English instead. The nuns who taught us replaced


their habits (modest dress) with modern clothes. Our religion


classes had never involved reading the Bible, but now, instead


of focusing on religious beliefs, they involved discussion of


social issues and singing a lot of contemporary folk songs, as


did the new Masses. It seemed strange that so much of what


1 This translation is taken from Hammad, The Gracious Quran.


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 16


we had been taught as the truth was now completely changed.


Still, when we prepared for our first Holy Communion, we were


taught that the bread that the priest was putting in our mouths


was the actual body of Jesus (which would bleed if we were to


bite it). For these and many other reasons, I doubted my religion


and rejected it from a young age.


My decision was only confirmed as I learned more. If the trinity


was such an important concept, why hadn’t Jesus explained that


clearly (and repeated it over and over again)? If God wanted to


forgive us, He could have done that without coming to Earth


Himself and being crucified to atone for our sins. Was it Jesus


the man or Jesus the God who died on the cross, and how can


God – Who has no beginning or end – die? If God did send His


son (who was also God?) down to Earth to guide us, why would


He neglect to give us the message during his thirty-three years,


so that the truth had to be discovered and given to us later by


Paul, who never even met Jesus?! If Christianity were the true


religion, why didn’t Jesus himself live and teach it?


For many years, I considered myself an atheist or an agnostic,


but I was never concerned with choosing a label. I thought


it was enough that I tried to be a good person, and I felt that


nonbelievers actually did more good works because they didn’t


depend on any supernatural being for help. I never felt that I


was searching for answers about the purpose of life or about


religious beliefs.


After the Gulf War, I was working as a computer consultant


when my company was offered a position in Kuwait which was


perfect for me. My initial reaction was that I had no desire to


go and work in a place where I thought women were treated


17 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


as second-class citizens; after all, I had the usual stereotypes


about women in a place like Kuwait. The manager on location


assured me that the working environment was professional


and that there were many bright women in the organization,


including those who would be my supervisor and manager. I was


eventually persuaded to take the contract for one year, thinking


that it would be an adventure.


I soon learned that all of the stereotypes I had brought with me


were wrong.


My colleagues were always friendly and respectful, and it


occurred to me that it was almost the only environment I’d ever


worked in where I saw no evidence of sexual harassment-not


even any off-colour jokes or racy calendars hanging in cubicles.


(It was certainly different from the atmosphere I’d experienced


in the US military.) The women working with me were university


graduates and were not shy about speaking out, and most chose


to wear Islamic dress. Advertisements did not use women’s


bodies to sell products.


I was impressed to see the bonds among families and members


of the society in general. When one colleague lost his pay check,


all of the men quickly pitched in until they had collected the


same amount of money for him. People also gave generously to


the needy, both locally and globally.


When someone’s mother called and said she needed something,


the person would leave work to take her to the doctor or get


what she needed. If a man’s uncle died, all the men attended


the funeral prayer; if a woman’s aunt died, all the women went


to visit her to give their condolences. When someone married


or had a baby or recovered from an operation, an extensive


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 18


network of family members, friends and colleagues shared that


experience. Hospital rooms were large and even furnished with


sofas and chairs to accommodate all the visitors.


The attitude towards the elderly was different from what I was


used to, since extended families lived together, with several


generations in one house; the children who didn’t live in the


same house came to visit often, if not daily. Grandparents had


children and grandchildren living with them and were not left


to live and die alone, or sent to nursing homes (which don’t


even exist). Older women were highly respected; they did not


feel the need to make themselves look young and beautiful in


order to gain self-esteem. Taking care of one’s elderly parents


was seen as a blessing and an opportunity for doing good deeds,


rather than a burden, and care of one’s parents is emphasized


in the moral system of Islam. (This is not to say that non-


Muslims in the West don’t care about their parents, but there


are different priorities and expectations. There is usually more


of an emphasis on nuclear families and independence, with the


elderly themselves not wishing to be a burden on their families.)


In general, dealing with difficult situations was seen as a test and


not a cause for despair. Taking one’s own life was rare and also


forbidden because only Allah has that right.


When the month of Ramadan came around, I was amazed by


the idea that one billion Muslims around the world were fasting


together-abstaining from food and drink every day from long


before sunrise until the sun set. I joined them in fasting the entire


month, although I had no intention of becoming Muslim and


didn’t experience the spiritual recharge that I would feel later


as a Muslim.


19 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


At the time, I knew little about Islam, and I’m embarrassed to


say now that I considered it a backwards religion which would


only appeal to the ignorant masses. As I slowly realized that the


stereotypes I had brought with me were all wrong, I became


curious about the religion. As I learned more, I discovered that


Islam was the reason for the moral system I had witnessed,


and that these positive social aspects had been part of Islamic


societies throughout the centuries. Even small things that


had struck me-such as greetings given among strangers when


one entered an elevator or an office-had their basis in Islamic


teachings.


I got a Quran translation and some other books and began


reading. Over and over again, I was surprised at what I found-and


perhaps more by what I didn’t find. I found a belief system which


was rational and uncluttered, and I didn’t find the oppression of


women or terrorism that I had expected. I was attracted by the


emphasis on social justice and standing up against oppression.


Obviously, the key question about religion is deciding whether


or not it is true. Since this decision must rely on faith to some


extent, how can we really know? One factor is the credibility of


the sources; in the case of Islam, the most important source is


the Quran.


I was struck by its scientific accuracy, demonstrated by


statements which describe scientific phenomena that were not


discovered until recently. I learned that the Islamic world had


made major contributions to scientific knowledge and was the


seat of civilization and learning while Europe was in the Dark


Ages. Logically, I knew that an illiterate seventh century Arab


could not have written this book himself. I began to question


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 20


my idea that there was no Creator-that the intricate systems that


made up the universe and its life forms could have developed


randomly or that we were born, lived, and died with no purpose.


I was impressed that the Quran had never been changed over the


years, so that the Quran we read today (in its original Arabic)


is exactly the same as that revealed to Muhammad (bpuh)


and passed on to his followers 1400 years ago. All Muslims


memorize parts of it, and there are millions of people around


the world who have memorized it in its entirety, so even if every


copy disappeared today from the face of the earth, it would be


easily recorded again. I couldn’t help but to contrast that with


the Bible, a collection of books written by various people over


time; different Christian sects do not even agree on which books


are included, and in some cases, scholars do not even know


who wrote the books. We do not have the original sources, and


there are different versions of the later sources. There are many


contradictions, and the New Testament actually rejects many of


the teachings of the Old Testament.


I was surprised to find out that Islam had the same roots as


Judaism and Christianity, and that Muslims believed in the same


prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon


them all).


I began to understand why Muslims loved Prophet Muhammad


(bpuh) so much, and I wondered why I never knew anything


about him... never even knew that he was a historical figure


about whom so much was known, and whose gravesite is known


and visited. Authentic narrations from those who were closest


to him describe him as a modest, truthful man who stood up for


justice and against oppression.


21 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


I used to walk along the beach at night, looking up at the


moon and stars and reflecting on Allah’s creation, as the Quran


recommended. I became convinced that the Quran must have


been a message from God, but it took me a while to actually


accept Islam… yet it was so rational and simple in its essence:


one God, one Creator of the universe and everything in it, Who


offered us guidance to make the best of our lives in this life and


the next. Obviously, there are more details, but this sums up the


Islamic beliefs, and one who accepts this is essentially a Muslim.


The concept seemed so pure and logical, especially when


compared to the concept of the trinity, which cannot be explained


rationally. There are three Gods, but they are one God? Jesus


is both fully divine and fully human, so that he is all powerful


yet experiences hunger and thirst and other physical needs?


Moreover, this uncomplicated main principle of Islam – that


there is one God – is repeated over and over again in the Quran,


in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (bpuh), and in the prayers


of ordinary Muslims. If the trinity were the true essence of God,


wouldn’t it have been clearly explained and mentioned over and


over again?


In Islam, God is just; He does not hold any of us accountable


for the sins of another, which we had nothing to do with.


There is no concept of original sin or of a crucifixion required


to redeem all of us from that original sin perpetrated by


someone else.


Of course, there were aspects that made me reluctant to make


such a momentous change in my life. For example, although


I understood the purpose and the benefits of Islamic dress, I


couldn’t imagine wearing it myself until I attended a Ramadan


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 22


dinner at an organization for English-speaking Muslim women


and met dozens of Western women who had converted to Islam,


and who felt proud to dress this way.


For all the reasons mentioned above, and under no pressure from


anyone, I came to the conclusion that the Quran was the word of


God, and that Islam was the true religion.


On the day that I decided I was ready to officially declare my


Islamic faith, I asked a co-worker to help me do so officially.


There is actually no requirement to say this publicly or to get


any kind of certificate; the declaration of faith is simply a matter


of testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except


Allah and that Muhammad (bpuh) is his Messenger. It was a


very moving experience, since I was essentially starting life over


again, with a clean slate. It was undoubtedly the best decision


I’ve ever made.


When we returned to the office, I went back to my desk and


resumed work. It didn’t occur to me that this was anything but a


personal decision, and no one even knew that I was considering


it… but my friend informed everyone, and to my surprise, I


received congratulations from well-wishers for the rest of the


day. That evening, she invited me to her aunt’s house, and


with only a few hours’ notice, her mother, sisters, aunts, and


cousins (most of whom I’d never met before) had a party for me,


complete with gifts of Qurans, prayer dresses, gold, etc. Over the


next days and weeks, I received dozens of gifts from co-workers


(some of whom I had never met), friends, and acquaintances.


I was very blessed, for I know that others who embrace Islam


sometimes encounter many hardships.


In my feminist years, we spoke of ‘sisterhood’, but this was my


23 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


introduction to true sisterhood. Muslim women considered me


their sister, simply for the sake of Allah (God). Over the years,


I’ve met so many amazing Muslim women of all nationalities


and classes and educational backgrounds, and in our gatherings,


we often talk about how blessed we are and how different our


lives are from what many people think. It’s hard to describe the


feeling of standing in prayer, shoulder to shoulder with so many


different women, knowing that we are sisters in Islam whether


or not we even know each other.


It took me several weeks to build up the courage to wear the


hijab (Islamic headscarf), but I found it liberating in a way that


I hadn’t expected. I was worried when I travelled to the U.S.


wearing the hijab soon after becoming Muslim, but I needn’t have


been. Everywhere I went, I was greeted by other Muslims with


the Islamic greeting Assalamu alaykum (Peace be upon you). I


felt welcomed as a part of the worldwide Muslim community,


and the hijab was what made that possible; if I wasn’t wearing


it, other Muslims would not have recognized that I was also


Muslim and would not have offered those greetings.


I don’t mean to claim that the Muslim community is some sort


of utopia. Certainly, there are problems, but the problems are


not from Islam; on the contrary, they are due to ignorance and


rejection of Islamic beliefs and practices. The reality is that


Islam does not need a reformation; Muslims do.

25 |


OTHER MUSLIMS WHO WERE FORMERLY


CHRISTIANS


There are many Christian women and men from all backgrounds


who have embraced Islam. The following is just a small


sample of well-known contemporary Muslims who sincerely


studied Christianity before rejecting it in favour of Islam. They


were chosen because their stories (as well as their books, articles,


and videos) are easily accessible online in English.


Dr Jerald Dirks is an American former Methodist deacon


(minister) with a Master’s in Divinity from Harvard University


and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Denver.


The more he studied the Bible, the more he realized that he


could not accept Christian teachings, and the more he dreaded


going back to preaching what he knew was not true. When


he took his questions to other ministers whom he respected,


some of them admitted (behind closed doors) that they agreed


with him, but they could not abandon their religion without


breaking up their families and cutting off their livelihoods. Dr


Dirks, along with his wife Debra, realized that Islam was the


religion that actually followed the message brought by Jesus


(pbuh) and other Prophets of God. Read more about them at


http://www.jeralddirksanddebradirks.com/.


Yusha (Joshua) Evans was attending a Bible College in the


southern United States, learning to read the Bible in Hebrew and


Greek and intending to become a Christian missionary or minister.


After reading the Bible cover-to-cover six or seven times, he


was left wondering at the inaccuracies and inconsistencies he


noticed. He left Christianity and began searching for the truth,


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 26


but no religion satisfied him until he found Islam. See more


about him at https://yushaevans.com/.


Aminah Assilmi (d. 2010, may Allah have mercy on her) was an


American Baptist who found herself in a class with some Arab


Muslims and decided to try to convert them to Christianity.


When her attempts failed, she asked for a copy of their Quran


so that she could read it and show them the error of their ways.


After one and a half years of research, she ended up embracing


Islam instead.


Dr David Liepert is a Canadian anaesthesiologist who started


studying Islam with the intention of showing his Muslim


colleagues that they were wrong and that Christianity was the


truth. He sought to prove this by studying the Bible and trying


to answer his own questions... yet he couldn’t find the evidence


to support his beliefs. His story is narrated in Choosing Faith:


Rediscovering the Commonalities Between Christianity & Islam,


which is available online at http://www.choosingfaith.com/.


Idris Tawfiq (d. 2016, may Allah have mercy on him) was a


British writer and broadcaster who touched the hearts of many.


He had a degree in English Language and Literature and taught


in both the UK and Egypt. He also had a degree in Sacred


Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas


Aquinas in Rome; before embracing Islam, Idris was a Roman


Catholic priest.


27 |


HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM


Every religion has its own requirements for conversion.


Someone who wants to become Jewish must pledge all of the


following:


1. To enter the ‘eternal covenant’ between God and the people


of Israel and to become a Jew of his or her own free will;


2. To accept Judaism to the exclusion of all other religious


faiths and practices, which means to deny the prophethood


of Jesus and Muhammad (bpuh) and to deny the revelations


that God sent to humankind through them;


3. An undivided loyalty to Judaism and to the Jewish people


under all circumstances;


4. To commit to learning the Torah and other Jewish knowledge;


and


5. To raise his or her children as Jews.


To be a Christian, one must:


1. Believe that God (Allah) has a partner, a mother, and a son;


2. Believe that every new-born baby is born sinful;


3. Believe that God became a man and descended to Earth to


die for the sins of the people;


4. Deny the prophethood of Muhammad (bpuh) publicly; and


5. Deny that the Quran is a revelation from Allah, the Exalted.


However, to become a Muslim is simple. One must:


1. Bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except


Allah (in other words, disown all false gods),


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 28


2. Bear witness that Muhammad (bpuh) is His messenger,


3. Believe in all the six articles of faith, and


4. Worship Allah as taught by Prophet Muhammad (bpuh).


Hence, becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process. If


anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full belief that


Islam is the true religion of God, all he or she needs to do is to


pronounce the shahadah, the testimony of faith.1 Pronunciation


of this testimony with a sincere heart brings the person into the


fold of Islam. It is the main gateway to Islam.


Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) said:


«Whoever testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship


except Allah, Who has no partner; that Muhammad is His slave


and messenger; that Jesus is the slave of Allah, His prophet, and


His word2 which He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from


Him; that paradise (heaven) is true; and that the hellfire is true-


Allah will eventually admit him into paradise, according to his


deeds.» (Recorded by Bukhari)


The first part of the testimony consists of the most important


words of truth that Allah has ever revealed to His noble prophets,


“There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.” He has


stated:


{And We sent not before you any messenger except that We


revealed to him that: There is no deity except Me, so worship


Me.} (Quran 21: 25)


1 The words of the shahadah are: Ash-hadu al-la ilahailla Allah, wa ash-hadu anna


Muhammadan Abduhu wa Rasooluhu. (I testify that there is no deity worthy of


worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.)


2 It means that Jesus was created when Allah said the word “Be”; when He


said it, Jesus was created in the womb of his mother, Mary.


29 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


Bearing this testimony implies that all forms of worship-whether


praying, fasting, supplicating, seeking refuge, or offering an


animal as sacrifice-must be directed to Allah and to Him alone.


Directing any form of worship to other than Allah (whether to


an angel, a prophet, Jesus, Muhammad [bpuh], a saint, an idol,


a statue, the sun, the moon, a tree, a cross, or anything else)


contradicts the fundamental message not only of Islam but of


all the prophets; it is an unforgivable sin in the hereafter, so one


must repent before death.


The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad


(bpuh) is the slave and the chosen messenger of Allah.1 This


implies that a true Muslim obeys and follows the commands of


the Prophet (bpuh) as mentioned in the collections of his hadiths.


One must believe in what he has said, practice his teachings, and


avoid what he has forbidden because the hadiths were, in fact,


revelations and inspiration conveyed to him by Allah.


As mentioned earlier, Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) was sent in


order to implement the Quran in a practical way through his


sayings, deeds, and legislation, as well as all other facets of his


life. When his wife Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was


asked about his character, she replied:


«His character was that of the Quran.» (Recorded by Muslim and


Abu Dawood)


Hence, to truly adhere to the second part of the shahadah is to


follow his example in all walks of life. Allah has mentioned:


1 The meaning of worship is, simply, total submission and complete obedience


to Allah’s commandments in belief, intentions, statements and actions.


This is what is meant by ‘slavery to Allah’ in Islam.


THE CLEAR RELIGION SERIES - PART 8 | 30


{Say [O Muhammad]: If you should love Allah, then follow me,


[so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is


Forgiving and Merciful.} (Quran 3: 31)


A true Muslim must strive to mould his or her life and character


to emulate the Prophet (bpuh), for he was a living example for


human beings to follow. Allah has said to His Prophet (bpuh):


{And indeed, you are of a great moral character.} (Quran 68: 4)


Allah has also said to all people:


{There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an


excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last


Day and [who] remembers Allah often.} (Quran 33: 21)


When one enters the fold of Islam, all previous sins are forgiven;


one starts a new life of piety and righteousness since he or she, in


essence, has repented from the ways and beliefs of the previous


life. One man told the Prophet (bpuh) that he would accept Islam


only under the condition that Allah would forgive his sins; the


Prophet (bpuh) asked him:


«Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins that


came before it?» (Recorded by Muslim)


As soon as a person accepts Islam, he or she is free of all


previous sins. The person’s record is wiped clean, as if he or


she was born that very day. One should try as much as possible


to keep his or her records clean and strive to do as many good


deeds as possible; the more good deeds, the more he or she will


be elevated in paradise.


It should be emphasized again that accepting Islam does not


mean turning your back on the messages of previous prophets


31 | WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO ISLAM?


(peace be upon them all). Indeed, it is a fulfilment of those


messages. Therefore, if you are a Jew or a Christian, accepting


Islam and following Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) is a fulfilment


of the messages which Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them)


brought.1


On the other hand, rejecting Islam means turning your back not


only on Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) but also on Prophets Moses


and Jesus. Doing so is actually a clear violation of their messages,


and it diminishes your hope of paradise in the hereafter.


It is now up to you to decide where your own future home will


be. I wish you all the best!


1 This has been clearly described and proven in al-Rassi, The Amazing Prophecies


of Muhammad (bpuh) in the Bible: Twenty-Eight Proofs from the Bible


of Muhammad’s Prophethood.