Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

We are very happy to learn that you are on your way to embracing Islam, for there is nothing dearer to us than to see all people guided to the religion of Islam.

The religion of Islam is the religion of the Prophets and Messengers, the true religion, the straight path, the clear light, that leads to the Paradise of the Most Gracious.

It is the religion of justice, mercy, goodness, righteousness, kindness, compassion, harmony, patience, modesty, honesty, tolerance and courage.

It is the religion that honours women greatly. It honours a woman as a mother who must be respected, obeyed and treated kindly, and it regards pleasing the mother as part of pleasing Allah, may He be exalted. It states that Paradise lies at a mother’s feet, i.e., that the closest path to Paradise is by honouring one’s mother. It forbids disobeying and angering one’s mother, even if it is merely by saying the mildest word of reproach. It deems the rights of the mother to be greater than the rights of the father, and emphasises that she is to be taken care of when she is old and weak. All of that is stated in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

By His grace and mercy, Allah causes Islam to erase whatever came before it of sins and acts of disobedience. If a disbeliever becomes Muslim, Allah forgives him all the sins that he committed during the time of disbelief, and he becomes free of sins. For more information on the beauties of this great religion, please see the following fatwas: 219, 70042, 46505 and 128862.

All you have to do now in order to enter this great religion is to utter the twin testimony of faith (the Shahaadatayn), according to what you are able to do. You do not have to do pronounce the Arabic letters perfectly, and we will write the Shahaadatayn for you in English letters. When you have uttered it, then hasten to do ghusl (full ablution), purify yourself and offer the obligatory prayer that is currently due.

We ask Allah to help you, make things easy for you, bless you with Islam and make you steadfast therein. We are prepared to explain to you anything that may be unclear to you and to offer any help we can.

Secondly:

You have to call your mother to Islam and continue doing so, even if she is sick and not fully conscious. If she responds to you and utters the Shahaadatayn, knowing that this makes her a Muslim, then that will benefit her before Allah, may He be exalted, and it will make her one of the people of Islam, even if she dies immediately after that, before offering any act of worship.

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him said to his paternal uncle Abu Taalib: “O Uncle, say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah), a word on the basis of which I will make a plea for you before Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.” Agreed upon.

But if she dies in her current state of disbelief after hearing of Islam – Allah forbid – then nothing can benefit her after that, no supplication or charity and the like, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin”

[an-Nisa’ 4:48]

“It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah’s Forgiveness for the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) even though they be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a state of disbelief)”

[at-Tawbah 9:113].

It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies associating anything with Allah will enter Hell.” Agreed upon.

See also fatwa no. 43164

Thirdly:

With regard to anyone whom the call of Islam reaches in a sound manner, proof has been established against him. But if a person dies without the call having reached him, or with it having reached him in an unsound manner, then the matter is to be decided by Allah, for He knows best about His creation; your Lord will never wrong anyone, and Allah has full knowledge of His slaves. It is proven from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one of this nation – Jewish or Christian – hears of me, then dies without believing in the message with which I was sent, but he will be one of the inhabitants of the Fire.” Narrated by Muslim.

And Allah knows best.