The Conditions of the Shahadah

Pronouncing the testimony of faith is sufficient to make one a convert to Islam. There are however, seven conditions that must be observed before it can effectively make one a Muslim. These are describe as follows:

1  Knowledge (Al-ilm)

Knowledge (al-ilm) of its meaning, what it negates and affirms. If a person says it without knowing its meaning, nor what its requirements are, then he will not benefit by it, because he has not believed in what it requires. Rather, he is like someone who speaks in a language that he does not understand.

2   Certainty (Al-Yaqeen)

The heart must be firmly certain of the meaning of Shahadah without a blemish of doubt.

Allah the Exalted says:" Verily, the believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not. (Quran 49:15).

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah. No slave meets Allah with this testimony, having no doubt in it but shall enter Jannah."( Muslim) :

3   Sincerity (Al-Ikhlaas)

Exclusively worshiping Allah,  which is contrary to shirk. This is what laa ilaaha illallaah points towards.

Allah, the Exalted, said:" And they were not commanded but to worship Allah, being sincere in devoting religion to Him." (Quran 98:5).

Abu Hurairah said:" I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: Messenger of Allah! Who will be most fortunate to enjoy your shafa'ah (intercession) on the Day of Resurrection? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: I was certain that no one else would ask me about this other than you, because I have noticed your keenness for hadeeth. The most fortunate of men who will enjoy my shafa'ah on the Day of Resurrection is the one who says: (La Ilaha Illa Allah) "None has the right to be worshiped except Allah", sincerely from his heart.."(Musnad al-Imam Ahmad.)

4   Truthfulness (As-Sidq)

Truthfulness (as-sidq), which prevents hypocrisy (nifaaq). Indeed, the hypocrites uttered it with their tongues, but did not inwardly believe in what it signified.

The Messenger of Allah said: "Anyone testifies that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, truthfully from his heart, Allah would forbid his admittance to the Fire."(Muslim)

5  Love and affection (Al-Mahabbah )

Love (al-mahabbah) for this kalimah and having love and pleasure for whatever it necessitates. This is contrary to the [state of the] hypocrites.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "There are three (qualities), whoever possesses them, will taste the sweetness of Iman (belief): to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else, to love the Muslim only for the sake of Allah, and to dread returning to kufr (apostasy) as he dreads being thrown in fire." ( Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah says to His Messenger (peace be upon him)

Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (3:31)

Allah says: "Allah shall bring forth a people whom He loves and they love Him." (Quran 5:54)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: "None of you shall (really) believe until I become dearer to him than his own father, and son and all mankind."  ( Bukhari and Muslim.)

6   Submission (Al-Inqiyaad) internally and externally

Submissive compliance (al-inqiyaad), by fulfilling its rights - which are the obligatory actions - with sincerity to Allah and seeking His good pleasure. This is its requirement.

Allah, the Exalted, says: "And he who submits himself to Allah, and does good, he has surely grasped a strong handle." ( Quran 31:22).

Allah also says:" And turn you to your Rabb, and submit yourselves to Him." (:Quran 39:54).

7  Acceptance and conformity (Al-Qubool )

Acceptance (al-qabool), which prevents rejection.

This is achieved by acting upon what Allah has commanded and abandoning whatever He has prohibited.

Abu Musa al-Ash'aree reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him said: "The parable of guidance and knowledge which Allah has sent me with is like a rain which fell on a land. A patch of that land received the water and produced much herbage and grass. And a patch which was barren. The latter retained water wherewith Allah extended benefits to men: they drank from it, irrigated and planted their vegetation. And a patch which was a sandy plain, it neither retained water nor produced herbage. This is parallel to the person who conceived the religion of Allah and benefited from the Message with which Allah has sent me, whereby he learns and taught others. The other person turned away from it (from my Message), and rejected the guidance of Allah with which I am sent.."  Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah says "Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad  peace be upon him) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much."(33:21)

And Allah also says in Surah Al-Hashr

....And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it) , and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment. (59:7)

Again Allah says:

O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad  peace be upon him), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger ( peace be upon him), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.(4:59)

And Allah says:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad  ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.

In the next verse Allah again tells his Messenger

Say (O Muhammad  peace be upon him): "Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad  peace be upon him)." But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbeliever's (3:32)

 Islam unites together people of different colours, languages, races. and nationalities into one brotherhood.

Allah says: "Indeed the Believers are but brothers." [Quran 4 9:10]

Before Islam  people in Arabia were dived into different tribes. Some of them were at constant war with each other, Islam came and Allah put peace and love in their hearts for each other.

Allah the Most High said: "And remember the favor of Allah upon you, for you were once enemies to one another but He joined your hearts together in love, so that by His Grace you became brothers." [Soorah Aal-Imraan 3:103]

And Allah the Most High said: "He it is that has strengthened you with His help and with the Believers. And moreover, He has united their hearts with love and affection. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts with love and affection. However, Allah has united them. Indeed Allah is the All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:62- 63].

Allah has stated in the Holy Quran:

"... whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that will never break..." (2:256)

Read More

How to declare the Shahadah

A person does NOT need to do a course or obtain a certificate to become a Muslim.

If there are no Majids (Mosques) and Muslims in your area; and you do not ahve a means of contacting any Muslims via phone or online then you can  declare  the Shahadah  to your self.  

At MuslimConverts.com we have helped brothers and sisters say the Shahadah via phone and via the Net.  So if you wish for us to go through it with you step by step. Please do no not hesitate to leave us a message and we can arrange an online meeting at a mutually convenient time.

However, it is not sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he or she should believe in it with a firm conviction and unshakable faith. Once you have said the Shahadah  then you will be like a New Born Person. Free of any sins. Just like a child is born sinless.

From the Emails I received on the message board. I noticed some women have delayed their Shahadah  because of menstruation. It does not matter if a woman is menstruating. You can say your Shahadah even when you are menstruating.  The women do not go inside the prayer area of the  Masjid (Mosque) when menstruating. However if they want to say their Shahadah at the Masjid they can arrange to say it say just outside the Masjid  or part of the Masjid complex which is not regarded as the place of prayer.

Pledge of Allegiance

During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the people would also give their Bai'a (pledge of allegiance ) and the Prophet peace be upon him would accept their pledge.

Pledge of allegiance being that they would obey his commands, Be on his, the Muslims and Islam side against the enemies of Islam even if the enemy was their own relatives and friends. That they would fight on the side of the Muslims. That they would not fight on the side of the non Muslims against the Muslims. That they would not give information to the non Muslims which they could used against the Muslims.

After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the believing men and women would give their pledge of  allegiance to the  Muslim nation (khalif) and the Khalif would accept their pledge of allegiance.

During the treaty of hudaybiyah believing women  would migrate to the Muslim side in the city of Madina and give their pledge of allegiance to the Prophet peace be upon him. To check those who migrated to the Islamic state in Madina were true believers and not just women who had run away from their non Muslim families. Allah revealed the following verse.

Allah said:

"O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai'a (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma'ruf (everything good according to Islam) then accept their Bai'a (pledge), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful". (Quran 60:12)

So the Prophet would say to them  "Pledge to me in that you will not associate any with Allah, nor steal, nor commit Zina, nor kill your children"  Then he would recite the above verse (Quran 60 verse 12) and  when the women agreed to those conditions then he would say I have accepted your pledge and he would add "Those among you who fulfill this pledge, will receive their reward from Allah. Those who deviate from any of it and receive the legal punishment (in this life), the punishment will be expiation for that sin. Whoever deviates from any of it and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive if He wills."

The Prophet peace be upon him would shake the hands of the men who had give their pledge. In case of women he only took their pledge by word because in Islam a it is not allowed to shake hands with the opposite sex who are non mehrem.

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit:

who took part in the battle of Badr and was a Naqib (a person heading a group of six persons), on the night of Al-'Aqaba pledge: Allah's Apostle said while a group of his companions were around him, "Swear allegiance to me for:

1. Not to join anything in worship along with Allah.
2. Not to steal.
3. Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse.
4. Not to kill your children.
5. Not to accuse an innocent person (to spread such an accusation among people).
6. Not to be disobedient (when ordered) to do good deed."

The Prophet added: "Whoever among you fulfills his pledge will be rewarded by Allah. And whoever indulges in any one of them (except the ascription of partners to Allah) and gets the punishment in this world, that punishment will be an expiation for that sin. And if one indulges in any of them, and Allah conceals his sin, it is up to Him to forgive or punish him (in the Hereafter)." 'Ubada bin As-Samit added: "So we swore allegiance for these." (points to Allah's Apostle) (Bukhari Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 17)


Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah:

I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for the following:

1. offer prayers perfectly
2. pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)
3. and be sincere and true to every Muslim.

(Bukhari Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 54)

Narrated Ziyad bin'Ilaqa:

I heard Jarir bin 'Abdullah (Praising Allah). On the day when Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba died, he (Jarir) got up (on the pulpit) and thanked and praised Allah and said, "Be afraid of Allah alone Who has none along with Him to be worshiped.(You should) be calm and quiet till the (new) chief comes to you and he will come to you soon. Ask Allah's forgiveness for your (late) chief because he himself loved to forgive others." Jarir added, "Amma badu (now then), I went to the Prophet and said, 'I give my pledge of allegiance to you for Islam." The Prophet conditioned (my pledge) for me to be sincere and true to every Muslim so I gave my pledge to him for this. By the Lord of this mosque! I am sincere and true to you (Muslims). Then Jarir asked for Allah's forgiveness and came down (from the pulpit).(Bukhari 4: Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 55)

Unfortunately  the Islamic state was destroyed in  1924 and since then we have had no khalif.

 However we will have it one day and in the meantime those Muslims should take note of this pledge of Allegiance and the need for a khalif. Thus even in the absence of the Khalif  a Muslim  should sincerely adhere to the conditions that Muslims used to pledge to. So a persons loyalty should be with the true Muslims.

Thus a Muslim should not be aiding in the killing of Muslims or the Invasion of Muslim lands. We should be working for the reestablishment of the Khailifate (Islamic state) under one leader (Khalif).

 We should know we have our own flag and our own nation. We are one nation (one Ummah) of  almost 1.5 billion. We may be scattered all around the globe but our loyalty should  be with each other. Thus we should not be in the armed forces of the non Muslims. Even in the Armed forces of the Muslim countries we can not obeying orders  which are against Islam or call for fighting  on bases of nationalism, or  spreading of  man made laws and unIslamic practices.

As Muslims we should allow Islam to change us into the kind of human beings that our creator loves and not try and change Islam to fit us. Therefore some old habits and ways of thinking will have to be left behind. It will take time to leave old habits and ways of thinking but as you become more Allah conscious, you will start leaving those old habits and ideas which are not in accordance to Islam.

We should strive to be the perfect Muslims but we should remember that people do mess up from time to time and end up committing sins

We should remember that  Allah is most merciful and if we sincerely repent from a sin, Allah will forgive us.

Allah loves to see his  slaves turn to Him in sincere repentance. Allah knows who is sincere in repentance.

Read More

How to become a Muslim

To become a Muslim one must simply pronounce the Shahaadatayn (Declaration of Faith) with sincerity and conviction.

The Shahadah can be declared as follows:

"ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH".

The English translation is:

"I bear witness that there is no deity worthy to be worshiped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."

The Shahadah  is the dividing line between unbelief (kufr) and Islam. It is also called the kalimah (word). Whoever says it with truthfulness will enter the Gardens of Paradise

It is [a kalimah] that Allah Himself has testified to, as have the angels and those who possess knowledge from amongst His creation. Allah the Most High said:


"Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Him; as do the angels and those who possess knowledge. He maintains His creation upon justice. None has the right to be worshiped except Him, the All-Mighty, All-Wise."
[Soorah Aal-Imraan 3:18]

 It is a concise declaration that contains few letters; light upon the tongue, yet heavy in the scales.

 Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam, who said: "A person from my ummah will be summoned in front of everyone on the Day of Resurrection. Ninety-nine scrolls will be unfurled for him, each scroll extending as far as the eye can see. Then it will be said: Do you deny any of this [i.e. your bad deeds]? So the man will reply: No, 0 Lord. Then it will be said: Do you have any excuse or any good deed? The man, in a state of terror, will answer: No. It will then be said: Rather, you do have some good deeds and no injustice will befall you this Day. So a parchment will be taken out for him, upon which there will be the testification of laa ilaaha illallaah and the testification that Muhammad is the Slave and Messenger of Allah. The man will say: 0h Lord, what is this parchment in comparison to those scrolls! It will be said to him: No injustice shall befall you. The scrolls will then be placed in one of the scales and the parchment in the other; the scrolls will be light in weight, whereas the parchment will be heavy." ( Reported by at-Tirmidhee (no.2641), from Abdullaah ibn Amr radhiyallahu anhu. It was declared to be saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.135).

The first part of the Shahadah is laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshiped except Allah) and the first part if the Shahadah has two pillars: 

The first pillar is the pillar of negation (nafee), whilst the second is the pillar of affirmation (ithbaat). What is meant by negation is to negate divinity and worship (ilaahiyyah) for anything except Allah, the Most High. What is meant by affirmation is to affirm divinity and worship only for Allah the Most Perfect; for it is He alone that is the true Deity. So whatever else is taken by the unbelievers as deities to be worshiped are in fact all false and futile: That is because Allah is the true Deity to be worshiped, and whatever else they invoke besides Him is vain falsehood.

[Soorah al-Hajj 22:62]

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: The significance of laa ilaaha illallaah in affirming divinity and worship for only Allah is far greater than just saying that Allah is an ilaah. This is because the saying that Allah is an ilaah does not negate divinity and worship to other than Allah. This is different to the saying: laa ilaaha illallaah; which obligates restricting divinity and worship to only Allah.  

All the messengers of Allah told their people none has the right to be worshiped except  Allah

Allah said: "We did not send any Messenger before you, except that We revealed to him that none has the right to be worshiped except Me; so worship Me."

[Soorah al-Anbiyaa 21:25]

Allah the Exalted also said: "He sends down the angels with the revelation of His commands to whosoever of His slaves that He wills, saying: Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshiped except Me. So fear Me [by keeping away from sin and disobedience]."

[Soorah an-Nahl 16:2]

It is a concise declaration that contains few letters; light upon the tongue, yet heavy in the scales. Allah's Messenger Peace be upon him said: "Moses said: 0h my Lord! Teach me something by which I can remember You and supplicate to You. Allah said: 0h Moses! say laa ilaaha ilallaah. Moses said: 0h my Lord! All Your slaves say this. Allah said: 0h Moses! If the seven heavens and all that they contain, other than Me, and the seven earths were placed in one scale, and laa ilaaha ilallaah were put in the other, then laa ilaaha illallaah would outweigh them all." (Reported by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (no.2324) and al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (1/528).

Ibn Uyaynah, (radhiyallahu anhu) said: "Allaah has not bestowed any favour upon His slaves greater than the favour of them realizing laa ilaaha ilallaah. Indeed laa ilaaha illallaah is to the people of Paradise, what cool water is to the people of this world." ( Related by Ibn Rajab in Kalimatul-Ikhlaas (p.53)

The second part of the "Shahadah" i.e. "Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh" means that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one should be in any doubt about this matter. In fact, the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (PBUH), to believe in what he has said, to follow his Teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship A11ah alone according to the message revealed to him.

What is the meaning of worship? It simply means rendering sincere service; showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah's Commandments both in utterances and actions, whether explicit or implicit and in private or public.

Worship falls into two categories:

1. Visible (manifest or outward)

Visible worship includes acts such as uttering the two parts of the "shahadah", performing prayers, giving Zakat (obligatory charity), observing the fast in the month of Ramadan, performing Hajj, recitation of the Holy Quran, supplication, adoring Allah by praising Him, purifying our bodies before prayers, etc.

This type of worship is associated with the movement of the parts of human body, [actions].

2. Invisible (concealed or inward)

Invisible worship is to believe in Allah, in the Day of Judgment, in the Hereafter, in the Angels, in the Books of Allah, in the Divine Decree of destiny (that good and bad are determined by Allah alone)

This type of worship does not involve movements of parts of the body but it surely has a bearing on one's heart which, subsequently, affects one's way of life (beliefs).

It should be borne in mind that worship not dedicated to Allah alone, will be rejected as one form of polytheism or "shirk", which amounts to apostasy, from the Islamic point of view

Read More

I Want to Become A Muslim... But What About My Wild Past?

Question: i'm a young girl, wanting to convert to islam, for me this religion is really the truth. The problem is, that before i discovered islam, i used to live a pretty wild life, I did a lot of wrong things (if not all wrong things). I would like to know if it's possible for a girl like me to convert, and what should I do regarding my past when converting Answer: Praise be to Allaah. In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful “The revelation of the Book (this Qur’aan) is from Allaah, the All Mighty, the All Knower. The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower (of favours). Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), to Him is the final return” [Ghaafir 40:2-3 – interpretation of the meaning] Ibn ‘Abbaas – who was one of the companions of the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – narrated that some of the people of shirk (polytheism) killed and did a lot of killing, and they committed adultery and they did that a great deal, then they came to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “What you say and what you are calling for is good. If only you could tell us that there is any expiation for what we have done.” Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Say: “O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped. And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!” Lest a person should say: “Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allaah (i.e. I have not done what Allaah has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. Laa ilaaha illAllaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah), the Qur’aan, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers] Or (lest) he should say: “If only Allaah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqoon (the pious).” Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: “If only I had another chance (to return to the world), then I should indeed be among the Muhsinoon (good‑doers).” Yes! Verily, there came to you My Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and you denied them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers.’[al-Zumar 39:53-59]” ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas was a mushrik (polytheist, idol-worshipper), a sinner and an enemy of Allaah. He said: “When Allaah put the love of Islam into my heart, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to pledge my allegiance to him. He stretched out his hand towards me, but I said, ‘I will not pledge allegiance to you, O Messenger of Allaah, until you forgive me my previous sins.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, ‘O ‘Amr, do you not know that Islam wipes out whatever sins came before it.’” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 17159). So flee to Allaah and know that there is nothing that you are worried about, but the solution to it is to be found in the texts quoted above. Indeed, these texts are addressed to you; they refer to your situation and contain the answer to your problem. Your Lord is Most Merciful; He accepts repentance and forgives all sins. His Mercy encompasses all things. He calls you and all His slaves to repent and to become Muslim. He has promised you, through the words of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that all of your previous sins, major and minor, of whatever type, will be wiped out completely when you become Muslim, and you will start with a clean sheet, a new record of deeds that is free of bad deeds. So what are you waiting for? Why delay it any further? Hasten to enter Islam and worship your Lord, and we give you the glad tidings of a happy future and a good life in the shade of Islam. We were very happy – by Allaah – to receive your question, and we are waiting to hear good news. For more information on how to enter Islam, please look at Questions #703&11936 And Embracing Islam . May Allaah protect you from all evil, for He is the Best of Protectors and the Best of Supporters, and He is the Guide to the Straight Path. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) Question: I am in the processing of becoming a truly practicing Musalman and wonder what is said regarding your life previous to the full integration of Islam. I wonder whether any experiences that I have had would limit me from becoming a follower of the straight path to Allah? Please forgive my explicitness...but since men and women are not allowed to engage in full-blown relationships, how do I resolve the conflict that prior to it's integration in my life, I have had different experiences and now have read repeatedly that it is forbidden...how can I possibly reconcile the two dichotomous notions? I recognize that you do receive many questions, please accept my sincere thanks for having this site, regardless of whether I receive an answer or not. May peace be with you...:) Answer: Praise be to Allaah. We cannot conceal our joy and pleasure at the intention expressed in your question of embracing the true religion, Islam. The confusion and hesitation that you describe are quite understandable, because when a person has been indulging in forbidden relationships and then wishes to move to a religion of purity and chastity, it is natural to feel that his own “nafs” (desires) will defeat him and that he will not be able to do what Islam requires of him in the way of purity and chastity. But we will tell you some things here which we hope will help you to overcome any difficulty that you may be fearing and give a true picture of the situation. When a person follows the true religion, it is expected to have a far-reaching effect on his personality and behaviour, so that it re-forms him and gives him a fresh start and a new direction in life, completely different from the way he was during his “jaahiliyyah” (days of ignorance before his Islam). This radical change will produce morals and values that were not there before, which will purify his heart and fill him with a sense of chastity, so that the new Muslim looks with revulsion and disgust both at his own former deeds and at the ignorant world of promiscuity, infidelity, nakedness and utter corruption that exists in the society around him. He will come back to the sound nature (fitrah – the natural state of man) and purity of heart of which Shaytaan had robbed him during the days when he was a kaafir and sinner. This new direction in life is undertaken freely, by choice, and is accompanied by contentment and acceptance stemming from his total submission to the commands and prohibitions of Allaah, Who revealed this religion of Islam with all its laws. We have two sources of proof to support what we say here, one from the sharee’ah and one from history. The shar’i evidence is to be found in numerous places in the Qur’aan, for example (interpretation of the meanings): “Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and by disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and by faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?…” [al-An’aam 6:122] “And those who invoke not any other god along with Allaah, nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace, Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds, for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70] Concerning the phrase “Allaah will change their sins into good deeds” the mufassireen (commentators) said: their evil deeds will be replaced by good deeds. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “These are the believers, who before they believed did evil deeds, but Allaah wanted them to do something else, so He changed their bad deeds into good deeds…” ‘Ataa’ ibn Abi Rabaah said: “This is in this world: a man may be doing evil but then Allaah replaces it with good.” Sa’eed ibn Jubayr said: “Allaah changed them from worshippers of idols into worshippers of the Most Merciful, and changed them from those who fight the Muslims into those who fight the mushrikeen (polytheists), and from those who marry mushrik women into those who marry believing women.” Al-Hasan al-Basri said: “Allaah changed them from evil deeds to good deeds, from shirk (polytheism) to ikhlaas (purity of faith), from promiscuity to chastity, from kufr to Islam.” This is the view of Abu ‘Aaliyah, Qutaadah and a group of others. (Ibn Katheer, Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem). The historical evidence includes a number of stories of Muslims who entered Islam after having been kuffaar (disbelievers), and how they changed and became righteous. Among these stories is the following: “There was a (Muslim) man called Marthad ibn Abi Marthad who used to smuggle Muslim prisoners-of-war from Makkah (which was the territory of the mushrikeen) to Madeenah (which was the territory of the Muslims). There was also a woman in Makkah, called ‘Anaaq, who was a prostitute. She had been a friend of Marthad’s (before he became Muslim). Marthad had promised to take one of the prisoners from Makkah to Madeenah. He said: “I came to the shade of one of the gardens of Makkah on a moonlit night, then ‘Anaaq came and saw my shadow by the garden. When she reached me, she recognized me and said: ‘Marthad?’ I said, ‘Marthad.’ She said: ‘Welcome! Stay with us tonight.’ I said, ‘O ‘Anaaq, Allaah has forbidden zinaa (unlawful sexual relations).’ She called out, ‘O people of the camp! This man is stealing away your prisoners!’ (i.e., she wanted to take revenge on him because he refused to have unlawful relations with her, so she called the mushrikeen to come and seize him). Eight men pursued me (and he described how Allaah saved him from them).” This event was the reason for the revelation of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry any but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever; nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman; to the Believers such a thing is forbidden.” [al-Noor 24:3 – Yusuf ‘Ali’s translation] (Reported and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 3101). The reason for telling this story is that it illustrates how this man changed after he embraced Islam, and refused to commit the haraam deed with which he was tempted. Another story describes a woman who embraced Islam and became righteous: ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Maghfal reported that there was a woman who had been a prostitute during the days of ignorance (before Islam). A man passed by her, or she passed by him, and he touched her. She said: “Stop it! (Mah! A word connoting a rebuke or denunciation). Allaah has done away with shirk and had brought Islam.” So he left her alone and went away. (Reported by al-Haakim, who said this hadeeth is saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim, although they did not report it). If you enter Islam and become a truly practicing Muslim, adhering to this pure sharee’ah, worshipping Allaah as He wants to be worshipped, obeying His commands and heeding His prohibitions, then in sha Allaah you will not encounter or suffer the difficulties you refer to in your question. Moreover, you will have the means of keeping chaste, such as marriage, which will help you to refrain from doing haraam deeds; marriage is enjoined by this sharee’ah. The one who chooses a pure and clean way has no need to enter the mire (of illicit relationships). We ask Allaah to guide you and make things easy for you, and to keep evil away from you. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Read More

Why people convert to islam

Islam spread by the sword?
The myth and the reality
By Sherif Mohammed
Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is the myth of forcible conversion to Islam. Many Westerners do believe that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose either Islam or death.
In a discussion with a Baptist Minister he said to me that "Muslims tend to kill non-Muslims and anyone who disagrees with them". In a syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers (on July 23rd, 1994) entitled, "Muslim persecution of Christians increasing" the author blames many Muslims countries for persecuting Christians then he quotes the Qur'an, "There is no compulsion in Religion" and ends the quote by rudely writing "Really?".

How to confront such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to be apologetic. We Muslims should search for the truth and present it as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allah (SWT) "Say: the truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will reject."(18:29) Islam is the religion of the Truth. The Qur'an is the book of the Truth. "We sent down the Qur'an in Truth and in Truth has it descended." (17:105) "Put your trust in Allah for you are on the path of the manifest Truth."(27:79)

Therefore, we should ask ourselves first, before we are asked by anyone else, what is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to convert to Islam? Is there any evidence for consistent forcible conversion throughout the Islamic history? As a matter of fact, there is no such evidence anywhere in the history of Islam. Many distinguised Western historians have attested this fact-- foremost among whom is Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book, "The Preaching of Islam". Also there is Marshall G. Hodgson in his book, "The Venture of Islam", Albert Hourani in his book, "A History of the Arab People", Ira Lapidus in his book, "History of Islamic Societies", L.S. Starorianos in his book, "A Global Hisotry, the Human Heritage" and many others. In fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. We have already seen in a previous *khutbah* that Muslims were often seen as liberators of the oppressed people everywhere.

The question that remains to be answered is why then so many people have chosen Islam throughout the more than 1400 years of its history. Islam has penetrated the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Western China, and the Malay archipelago. Islam in all these regions replaced so many other well-established religions: Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism and animism. What are the reasons behind the triumph of Islam over all these religions in so many different places at so many different times?

First and foremost, Islam is an amazing blend of simplicity and rationality: a very simple religion yet very rational at the same time. Professor Hodgson has explained the reasons for the popularity of Islam as follows: "Muslims made a personal appeal to people's religious consciousness. On the level of straight argument, they often put forward the populistic intelligibility of Islam. Muslims commonly ridiculed, in the name of intellectual good sense, the more mythically convoluted teachings of older traditions. This could seem attractively straightforward to people dissatisfied with taking things on faith from a learned priest whose mysteries they could not comprehend. A single Creator, to be worshipped by each person for himself, on the basis of revelation that had been given to a famous prophet whom millions already acknolwedged. This was at once intelligible and plausible."

The unambiguous and uncompromising belief in the Unity, the Greatness, the Wisdom of God, the Creator of the universe, is unparalleled among other religions. The French professor Edouard Montet said, "The dogma of the unity of God...has always been proclaimed in the Qur'an with a grandeur, a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of pure conviction which is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam. A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvellous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."

Besides its simple and rational creed, Islam offers an impressive set of rituals which has gained the admiration and, subsequently, the conversion of many non-Muslims. The second pillar of Islam, **salah**, the prayer, has been described as follows by Sir Arnold, "The religion of the Muslim is continuously present with him and, in the daily prayer, manifests itself in a solemn and impressive ritual which cannot leave either the worshipper or the spectator unaffected." Then Sir Arnold narrated the story of an Egyptian Jew who converted to Islam at the end of the 13th century mainly because of the sight of the **Juma'a** prayer. Actually, it is not only in the 13th century that people converted to Islam because of the prayers; it just happened a few years ago in Ottawa that a non-Muslim Canadian woman converted to Islam because of **Juma'a** prayers. She used to go to the Ottawa Mosque on Friday and pray among the sisters for several months. She loved the prayer and eventually she embraced Islam.

In addition to the prayers, the other pillars of Islam, **Zakah**, **Hajj**,**Siyam**, have always been factors in attracting many hearts to Islam. Up until the present day, one still meets converts who were impressed by the social justice of Islam brilliantly expressed in the payment of **Zakah**. The genius of **Hajj** and **Siyam** has always been a determining factor in the conversion of many people. It is this union of rationalism and ritualism that explains the power that Islam has exercised over the hearts and minds of so many people. Islam simply gives the truth, neat and clear in a visible and tangible form. The neatness and clarity of Islam was presented to human beings in the form of a miraculous book, the Qur'an. The marvellous power and beauty of the words of the Qur'an have always been a decisive factor in conversion to Islam. The famous Jewish American convert to Islam, Maryam Jameelah, cited the Qur'an as the major factor of her conversion. After a deep study of both the Old Testament and the Qur'an, the contrast between the two scriptures became increasingly evident to her until she firmly believed that the Qur'an was indeed God's message to the human race.

A conference of Christian missionaries in 1887 was discussing why Islam has almost swept away Crhistianity from the Middle East. What did Islam offer these people to forsake Christianity for good? One of the missionaries was insightful enough to say the following: "Islam brought out the fundamental dogmas of the Unity and Greatness of God, that He is mindful and Righteous. It proclaimed the responsibility of man, a future life, a Day of Judgement and stern retribution to fall upon the wicked, and enforced the duties of prayer, alms-giving and fasting. It replaced monkishness by manliness, it gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind and recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature."

The formidable rationalism, ritualism and clarity of Islam did not only lead the Christians of the Middle East to forsake Christianity and embrace Islam in the past. It continues to do so with Christinas in the West to the presnt day. An Australian-born Christain who converted to Islam four months ago and who was studying here with us at Queen's wrote in her story of conversion to Islam, "Christianity continued to be difficult for me. So much didn't make sense, the trinity, the idea that Jesus was God incarnate, the worship of Mary, the Saints, or jesus, rather than God. The priests told me to leave reason behind". The she went on to say, "Could Muhammad really be a messenger? Could the Qur'an be God's word? I kept reading the Qur'an, it told me that Eve wasn't alone to blame for the fall, that Jesus was a messenger, that people would question the authenticity of Muhammad's claim to revelation but that if they tried to write something as wise, consistent and rational they would fail. This seemed true. Islam asked me to use my intelligence to contemplate God, it encouraged me to seek knowledge." Then at the end of her sincere search for the truth she prayed to God saying, "Dear God, I believe in You, I believe in the compelling and majestic words of the Qur'an and I believe in the prophethood of your messenger Muhammad (SAW)."

Another Muslim sister, from California, who was a practising Christian and an active member in her nearby Presbyterian church, wrote in her conversion story that despite her active affiliation with the church, she always had serious questions about the fundamentlas of Chrsitianity which did not make sense to her. She debated her questions with her friends but never came up with good answers. The church couldn't give them good answers either, they only told them to "have faith". All her questions were answered when she took a course about Islam. Listen to her own words. "This class brought back all of the concerns that I had about Christianity. As I learned about Islam, all my questions were answered. All of us are not punished for Adam's original sin. Adam asked God for forgiveness and our merciful, loving God forgave him. God doesn't require a blood sacrifice in payment for sin. We must sincerely ask for forgiveness and amend our ways. Jesus wasn't God, he was a prophet like all of the other prophets. This answered all of my questions about the trinity and the nature of Jesus. I found a teaching that put everything in its proper perspective and appealed to my heart and my intellect. It seemed natural. It wasn't confusing. I had been searching and I had found a place to rest my faith."

My dear brothers and sisters, Islam is so strong and so self-assured that it does not need to use force to attract others to it. The moral and intellectual superiority of Islam over all other religions has manifested itself so clearly throughout the history of Islam. Despite all of the ills of Muslims everywhere, Islam continues to be the fastest growing religion on earth. Professor Huston Smith of the MIT in his book, "The Religions of Man" says, "In some areas where Islam and Christianity are competing for converts, Islam is gaining at a rate of 10 to 1."

Ambassador Herman Ellis, in a testimony in front of the committee on Foreign Affirs of the House of Represntatives of the United States Congress on June 24th, 1985, said, "The Muslim community of the globe today is in the neighbourhood of one billion. That is an impressive figure. But what to me is equally impressive is that Islam today is the fastest growing monotheistic religion. This is something we have to take into account. Something is right about Islam. It is attracting a good many people."

Yes, something is right about Islam and that's why it has attracted so many people throughout its 1400 years of history.

Read More

Why People Choose Islam?

Religions have prevailed since the dawn of mankind. Man has naturally been in the search of the truth and that is something which is available not very easily unless a person looks inside himself and starts working and observing from there. Old civilizations have worshiped the sun and the moon and animals and what not. The true religion that has fully satisfied mankind is the one which Allah Almighty has blessed us with, which we call Islam.

The purpose of existence is the only thing that can trigger some thoughts in your mind. This is one of the major factors that inspire a lot of people who think and observe during their lifetime. As Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious: truly it is He that watches over all things.(Surah Al-Mulk).

People all around the world who are in search of the truth always incline towards Islam because it has something that no other religion has to offer, and that is salvation. Quran is the heavenly book that all Muslims around the world follow with ultimate belief and diligence. This heavenly book has solutions to all kind of problems that mankind can run into.

A normal human with no religion; what we call an atheist would think that the life is ending so that they can do anything to pass their time in the most enjoyable manner as they can. This is not a good practice overall.

Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life-even more than the idolaters; each one of them wishes he could be given a life of a thousand years; but the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment, for Allah sees well all that they do. (Surah Al-Baqara)

The ones who believe that death is inevitable; they believe in doing some good deeds before they go to the grave, to prevail in the next life. Quran tells us all about the next life and the rewards that we humans will get. The heaven is a pleasant place where every single person will be in peace and will prevail for an indefinite time.

Did ye think that ye would enter heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (in His cause) and remained steadfast? (Surah Aal-e-Imran)

Quran also says:

If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female and have faith, they will enter heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.(Surah An-Nisa)

The charisma that Islam holds is not just the promise of heaven; it is also the success that we humans get in this world by following the true words as delivered by the Holy Quran. The reason why Muslims face troubles is also some sort of test as Allah Almighty wishes. Yet there are the seekers of truth that are searching for the truth while it sits right there where they started but were too ignorant to clearly feel it.

Read More

What Is Islam

is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله‎ Allāh), and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.

Read More