A SHORT GUIDE FOR CONVERTS TO ISLAM

The Affirmation of Faith which is made at the Conversion Ceremony by a new Convert is, ASH-HADU ALLA ILAHA ILLALLAH WA-ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAR RASULULLAH: meaning: I Declare that there is no other God but Allah, and I Declare that Muhammad is Allahs Messenger. When you have made this affirmation of Faith, sincerely believing what you declare, you are a Muslim,-recognised by Allah and by the Muslim community. You have accepted Islam as your religion. Your choice is a wise one, for the religion of Islam was revealed by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad, more than 1426 years ago, and the Prophet Muhammad passed it on to all men & women, through the Holy Quran. Now that you have become a Muslim it is your duty to learn and understand the teaching of Islam.

By carrying out the teaching of Islam in your daily life you will become a good Muslim, and you will find peace of mind. Part 1 Knowledge about the religion of Islam is usually tought in two parts: (a) Belief, & (b) observance or application. There are six articles of the Muslim Faith: they are, 1. Belief in Allah, the one-ness of God. 2. Belief in the Angels. 3. Belief in the Holy Books. 4. Belief in all the Prophets. 5. Belief in the Day of Judgement and in the Life to Come. 6. Belief the everything, both good & evil, is the Will of Allah.

Some details about the Articles of Faith: 1. Belief in the One-ness of ALLAH. Muslims call the One God ALLAH. Muslims believe that ALLAH is the Creator of all things, and is all powerful all knowing, He is present everywhere, He is merciful and forgiving, and He hears the prayers of every Muslim. Belief in the Angels: Muslims believe that the Angels carry out ALLAHs commands. They are ageless, sexless and are usually invisible. Some Angels record the good and evil done by human beings. Belief in the Holy Books. Muslims believe that the Quran contains ALLAHs Revelation, which was received, from time to time, by the Prophet Muhammad and was written down during his life time, and has never been altered. Muslim also believe in order revelations given by ALLAH TO EARLIER Prophets. Some of these revelations were included in the Bible.

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Belief in the Prophets. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last Prophet sent by Allah, but that there were earlier Prophets, including Ibrahim, Daud, Musa, Noah and Jesus. All the Prophets were human being, who delivered ALLAHS message to the men and women of their time and then died. Belief in the Day of Judgement and in the Resurrection. Muslims believe that this world will come to an end, and that everyone will then be raised from the dead, and will be judged according to his or her good or bad deeds in this world. But it will not be our mortal bodies which will be raised: it will be our Souls. These will be judged, and those who have done good will be rewarded by a future life of eternal happiness. Those who have done much evil will be punished. Belief in Predestination. Muslims believe that ALLAH knows everything that has happened, that is happening and that will happen in the future. Muslims believe that everything which happens in this world is the Will of Allah.

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Part 2 A Muslim puts his belief or Faith into action under five major headings: These are often called the Five Pillars of Islam. 1. To make the Affirmation for Faith in Allah, the One God, and in Muhammad, His Messenger. To Pray to Allah five times a day. To Pay Zakat-the Muslim Poor Tax, payable by every adult Muslim if possible. To Fast during the Month of Ramadan each year. To make the Pilgrimage to Mecca, if possible.

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Some details about the Five Pillars of Islam: 1. The Affirmation of Faith is also part of the Muslim Call to Prayer, which is repeated from every Mosque, five times a day.

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Praying to Allah Five Times a Day: Muslims are required to repeat a number of short prayers in Arabic five times a day, and to accompany these prayers with simple movements of the body, standing, sitting and kneeling.

The times of the daily prayers, which have Arabic names, are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. SUBUH: at dawn or early in the morning: 2 Rakaat. ZOHOR: at midday or early afternoon: 4 Rakaat. ASAR: late afternoon: 4 Rakaat. MAGHRIB: at sunset: 3 Rakaat. ISHA: at night, before going to bed: 4 Rakaat. Daily Prayers open a channel of communication between a Muslim and ALLAH. In Islam there is no one else to whom a Muslim addresses his or her prayers. These prayers also serve as a form of moral discipline, since Muslim prayers must be offered at certain definite times. A Muslim can add his own prayers to ALLAH, in his own language, after he has repeated the set prayers in Arabic.

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Fasting during the Month of Ramadan. A Muslim who has reached Puberty and is in good health and of sound mind, is required to abstain form eating and drinking from just before sunrise, (about 5 a.m. in Malaysia), until sunset, every day during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. This abstention includes smoking and sexual intercourse during the hours of daylight. Giving Zakat- a Muslim religious tithe or tax. Adult Muslims are required to pay a religious tax, once a year. The money is mainly used to assist the poor. Zakat is and Arabic word meaning Purify and by paying a small percentage (about 2 percent) of the capital and profit that a Muslim has accumulated during the past year, he purifies his financial activities. Zakat is usually paid, in Malaysia, to the Religious Affairs Department in the State where the individual lives. The Pilgrimage to Mecca. Mecca is the birth place of Islam and Muslims face towards Mecca every time they pray to Allah.

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Muslims are encouraged to make the Pilgrimage to Mecca once during their life time, if they can afford to do so. The Pilgrimage is made during the month of Zulhijjahthe twelfth month in the Muslim calendar, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims from all over the world assemble in Mecca at that time. * * *

When you meet another Muslim he may greet you with the words Assalamualaikum: meaning Peace be with you. to which you should reply: Waalaikum salam, (and with you also). Just before a Muslim begins any good and lawful act it is commendable if he says, Bismillahir rahmanir rahim which means In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

A SHORT GUIDE FOR CONVERTS TO ISLAM

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A SHORT GUIDE for CONVERTS TO ISLAM

First published 1986 Second published 2005 Third published 2009 All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into any language without the written permission of Head of Department, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, Blok D9, Aras 4, Kompleks D, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, 62519 Putrajaya. ISBN 983-042-248-8 Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia Blok D7 & D9, Kompleks D, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, 62519 Putrajaya. www.islam.gov.my FREE