New Muslim Hub

I am ready to make Shahada. What do I do?

You should contact a local masjid or the place where you are learning about Islam and tell them you are ready to make your Shahadah.

In the event you do not know of a local masjid (mosque) or Islamic center, there are many websites available with information and guidance in making your Shahadah. Among them are:

• Islamreligion.com

Now that I made shahada, what is next?

You have obviously learned something about Islam so that you are convinced it is correct belief about The Creator. The next step is to learn more. There are basics of Islamic belief that must be understood. The first thing a new Muslim must learn is the requirements of faith–what it is required for a Muslim to believe in and what a Muslim is required to avoid. Also, the basic requirements of acting on faith are necessary to be learned. The first practice a person should become acquainted with is prayer. Learning the correct way to pray and the acts which are associated with it as well as what to avoid is fundamental to every Muslim.

Do I have to wear hijab?

It’s best if you can start wearing the Hijab, that is the Islamic dress code for women. Islam believes that a woman’s body is her treasure as well as her hair, and she should not expose of either. This is why she keeps herself covered and should only be seen by her husband and male family members, like father, son, brother, etc.
But if you are in a situation where you feel it may expose you to some harm, then you can delay it until you get stronger or are in a better position. For now you must at least wear it when you pray.

Can I say my prayers in my own language since I don’t know Arabic?

The five daily prayers must be said in Arabic; one cannot read a translation of the meanings of the Arabic words. However, you can ask God for needs in your own language (as a side prayer), but the five daily prayers are only in Arabic; and it is normal that one will take some time to learn the few sentences in Arabic that are needed.

If this is too hard for you at the moment, you can repeat any of the following Arabic phrases throughout the prayer as an alternative way of prayer till you learn the original prayer:

Are my supplications (du’a) accepted if I don’t make them in Arabic?

With regards to the daily Salah (prayer), if you are unable to make du’a in Arabic, there is no reason why you should not make du’a in your own language, so long as you start learning Arabic in the meantime.

With regard to making du’a in languages other than Arabic outside of prayer, there is nothing wrong with that, especially if that will make you more focused in your du’a.

The great scholar Ibn Taymiyah said: “It is permissible to make du’a in Arabic and in languages other than Arabic. Allah knows the intention of the supplicant and what he wants, no matter what language he speaks, because He hears all voices in all different languages, asking for all kinds of needs.” [Majmu’ al-Fatawa, 22/488-489]

What do I do if I miss a prayer?

Firstly, you should understand that preserving your five daily prayers is the most important part of Islam after taking your Shahadah. So you should make sure you never miss a prayer during its prescribed time, especially if you miss it intentionally. But having said that, if you happen to miss a prayer due to forgetting it, all you have to do is make up for it by praying it when you remember. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps and misses it, let him pray it when he remembers, and there is no other expiation for it but that.” [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim]

Why can a man wear perfume in public but not a woman?

The difference between women and men is that the basic principle with regard to a woman is that she is not allowed to adorn herself in the public by revealing her body and beautifying it with or without perfume, so that no temptation will be caused by her and she will not encounter any negative consequences. Moreover, the temptation of men by women is greater than the temptation of women by men; if a man is attracted by a woman he can pursue her and  try to tempt her; but a woman is usually pursued and is not the pursuer. If it so happens that she is attracted to a man, she would not pursue him, because the shyness and chastity that are part of her inherent nature usually prevent her from pursuing him.

This has been indicated in the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Any woman who puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance is a zaniyah (adulteress).” [Reported by Ahmad and Nasa’i] “She is an adulteress” means: because of that she is exposed to adultery, and implementing the means that lead to it and calling those who seek it. Hence, she is called an adulteress in a metaphorical sense, because desire may prevail and real adultery may take place.

This is if she puts on perfume and goes out with the aim of letting men smell it. This is forbidden and is a major sin. But if she puts on perfume and thinks most likely that her fragrance will not reach other men, such as going out in her husband’s car on a trip to an isolated place, or to visit her family, or she is going out in her husband’s car to a gathering for women only, or she is going to the mosque in the car and she is going to get out at the entrance to the prayer-hall that is for women only and is completely separate from the men, then she is going to come straight back in the car without walking in the street, and other such situations where the woman does not expect to pass through the streets and her aim in putting on perfume is to keep herself clean in general as enjoined by Islam, then there is nothing wrong with her using perfume, because the reason for the prohibition, which is that the fragrance might reach other men, does not apply. And Allah knows best.

Why do women have to pray behind the men?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent by Allah as a guide and role-model for us to follow. This is in the general sense, and it becomes even more emphasised in issues related to worshiping Allah. That is because we cannot worship Allah on our own without having a guide to show us how to worship Him. This is why Allah sent many prophets and messengers to mankind throughout history, for the sole purpose of guiding them to worship Allah in the manner Allah wants them to worship Him.

And so the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed the women to make their rows behind the men when praying together in congregation. And he said: “The best of the men’s rows is the first and the worst is the last, and the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst in the first.” [Reported by Muslim]

The wisdom behind such legislation is to prevent men and women from mixing freely with each other because that would only lead to temptation, whereas the very thing that the prayer is supposed to do is ward off such temptation, as Allah said: “Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.” [Al-Ankabut 29:45]

And so the farther the men are from the women’s rows, the better, and vice versa.

I live far from the local masjid. Must I move or can I offer my prayers at home?

Praying in congregation in the masjid is one of the most important parts of Islam, and it is obligatory for every man past the age of adolescence who is able to hear the call to prayer, because of a great deal of evidence, including the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not respond, his prayer is not valid, except the one who has an excuse.” [Reported by Ibn Majah]

But just because you live far from the masjid, it does not mean that you shouldn’t strive to make it there for the congregation as much as you can. Look at what you would be missing out on. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Prayer offered in congregation is twenty-five times better than prayer offered at home or in the marketplace. If any one of you does wudu’ and does it well, then comes to the masjid for no other purpose than to pray, then he does not take a single step but Allah raises him in status one degree thereby and removes one sin from him, until he enters the masjid. Then he is in a state of prayer so long as he is waiting for the prayer, and the angels send blessings upon him so long as he remains in the spot where he prayed, saying ‘O Allah, forgive him, O Allah, have mercy on him,’ so long as he does not pass wind.” [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim]

Having said that, if it is possible for you to move closer to the masjid so that you can attain these great blessings and rewards, then that would be for your own good. But if for whatever reason you cannot, then Allah does not burden a person more than he can bear. And Allah knows best.

I’m ready to make shahada, but my husband isn’t considering it. Must we separate?

You see, all converts are like this; they are people who are non-Muslims and decide to accept Islam, so they all have non-Muslim families. But you can convert and keep it private until you think it’s time to tell them. You are accepting Islam foremost for yourself and to save yourself from the eternal Hellfire.

Having said that, since you are ready to accept Islam, then do not delay. As for your marriage, then the ruling is that since the time you accept Islam, you will remain in the marriage of your husband for three menstrual cycles (or three months if you are not menstruating). If he accepts Islam before the termination of three menstrual cycles, your marriage will remain intact. If he does not accept Islam within this period, your marriage terminates and you can no longer stay with him.

If you feel that you cannot leave him for whatever reason, then your living with him would be a sin but you would still remain a Muslim. So given a choice between not accepting Islam altogether and continuing to live with him as a Muslim, then the second choice is better as accepting Islam is much more important.

My husband and I made shahada, but our children do not want to be Muslim. They are between 10-17 years old. What do we do?

You see, all converts are like this; they are people who are non-Muslims and decide to accept Islam, so they all have non-Muslim families. You have accepted Islam foremost for yourself and to save yourself from the eternal Hellfire. So many people convert without their children converting. After some time, the children follow their parents as they realize that their parents only changed because they truly believe that what they have accepted is the truth. And so as they mature and are exposed more to Islam and its teachings, they begin to consider it for themselves as well.

Also, realize that among the prophets, who were the closest of mankind to Allah, were those whose own children rejected their message. But that did not change their resolve, nor did it make them to abandon the truth. Allah says concerning Nuh (peace be upon him): “And Nuh called to his Lord and said, ‘My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges!’ He said: ‘O Nuh, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge. I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant.’” [Hud 11:45-46]

I am searching online for information and have come across sites that some people tell me are not “authentic”. What does this mean and how can I know these sites?

AUTHENTIC Islamic sites are those sites which convey correct Islamic information as it was received from Prophet Mohammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and preserved in the authentic books of sunnah. Muslims avoid “unauthentic” hadeeths and information in general that adds to Islam anything that was not taught by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, no matter how good it is presented or may seem to be.

The best defense against inauthentic information is to ensure acquiring knowledge about what Islam really is, what a Muslim is required to believe and what beliefs and actions are NOT from the authentic teachings of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.