For the New Muslimah

What makes a revert's approach to Ramadhaan any different than any other Muslim? After all, Ramadhaan is an act of worship obligatory for us all:

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint." 2:183

twosistersshoreHowever, entering into Islaam later in life means you may not have had the benefit of all those years of preparation which many born into Islaam have had, and may find your feelings about the approaching month at odds with those around you. As an excitement about the approaching month seems to come upon the Muslim community, you may be silently wondering how you can ever get through a month of fasting. It may be your first Ramadhaan and although you start off with the best intentions, you may find yourself giving up halfway through, unable to mention your "failure" to anyone else.

So we thought it may be helpful to set out some beneficial pointers for this Ramadhaan inshaa'Allaah, especially if you are worried you will struggle your way through this blessed month and come out the other end feeling you could have done so much better.

Remind yourself of those Qur'aanic verses which reflect on Allaah's (subhanahu wa ta'ala) Mercy towards His Creation:

For example: ..."Allaah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allaah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful." (2:185)

Also: ..."Allaah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you that you may be grateful." * These two verses alone show us that Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) just wants us to be grateful to Him. Struggle means relying on Him even more – so that can only be good Inshaa'Allaah.

Read up on the virtues of Ramadhaan, its blessings and rewards for fasting, Taraweeh (Night Prayer), Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power), etc.

(Many articles related to these topics can be found here at idealmuslimah.com in the relevant categories).

Reflect on last year's Ramadhaan and ponder over how you could have improved your experience, applying these improvements to this Ramadhaan.

Choose three small goals to improve your month this year, and keep them simple.

Remember the Hadith: "The deeds which Allaah loves most are those done regularly, even if they are small." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, no. 191)

Seek positive ways to engage with the Qur'aan

Although we are encouraged to read as much Qur'aan as possible this month, some of us still struggle over the letters and feel completely inadequate at reading. This can leave us feeling a failure. Instead, seek positive ways to engage with the Qur'aan. Read it in English, listen to a Tafsir online, really understand and absorb that particular chapter until you know it and want to live it. Then when you listen to it and try to read it in Arabic, it may become easier for you, Inshaa'Allaah.

Compile a Du'a (supplication) list and allocate time in the day to make lots of Du'a (supplication).

We often feel our difficult situation will never change, but have we made Du'a (supplication) for it? Have we really made Du'a (supplication) for our non-Muslim families, our husbands, our children, our everyday life? This is the month to really try devoting time to Du'a (supplication) - and by making a list, you can see at a later point that these Du'as may be answered!

General Tips:

sisterjannah77

Buy all necessities; food, new clothes, gifts etc before Ramadhaan

This is so you can focus more on worship and spiritual development. Everyone in the family, even the kids, can participate, by planning meals, writing a shopping list, and preparing some meals to be stored in the freezer.

Try to avoid eating too much at either Suhoor or Iftaar - keep your body and mind fresh for action for Allaah. 

Try doing the most important things first

E.g., Quran and extra prayers.

This could be during the first part of the day when you are more alert. Leave digital talks and other beneficial reminders for later on in the day when you can rest and reflect.

Choose a Qur'aan reading buddy, or encourage a small group of friends to read a Juzz a day ( English or Arabic)

To encourage each other to reach this goal, set a time to call each other to check everyone has done this. If a Juzz is too much, set a smaller goal which is going to be achievable. Choose sisters who are at your level, so that you are all encouraged and not discouraged. Or start up a weekly Halaqah (gathering, circle) with other sisters, to go through the Tafseer of a certain Surah. These meetings will (Allaah Willing) be an encouragement to all.

Arrange to care for another revert Sister's children so that she can also benefit from Taraweeh.

If she can do the same for you, both of you can really benefit from this time. If you can't get to the Taraweeh prayer, don't feel guilty, but use that time after Iftaar as a special time for extra prayer, reading and reflection.

Plan different places and ways to have Iftaar, whatever your personal situation: at home alone, by inviting others, visiting other sisters, meeting at the Masjid, eating out in a restaurant for a special treat etc. Enjoy the physical reward for a day of fasting!

If possible, try to spend as much time as you can in the Masjid if your lonely and feeling weak

Break your fast there, and relax before and after each prayer. Enjoy the special sakinah and tranquility of the Masjid at this special time of year. Take a Du'a (supplication) book and find a Du'a (supplication) that resonates with you and keep repeating until you have really internalised it (even if you haven't memorized it). This will help you to feel part of the wider Ummah and reconnect with Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) at the same time.

Set up a method of learning while cooking.

Have talks and reminders of Allaah at hand so that you can practice remembrance of Allaah whilst being in the kitchen. This may be repeating a Du'a (supplication), listening to Qur'aan, choosing an Ayah (verse) to reflect on for each day of the month etc - think about these things in advance so that you don't end up feeling the month is running away from you and you're still just stuck in the kitchen not benefitting.

Choose to do one good deed per week (or more if able)

E.g. Make Iftaar for others, make time for a Sister who is alone, send an encouragement to another Muslim, help to clean someone's home if they are not well, help a Sister with shopping, tidy the Masjid.

Finally, aim to keep a  - something you can record your learning, your reflections, your Du'as. It will be invaluable as a record of what you have achieved, so that you can look back and see what a positive month this has been, instead of feeling a failure compared to everyone else.

This month is personal - a time to connect more closely with Allaah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), a time for reflection, and Inshaa'Allaah... a time for renewal.

Mountain PathAs a new Muslim you may not have learnt the prayer as yet. You must begin learning it ASAP as this is the second pillar of Islaam, after the testimony of faith and the material is readily available on this site. For now, while you do not know how to pray, you should read at the time of every prayer:

Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa laa hawla wa la quwwata illa Billaah

(Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god except Allaah and Allaah is Most great, there is no god except Allaah and there is no power and no strength except with Allaah).”

After which one should read:

Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wahdini warzuqni wa ‘aafini

(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, and grant me provision and good health).”

Do this trying your best, and Allah Almighty knows when his slave is trying his or her best.

This is for someone who has not yet learnt the opening chapter of the Qur'an, which is a requirement for the prayer. So if someone has just become Muslim and the time for prayer has come and there is not enough time for him to learn it, then s/he must read the above. For a detailed answer as to why, please refer to the following link (click here).

salahpray

Download this A4 printout and keep it near your prayer place or bag. Easy to carry around, yet the benefit great.

{pdf=http://www.idealmuslimah.com/book/Prayer_mat.pdf|930|590}

Download (right click & "save target as")

Or download the complete and detailed booklet (Click Here).

Salaah

An easy and well designed booklet setting the foundation via a step-to-step instructional guide to learn how to pray. Definitely worth having a look at.

{pdf=http://www.idealmuslimah.com/book/MY_PRAYER_BOOKLET.pdf|930|590}

Download (right click & "save target as")

Download the complete and detailed booklet (Click Here) or download this gift for your prayer mat (Click Here)..

PART 1

 

PART 2

PART 3

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hijabi56Sometime in the early part of 2007, my father told me that he had been reading one of the books I left there and he had a great feeling of peace. He was living alone and had a lot of time on his hands, so it seems that it was a time for him to reflect. I used to keep a Quran, an easy hadith book, and a few other books that were easy reading there so I would have something to read and refer to whenever I visited. I always thought that if they were interested, they might pick one up to read, but forgot about them for the most part.

For the next couple of phone calls, my father kept talking about the a Prayer book, which is very beautifully made and has chapters that tell the prayers of each of the prophets (alayhimus as salaam). He could see what Ibrahim (as) prayed with the direct quote from the Quran and explanation, as well as many other Prophets (alayhimus salaam). He mentioned that he was planning to visit the Islamic Foundation to see if they had some other book that he could read next. We took the initiative and put together a package of a couple of books by the same authors that I thought he would like, one an explanation of Surah Al Fatihah and the other on Surah Ikhlaas. I think we included another simple basic Islam book too and sent him a copy of the 'Lives of the Prophets' series, which we knew he had enjoyed hearing parts of during his visit. We sent them all off and I called after a week or so to see if he had received them. When I called to check he told me that he had just been to the Islamic Foundation and they gave him a big pile of material to read the day before he received our package. He didn't know where to start! I told him to simply have a look and see what interested him and just go from there.

He returned to the Islamic Center again, to pick up a different translation of the Quran and have a little tour. He said that they told him he needed to learn to pray and gave him some paper to complete in the event he chose to embrace Islam. Finally, my husband had a chat with him and asked him what he believed. He stated that he was pleased with what he was learning and with Islam. I was about to faint!

Later on we gave my father a call to see how he was. He told me he'd just gotten back from the Islamic Foundation and did the ceremony. I asked what he was talking about, and after a bit of real confusion on my part I realised that he had said his shahaadah! He said there was a group that gathered in the prayer hall and they all hugged him and he received all manner of welcome gifts and support. AlhamdulIllah! My father had embraced Islam, just a month before he turned 69 years old wa subhaanAllah wa bihamdihi! The person I thought would be too resistant to change to ever accept Islam, even if he thought it was right, had changed. Allah (subhaana wa taala) had shown me the reality of, "Kun fa ya kun!" (Be and it is!)

Well, I'm crying now. It's been over three years since Daddy reverted and I'm still overwhelmed by it. We went to visit him over the summer and it was the first time to see him since he'd accepted Islam. To see my 72-year-old father pray was indescribable.

Allah, yet again, has shown me His All-Encompassing Power.

Anything is possible when Allah Wills it.

We can never know His Plan or who He will gift with the faith of Islam next.

hijabi56Well, after I got married and we had our first daughter, my father and his wife decided to visit us. They came by the time she was turning one, in the summer of 2004, maashaa'Allah. I was wearing niqaab by then, but I didn't mention it at all and just went to pick them up at the airport. They didn't say anything about my face being covered initially and we got them home, settled down, and just let them relax. We had stocked the freezer and fridge with a variety of zabihah meats for their visit and for the first couple of days let them sleep in and recover from their flight. They enjoyed getting to know their granddaughter and we went to a couple of places for sightseeing and shopping.

During their stay, we did a couple of things that exposed them to Islam. We used to sell Islamic clothing, accessories, lectures, etc. at different functions and we took them one evening to a masjid in Philadelphia while we were vending. As brothers and sisters passed by, gave salaams, and interacted with us, my father asked me what the response was to their salaams and then responded a couple of times. It was quite cute. The whole experience served to show them a large Muslim community, predominantly American, with focus and a good sense of brotherhood/sisterhood.

The other thing we did was when we took them for drives, especially long ones, we played 'The Lives of the Prophets' by Imaam Anwar al-Awlaki in the van. I mentioned in passing that it is the one time when we have a chance to listen to the series without interruption, just so they understood that it was for us, not them. Well, every now and then my father would make a sound of agreement with something being said, so I knew he was listening at least some of the time. His wife commented that it was very relaxing and soothing to listen to while we were traveling. Well, you KNOW that hubby and I were just grinning away at each other about that!

Of course, they saw us pray whenever and wherever we were for the duration of their stay, heard us refer to Allah throughout our day, and generally saw how our life was being lived. Our daughter was saying many words by then, so she would say "AlhamdulIllah" after she sneezed, "bismIllah" before she ate, etc. We also introduced them to black seed and black seed oil, explaining that the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, told us it is a cure for everything except death. That interested them greatly, as they like natural remedies and nutritional supplements.

When the time came for them to leave, we gave them gifts including a framed ayah of Quran translated into English (the last ayah of Surah Al Baqarah) that we had made. My husband decided to slip two simple books into their gift bag as well about Understanding Islam and Muslims. He told them that it was just in case they had any questions or wanted to understand a little more. We hugged and kissed them goodbye at the airport and my father said, "May Allah keep you safe and blessed."

On returning home, I talked to my father and he said that within a month of getting back they had to call someone to fix their hot water heater. The man who came was a Muslim and my father engaged him in conversation telling him about us. He talked to him about the black seed oil, which he liked to use. My father had taken us to the Markfield Islamic Foundation when we visited and had a look around with us, so he was familiar with it. He told me that he was planning to give them a call to see if they could tell him where to purchase more of the black seed. I thought to myself that at least it was some kind of connection with Islam.

treeblue

Qadr Allah, by 2006 my father and his wife divorced. He was 68 at the time and it was a huge life change for him. He started thinking of different options such as coming over to the the U.S.A. so he could be closer to us, moving to Portugal, etc. We just called him more often and remained supportive and loving.

In the meantime, my mother came to visit for 2 weeks. By then I had a 5 month old daughter as well, so she got to see both her granddaughters, mashaa Allah. It was the last week of Ramadan, so we were fasting and she saw each day how we broke our fast and heard us get up early to have suhoor. My older daughter was 3 then, and she used to go downstairs to keep Grandma company in the early mornings while she had her cup of tea. One day my mother told me that she had sneezed and my mother said "bless you". She responded, "You can't bless me, only Allah can do that." My mother was taken aback, quite amazed at the clarity and focus. She saw us pray, saw the children living as Muslims, learned what we didn't do, and what we did.

When Eid came, she was uncomfortable to come with us to the Eid prayer, so I tried to leave it open for her. She changed her mind and came, holding the baby and just sitting at the back. It was in a rented hall, so there were no issues of her entering a masjid. She even draped a shaylah over her hair for the duration. One or two mornings I played 'Quran for Little Muslims' for the children and checked to see if she was listening. She didn't really seem to be taking anything in, so I didn't take it any further. We enjoyed her visit, spent a lot of time letting her relax and do a little shopping. We gave her gifts from the girls that showed their love for Grandma and sent her home with hugs. Maashaa Allah, it was a good visit.

Continue Reading:

hijabi56

{For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease, Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease} [Qur'aan, Al-Inshiraah, 94:5-6]

I reverted to Islam 23 years ago while living in Bahrain. My parents live in England, and I told them over the phone, so they really didn't know what I was talking out. Islam was a far-off thing for them and they didn't know what it meant.

I had a small piece of advice given to me just before my first trip back home to England after becoming a Muslimah. It was to simply be myself, let everyone see that I hadn't changed in any ridiculous way, and to answer questions (when and if they came) as simply as possible. So, that's what I did.

I went home, asked for something to be kept in the bathroom so I could make istinjaa, explained why I needed it and went about enjoying my visit with my father and his wife. The same went for my mother. When they asked a question, I answered as simply as possible so that if they wanted more information they could continue to ask questions and if that was enough then I hadn't overdone it.

Well, the years passed and my parents became more accustomed to my lifestyle. They sometimes had some very specific questions for me when I went home for visits. I noticed that they were quoting things they'd heard on the radio or watched on television about Muslims, so I knew they were paying more attention to Islam in general.

Then, perhaps 10 or 11 years after I embraced Islam, my father called me one New Year's Eve and told me he was proud of me, that I had good morals, lived a clean and decent life and had done well in my work. MaashaaAllah. I was in tears. It was a milestone in my life and in my da'wah; my father was proud of me and my faith.

During the years that I went home to visit my parents, I told them these things in answer to their questions.

-In Christianity, living together without being married is called "living in sin." I'm not doing something different by not having boyfriends and waiting for marriage, I'm just following the rules. Within a year, my father married his partner and my mother married hers.

-In every movie you've seen about Biblical times, the women wore long loose clothes and their hair was covered. It has always been the way of religious people, I'm just going back to those ways. I gave them an analogy.

question_brainThey get on a bus and a woman sits opposite them wearing a mini skirt, boobs all pushed up and cleavage out, make-up, long wild hair, high heels, perfume. She looks great. How does Daddy's wife feel about that woman? Does she check to see if my father is looking at her? Of course, my father has seen her and what will he do, put his hands over his eyes? Daddy's wife may be thinking, "She's thinner than me... she is more beautiful... she's younger." Daddy may be thinking, "She looks great!" Daddy's wife feels a resentment towards that woman for displaying herself in front of her husband.

Then, when it comes to bedtime she has a little complex. I look fat in this nightdress. I don't want him to see me and compare me to that gorgeous woman. She has lost confidence in herself and her attractiveness to my father. A barrier has been placed between them. Now, if that woman had not displayed herself that way, Daddy's wife would not have anything to compare herself with. She would not have felt inferior or that my father had seen something he must, in her mind, prefer to her. She would have had no animosity towards that woman sitting opposite them and felt no threat.

Well, after explaining that, they made a point to advise me when shopping if the thing I was trying on was suitably covering or not. They understood.

-When asked about some horrible thing a Muslim had done, I said, "What about Son of Sam, the man down the road who killed his wife, and all these criminals in the prisons? Are they all Muslim? No, they are Christians, Jews, Athiests, etc. It has nothing to do with the religion, it has to do with the people. There are good and bad people. People with good judgment and intellect, and people without. I don't say the religion is bad because of a person who associates themselves with it; I call that person bad. "

-When sitting with them on the evening of their Christmas, after leaving them to their day and just arriving back home, I was asked if I didn't believe in Jesus. I took the Quran and read the excerpt from Surah Maryam about the Prophet Isa's birth, alayhis-salaam. Daddy's wife said, "Well, that Quran has it all so we don't need our Bibles do we?"

Then, about 8.5 years ago, I got married. This was another milestone, because they now had an example of a Muslim man to observe as well.

-When I got married they asked questions about my husband's short trousers (i.e. showing the ankles) and beard... which he answered used Prophetic Narrations from the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. My father could see that my husband was acting based on knowledge and commitment. For every question, my husband presented proof in his answer, wa al hamdulIllah ala kulli haal.

-We had to handle the issue of not celebrating birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. Although I had explained previously that these things weren't celebrated in Islam. We sent letters to my parents explaining that we didn't need special days to commemorate our love and appreciation for them; every day was a testimony to that. We made a point to send them letters, gifts, and express our love throughout the year so they could see that they were always special and not feel that they were being ignored, just because we didn't share their holidays. We explained that the only gifts that would be accepted would be at neutral times of the year or on Eid.

My mother started noting down the Eid dates so she could send cards and gifts.

Continue Reading:

moon-scenery-night-skySomeone asked me once how I got to this place in my life, my deen, and my heart. Well, it took years. Every year, every month, every day, every hour, every minute, and every second were needed for me to be the person who types to you now.

To get from vague religion, to Church of England, to Islam took 22 years. To go from being insecure and intimidated, to certain and unshakable in my reliance on Allah took 16 years. To get from learning Quran in order to pray, to understanding and reciting Quran because I love it, took 22 years. To learn to truly love for the sake of Allah took 28 years. To be ready for the role of wife and mother, took 20 years of working and supporting myself. To find a person to strive for Jennah with, took 36 years.

There aren't any instant packets of experience, wisdom, emaan, taqwa, or knowledge. There are no quick fixes for understanding and loving everything Allah sends you. It takes life experiences. Every year of your life is necessary for your movement towards Allah. Take it easy. Take time to think about the experiences. Embrace it all for what it is: your own personalized self improvement plan written by your Creator.

Allah has a plan for each of us and it follows His timeline. It isn't about how long it takes, it's about getting there. A large factor in getting there is understanding that everything that we go through is meant to get us there. Look at everything, the easy and the difficult, the joy and the misery, the thrills and disappointments and know that it's all part of the journey to Allah. It's all sent to make you turn to Him.

Now that I've said that it took me years to get to where I am, let me tell you where I am. Virtually nowhere in terms of knowledge, 29 Juz to go for Qur'an memorization, still battling myself to have the self-control and manners of our beloved Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, still desperately trying to please Allah, and seeking forgiveness for my many mistakes. I'm just struggling and striving along my personal path to Allah, and will be for the rest of my days, inshaa'Allah. It took years; al hamdu lillah for every one of them - they are irreplaceable.

quranpicgreen

The following web site is excellent for beginners wishing to learn the short chapters of the Qur'aan in an interactive fashion:

http://www.mounthira.com/


Here are some short Surahs (Chapters) for you with their transliteration and translation for your convenience:

1) The Chapter of al-Faatihah

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, (2) The Beneficent, the Merciful. (3) Owner of the Day of Judgment, (4) Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. (5) Show us the straight path, (6 + 7) The path of those whom Thou hast favoured. Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

al_fatiha

 

108) The Chapter of al-Kawther

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) Lo! We have given thee Abundance; (2) So pray unto thy Lord, and sacrifice. (3) Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity.

al_kawthar

 

109) The Chapter of al-Kaafiroon

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) Say: O disbelievers! (2) I worship not that which ye worship; (3) Nor worship ye that which I worship. (4) And I shall not worship that which ye worship. (5) Nor will ye worship that which I worship. (6) Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion.

al_kafiroen

 

110) The Chapter of an-Nasr

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh (2) And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops, (3) Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.

an_nasr

 

111) The Chapter of al-Masad

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. (2) His wealth and gains will not exempt him. (3) He will be plunged in flaming Fire, (4) And his wife, the wood-carrier, (5) Will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre.

al_massad

 

113) The Chapter of al-Falaq

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak (2) From the evil of that which He created; (3) From the evil of the darkness when it is intense, (4) And from the evil of malignant witchcraft, (5) And from the evil of the envier when he envieth.

al_falaq

 

114) The Chapter of an-Naas

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

(1) Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (2) The King of mankind, (3) The God of mankind, (4) From the evil of the sneaking whisperer, (5) Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind, (6) Of the jinn and of mankind.

an_nas

Shahdah_119To become a Muslim you must first take your Shahaadah. Shahaadah is an arabic word which means "witnessing/to testify". Muslims believe everyone is born Muslim until they worship a false god or associate partners with Allah (by giving traits of God to a person or thing that is not God). If you have not continued as a Muslim all your life, and have failed in practising the principle of the Oneness of God, it is necessary for you to reaffirm your faith by testifying/witnessing to the Oneness of God. This is where it becomes necessary to take one's Shahaadah in Islaam.

When you take your Shahaadah you testify belief in One true God [Allah] that has no partners/equals, and in Allah's angels, books, and Prophets, and that Muhammed is the last Messenger of Allah. Before you do this, you should make sure that you want to be a Muslim: Read the Qu'ran, and make sure you understand the core values of the religion. You should become a Muslim with conviction and knowledge for it should be your religion for the rest of your life---there's greater punishment in willingly leaving Islam than there is for failing to be perfect in all of its principles. As a Muslim, you must obey all the laws of Allah, such as learning daily prayers and giving chairty, as well as no adultery and no eating of pork, but those seem minor once you truly understand the more important concepts of submission to God. As soon as you believe in Allah S.W.T as being the One God worthy of worship, and that the Qu'ran is the final message of Allah, and the Prophet Muhammed was sent to explain the Qu'ran with guidance from his Creator [and feel secure in the knowledge that you will always believe this], then you may take your Shahaadah. You don't have to be perfect in the practice of the faith to make your Shahaadah but by taking your Shahaadah you are making the intention to aspire to be as the faithful described in the Qu'ran. You should simply have an understanding and belief in it. For instance, something I personally am not proud of, but when I first took my Shahaadah, I had not kicked my drinking habit, but I knew it was something a Muslim shouldn't do. The most important thing to me though, was becoming a Muslim first, and then I would work on being a better Muslim.

Once you're all set, and ready to make a commitment you may say these simple words (it is suggested that you have two Muslim witnesses to honor your protection in Islam but this is not necessary only recommended):

"Ashadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammadar rasoolullah."

This translates to mean:

"I testify that there is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God."

You can say it in English although all the people who converted in the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him, said it in Arabic. You can acknowledge the Oneness of God in English, but saying it in Arabic is recommended.

Once you have taken your Shahaadah, congratulations! You have upheld the first pillar of Islam.

Maashaa'Allah, you are now a Muslimah, a woman who submits to God, and are now part of the Ummah (the faithful to Allah S.W.T). Your country is now the faith of Islam, and your race/family is Allah S.W.T's Ummah, along with the 1.5 billion others in this world.

After taking your Shahaadah it is recommended that you tak a bath or a shower, as was the practice of the first Muslims, so that you can pray to God with a clean body as well as a clean soul. A person who takes Shahadah in total honesty will have all his/her sins up to that point forgiven (but his prior good deeds will still count), since God is granting you the chance to start over now that you've turned back to Him.

It should be noted that one cannot be forced to convert to Islam/take the Shahaadah because the Qu'ran states

"Let there be no compulsion in religion..." (2:256)

question_mark_cloudA much needed clarification for new sisters and non-muslims who don't understand our terminology: Someone who becomes a Muslim (but was not raised as one) is called a revert, since it is believed in Islam that everyone is born a Muslim. If you were born a Muslim but were not practicing, then when you make your shahada you technically come back to Islam [reversion], you don't convert to it. That is why Muslims call new muslims "reverts". This is usually too much to explain to non-muslims so I usually just tell them I am a convert to Islam, but among Muslims I am a revert.

So, one who embraces Islam is embracing what we call in arabic the "deen-al-fitrah". This translates to mean "natural faith," meaning that we are in the original state as humans that Allah created us in.

Thats why the word "convert" is contrary to what happens when a person consciously acknowedges that s/he is a Muslim; we aren't changing ourselves into another form (converting) - converting impies that when embracing a religion one is changing into another form, something that doesn't come naturally to the human being... when we formally embrace Islam, we are going back to the way we were when we were born on this earth, completely sinless and in perfect relationship with the Creator.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: "No baby is born but upon Fitrah. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist." (Saheeh Muslim)

Cool fact: All the early followers of the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W (the sahaabiyaat) were reverts.

hijabblueAalia: People tried to teach me alot of bidas (actions the Prophet saw never did) like puting my arms in the wrong spots, and making dua in congregation at the Masjid, and even tried to fool me with sufi spinning. Uh.... Yeah, I don't think so. I'm no fool. It didn't feel right, and it wasn't.

Pixie: I didn't know how to pray or that Muslims prayed different so I just prayed Catholic-style, hands folded and kneeling at the foot of my bed, reciting all the translation of the Qu'ran that I had memorised. I guess that's not so bad.... but it sure looked funny to any Muslims who saw me.

Fatimah: Yeah, I NEVER stepped outdoors in hijab, but I thought I had to wear niqab when I prayed. I also always wore gloves when I read the Qu'ran. No, I didn't have my period. Weird, I know.

Ange: I got told so many different things. One person was shia so they taught me one way, so when I prayed in the masjid for the first time I was doing things completely different to the other girls. I corrected it. Then for ages when I was praying I wouldn't do sujood in my first rakat, but did it in my second. My friend Ayesha finally pulled me aside... stopped me mid-prayer and told me "forget everything you know because you are too confused.. Let's pretend you have never prayed before and let's start again." She taught me right from the beginning and walked me through the whole thing from the start.

Hanoony: Uh, I didn't know that one had to wear hijab for prayer [after reaching maturity, i.e menstration] so I used to pray... naked.

Pindsay: I used to rap surah Al-fatiha and I used to say "listerine" instead of "siratal al mustiquim"

Pixie: When Aalia and Asma finally DID teach me how to pray when learning to make wudu I didn't merely wipe my hair over with water. I DROWNED myself.

Ange: A funny thing for me was my first prayer mat had the prayer actually written on it. So to learn the words (to Al Fatiha) I would have to keep moving around on my prayer mat to see the next sentence. I would be half way through sujood and half to scoot back to read what I was meant to recite. That's how I learnt to say my prayers... by playing twister on my prayer rug.

Pixie: When I heard it was good to recite a surah after reading al fatiha in the first two rakat I started memorising Surah Al Bakara... It took FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! I was like, I AM NEVER GOING TO LEARN THIS OR DO THIS. But with hardship comes ease!

penpencilAllah= God (without equal or offspring)

Iman/Imaan= Faith

Tawhid/Tawheed/Tauhid= Faith in one God

Aqeedah/Aqidah= The firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Ahkaam= Legal status in Islamic Law, Rulings.

The five kind rulings:

1.) Waajib or Fardh= Cumpulsory requirement

2.) Mustahabb= Recommended but not cumpulsory (often a sunnah/sunnan)

3.) Makruh= Disliked but not forbidden

4.) Muharram or more simply, Haraam= Forbidden

5.) Halaal= Lawful and Allowed

Qu'ran= the literal word of Allah taught to Muhammed His Prophet through the angel Jibreel (Gabriel)

Shirk=to associate partners with Allah---to practice shirk is to remove one's self from Islam and the mercy of Allah

S.W.T= When writing the name of Allah, Muslims often follow it with the abbreviation "SWT." These letters stand for the Arabic words "Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala," which translates to "Glory to Him, the Exalted." Muslims use these or similar words to glorify God when mentioning His name. Pronunciation: sub-han'-a-hoo wa ta a la

Muhammed= the last Prophet of Allah SWT from a long line of Prophets such as Jesus, Abraham, and Moses.

S.A.W= When writing the name of the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims often follow it with the abbreviation "SAW". These letters stand for the Arabic words "salla Allah alaihi wa sallam", meaning "may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him." It is a standard Muslim expression of love and respect for the Prophet. "May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him" is usually said whenever the name of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) is mentioned or read.

Bid'ah= An innovation to the practice of Islam, always haraam.

Daleel= Islamic evidence from either the Qu'ran or sahih ahadith (authentic, prophetic narrations).

Sahih/Saheeh= Authentic, usually in reference to hadith. It means the hadith has a direct chain of narration to the one who is said to be speaking.

Hadith/Hadeeth= a collected saying or action of the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W that has been recorded. If it is Sahih it is a form of daleel (proof).

Ahadith/Ahaadeeth= plural of hadith.

Kuffaar= those who practice polyethism and reject the idea of one God.

question23This post is meant to be funny and might not make sense to some (as many things from my brain do not), but if you find you really are suffering from Converticitus, please speak to a trusted source, preferably someone from the Muslim community.

Do you/or does someone you know suffer from converticitus? If you think you/they might, take a brief look at the symptoms mentioned below:
  • Sudden loss of friends and family; caused by purposely isolating yourself?

Treatment: Unless your family are being openly hostile to you and preventing you from doing your religious obligations, do not cause the first rift. Islam gives parents (Muslim or not) high priority. As for friends, they probably weren't your friends to begin with if they have started being mean to you now.

  • Frequent trips to any Middle Eastern market; due to the un-controllable desire to purchase anything that has to do with the Arabic culture?

Treatment: Hey now, save some of those dollars for your Zakat! Becoming a Muslim doesn't mean you have to immerse yourself in the Arabic way of life (such as food & clothing), but the Islamic one. Trust me, it's better. The biggest barrier in the way of Islam right now is people confusing culture with the religion. Arab doesn't equal Muslim.

  • Experiencing moodswings and a tightening in your chest? Usually brought on by not knowing what you follow or how to handle the new life as a Muslim.

Treatment: Relax, take a deep breath. Becoming Muslim makes life easy, not hard. Read the Book of Allah, learn how to pray & get aquainted with the 5 Pillars of Faith, then find reliable information regarding anything you might be wondering.

As for women who encounter a sudden rush of marriage proposals: Can be easily treated by a declaration of "NO THANK-YOU".

All of the above symptoms can be easily cured by taking it easy, learning at your own pace and making supplications to Allah. Learning how to pray as soon possible guarantees maximum comfort and eases feelings of conflict.

salahprayThe first key to learning HOW to pray is knowing WHEN to.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) informs us in His Book:

{Verily, As-Salah [the prayer] is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.} (4:103)

Prayer is performed five times a day:

  • At dawn (this prayer is called Fajr),
  • At noon (this prayer is call Dhuhr),
  • In the afternoon (this prayer is called Asr),
  • At sunset (this prayer is called Maghrib) and
  • At nightfall (this prayer is called Isha).

The five prayers are fardh (obligatory) for all Muslims once they have reached puberty--to neglect them or abandon them is to sin.

We know the times for the prayers because the Prophet (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said in authentic ahadith:

"The time for the morning prayer [lasts] as long as the first visible part of the sun does not appear, and the time of the noon prayer is when the sun declines from its zenith and there is not a time for the afternoon prayer and the time for the afternoon prayer is so long as the sun does not become pale and its first visible part does not set and the time for the evening prayer is that when the sun disappears and the time for the night prayer is to the middle of the night." (Sahih Muslim, [Eng. Trans. vol. 1 #1276])

If you are lucky enough to live in a country where Islam is a major religion you will hear the prayer announced, but if you do not, here is a link for a website that will help you search the prayer times for your local area: Click Here. Just search your country, then your city, and you will be able to have a timetable for all the prayer times for the month that we are in.

Prayers cannot be made early [before their prescribed times] or delayed past their times. This is known to us because Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) wrote in the beloved gift of the holy Qu'ran:

{So woe unto those performers of salah [i.e hypocrites] who delay their salah from their fixed times.} (107:4-5)

Now that you know the prayer times for where you are in this world, set about thinking of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) within those times, and if you know nothing else yet, repeat the words of your Shahaadah (Declaration of Faith):

"Ashadu an laa illaah illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammadar rasoolullah."

within these times. Make the intention to learn more, and ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make learning easy for you.

In Summary:

Prayer timings vary throughout the globe and slight variations from day to day due to changes in daylight hours.

There are five obligatory prayers which are performed at five different times of the day.

1. FAJR PRAYER (The Morning Prayer)

It starts at dawn and ends at sunrise. Thus it can be prayed between these points. But it is best to pray at the beginning of its time (i.e. just after start of dawn)

2. DHUHR PRAYER (The Early Afternoon Prayer)

It starts when the sun begins to decline from its zenith and ends when the the size of an object's shadow is equal to the objects size.

3. ASR PRAYER (The Late Prayer)

It starts when an object's shadow is equal to the objects size and ends when just before sunset.

It is better to pray Asr before the sky becomes yellow (even though it is allowed to pray at such a time) because the Prophet (peace be upon him) disliked Muslims praying at such as time and remarked that the the Munafiq (Hypocrite) offers his pray at this time.

4. MAGHRIB PRAYER (The Sunset Prayer)

Its time begins just after sunset and ends when twilight has just disappeared

5. ISHA PRAYER (The Night Prayer)

It starts when twilight has disappeared and ends before midnight.

waterThe things that make ghusl (the ritual bath) obligatory are six things. If one of them happens then the Muslim has to do ghusl.

1 – Emission of maniy (semen) from its exit in the male or female, which happens either when one is awake or when one is asleep. If it is emitted when one is awake, there is the condition that one feels pleasure when it is emitted. If it is emitted without pleasure, then ghusl is not required, such as if it is emitted as the result of sickness. If it is emitted when one is asleep, this is what is called ihtilaam (erotic dream) and ghusl is required in all cases because he was not aware (of whether there were feelings of pleasure or not) and he may not experience feelings of pleasure. If a sleeper wakes up and finds traces of maniy, then he must do ghusl. If he has an erotic dream but no maniy comes out of him, and he does not find any trace of it, then he does not have to do ghusl.

2 – Penetration of the penis into the vagina, even if no ejaculation takes place, because of the hadeeth narrated by Muslim and others from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “When a man sits between the four parts (arms and legs of his wife) and has intercourse with her, then ghusl is obligatory.” So ghusl is required of both parties involved by mere virtue of penetration having taken place, even if no ejaculation takes place, because of this hadeeth and because there is scholarly consensus on this point.

3 – According to some scholars, ghusl is required when a disbeliever becomes Muslim, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told some of those who became Muslim to do ghusl. Many scholars think that it is mustahabb, not obligatory, for a kaafir who becomes Muslim to do ghusl because it is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told everyone who became Muslim to do that. So it may be understood that it is mustahabb, so as to reconcile the evidence.

4 – Death – the deceased person must be washed, except for the shaheed (martyr) who falls in battle, who is not to be washed.

5 + 6 – Menses and nifaas (post partum bleeding), because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When your menses ends, then do ghusl and pray.” And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And when they have purified themselves” [al-Baqarah 2:222], referring to menses – they should purify themselves by doing ghusl after their menses ends.

And Allaah knows best.

The proper method of ghusl (ritual bath) involves the following steps:

1. Make the niyyah (intention) to perform ghusl for purification, and say In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful in your heart.

2. Wash your private parts thoroughly with water.

3. Perform wudhu’ (ablution) except for washing of your feet, which you can do later while bathing the body. See image below.

my-wudu-chart

4. Wash the entire body, starting with your head and the right side, followed by the left.

5. It is preferred that the whole body be washed three times. The minimum is once.

{pdf=http://www.muslimtents.com/idealmuslimah/Books/for_my_new_sister.pdf|690|500}

Download (right click & "save target as")

 

This chart shows how the letters change in different positions:

alphabetdifferentpositions

arabic_cons

 

The transliteration of consonants used above is the ISO version of 1984. There are various other ways of transliterating Arabic.

 

A famous book, relevant to the theme of our site.

  • Download (right click & "save target as")

{pdf=http://www.idealmuslimah.com/images/stories/Books/TheIdealMuslimah.pdf|700|500}

  • alphabet

The following are highly recommended external flash links:

Level 1

Level 2

The Arabic Alphabet:

 

Makhaarij (Points of Articulation) of the Letters

  1. Huroof Haw'yah
  2. Letters of Aqsa-e-Halq
  3. Letters of Halq
  4. Letters of Adnal Halq
  5. The Letter Qaff
  6. Letter of Kaff
  7. Huroofush Sharjiyah
  8. Letter Daad
  9. Letter Laam
  10. The Letter Noon
  11. The letter Raa
  12. Huroofun Nat'iyyah
  13. Hurooful Lathwiyya
  14. Huroofus Safier
  15. The Letter Faa
  16. The Letters Baa, Meem and Waaw
  17. Ghunna


Practising Letters Which Sound Similar

 

Level 3

Fathah (Zeber) Practice
Joining letters Fathah Exercise
Kasra (zer) Practice
Joining letters Kasra Exercise
Damma (Pesh)  Practice
Joining letter Damma Exercuse
Long Vowel Fathah (zaber) with Letter Alif
Long vowel Fathah (zaber) with Letter Alif (PRACTICE)
Long Vowel Damma (Pesh) with letter Waw
Long Vowel Damma (Pesh) with letter Waw
Long Vowel Kasra (Zer) with letter Ya
Long Vowel Kasra (Zer) Practice Exercises


Diphthongs

Fatha (zaber) with letter Waw
Fatha (zaber) with letter Waw PRACTICE EXERCISE
Fatha (zaber) with letter Ya
Fatha (zaber) with letter Ya PRACTICE EXERCISE
Combined Practice Exercises

 

Special Rules

Double Fathah Exercise
Double Fathah Practice
Double Kasra Exercise
Double Kasra Practice
Double Damma Excercie
Double Damma Practice
Upright Fathah, Kasra, and Inverted Damma
Upright Fathah (zaber) Exercise 
Upright Kasra (Zer) Exercise 
Inverted Damma (Pesh) Exercise 
Upright Fathah,Kasra and Inverted Damma Practice Exercise Combined

Practice Exercise combined

Special rule letter Alif (Hamza)

SHADDAH  (TASHDID)   double consonant

Lesson 22 SHADDAH  (TASHDID)

MADDAH prolongation

Maddah Exercise prolongation

Long vowel and double consonat


Download this PDF (right click & "save target as")

{pdf=http://www.idealmuslimah.com/PDFS/TheShortAndLongVowels.pdf|700|500}