Tips for New Muslim Converts to Become Practicing Muslim
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions of the world. With each day that passes by, the number of followers of Islam continues on increasing and people from all across the globe enter into the circle of Islam. Therefore, there are always people who are trying to search on the internet about Islam and how they need to conduct their lives once they have entered Islam.
The objective of this writing is to help the newly convert Muslims to understand and know more about Islam and present to them the ways by following which they can become better Muslims. The lines below give some effective tips that can help new converts in becoming better Muslims in faith as well as in practice.
Practice Islam:
The first and perhaps the most important thing that a new convert should emphasize upon is practicing Islam. The essence of Islam lies in practicing its preaching, therefore, after entering the circle of Islam a new convert must try to know about the Islamic way of life, the obligations, the mandatory elements, the code of conduct and so on related to Islam and then try practicing them as much as he or she can. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:
“He who loves my Sunah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that besides learning Quran, a Muslim must develop an understanding of Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as He was a living Quran, hence by following His traditions a new convert can become a better Muslim.
Learn Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are regarded as the fundamental principle of Deen. Therefore, for a new convert, it is very important to know about all of these pillars individually to have a complete understanding of true message of Islam. These five pillars include:
- Shahadah – Witnessing that there is no god, but Allah and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is His (Last) Messenger.
- Salat /Prayer– It is mandatory for every Muslim to offer Prayers five times a day. Therefore, a Muslim, who has just entered into the circle of Islam, must learn how to do Namaz correctly. In addition, you can download Step-by-Step Salat mobile app, which serves as an accurate namaz tutor.
- Zakat / Charity – Zakat is an important pillar, which is made mandatory to those who are financially able to give charity to poor Muslims. A Muslim convert must know if he/she fits those criterions that would make him/her liable to payoff Zakat. Once you know the requirements of giving charity, you can download Zakat Calculator in your smartphone to know the charity amount on your possessions.
- Fasting – Fasting in the month of Holy Ramadan is also obligatory. Therefore, you are advised to know the reverence of Ramadan and etiquettes of fasting in Islam.
- Pilgrimage to Mecca – Kaabah is the holy home of Allah where every Muslim wishes to visit. If you are financially capable, Islam orders to pilgrimage to Mecca. Here is a complete Hajj guide app which can serve as a Hajj Tutor during your pilgrimage.
This is a short detail about these pillars. To know in-depth, you are advised to check out Five Pillars of Islam which entails all information about these matters and instructs how to accurately perform these basic pillars of Islam.
Respect The Parents:
The second important thing that a new convert needs to understand is the stature and place of parents in Islam. In Islam, parents enjoy a high and sacred status. For a Muslim it is imperative to be kind and caring towards the parents, especially when they reach their old age and are in need of care and love. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in a hadith:
“Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.” (Nasai)
From this hadith one can understand the stature of mother in Islam. Similarly, father also enjoys great reverence in Islam. Hence, a new convert must try to be nice towards the parents and give them the respect they deserve even if they do not share the same faith.
Seek A Mentor:
Like in every other walk of life, whenever there is a newbie, he or she is in grave need of a mentor who can help him or her in finding the right path and then sticking to it. A new convert can read books, however, in order to understand what the books really mean or how the things in the books can be implemented in life, a new convert needs a mentor. In seeking a mentor, it is imperative that a convert observes the personality and character of the mentor, if he or she is the closest to Islam, then that person can be consulted for guidance.
Avoid Arguments:
Perhaps the biggest problem faced by the new converts is their friends and family from the earlier faith arguing with them or setting out a debate to convince them for leaving Islam. Even though a convert can be strong in belief, however, the talks and comments of people can cause a person to feel uncomfortable or even worse indulging in a fight. Indulging in argument leads to the convert becoming angry, and when in anger the judgment gets clouded and a person cannot see clearly. Prophet (PBUH) said:
“Verily anger spoils faith as aloe spoils honey.” (Tirmidhi)
Therefore, to keep things simple and avoid any complication, it is imperative that a new convert avoids any kind of argument with anyone pertaining to his or her new faith and stick to simple practicing of faith.
Learn Arabic:
In Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran that you might understand.” (12:2)
Quran is the ultimate guidance source for Muslims and the language of it is Arabic. Therefore, pertaining to developing an understanding of the Quran, it is more than helpful if a convert has knowledge of Arabic language to be able to learn to Read Quran. The more proficient a convert is in Arabic, the more will he or she be able to better understand the message of Quran and then implement it in daily life. To help this cause come true, QuranReading.com provides professional online Quran Tutoring which can help new Muslims to read Quran with perfect pronounciation.
Keep It Simple:
One of the major reasons why the new converts find it hard to practice Islam is that when they convert they think that the change that has occurred in their soul and heart should reflect in their conduct and way of life in an overnight manner. Thus, in order to be more Islamic they try adapting all of the elements of the Islamic lifestyle at once, which makes their life awkward as well as difficult to continue in normal manner. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:
“Those who make things hard for themselves will be destroyed. (He said it three times)”. (Muslim)
A convert must understand that Islam is a way of life and the way of life cannot be adopted overnight. Therefore, the convert must try incorporating Islamic values one by one to ensure that things get easily assimilated in the lifestyle of the person and the progression towards becoming a better Muslim continues on with the passage of time.
Maintain Islamic Identity:
In Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you people and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (49:13)
From this ayah of Quran it becomes clear that the purpose of tribes and peoples was to make people find similarities between each other and come close and be righteous. Therefore, being a convert Muslim does not mean that you leave all your previous lifestyle habits or friends. You must do it if the past contradicts with the traditions and preaching of Islam. Therefore, you must keep your identity as a Muslim, but it does not mean that you leave whatever is around you. For a new convert, it is imperative to keep the identity whilst being social.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, it is imperative that a new convert takes things slowly after converting to Islam. Moreover, in addition to slow incorporation of Islamic values in life, a convert should try learning more about Quran and Islam either with the help of books or by seeking guidance form a teacher or mentor to make sure that the understanding of tenants of Islam is clear and it can be incorporated in life with ease and effectiveness.
