Islam means “submission to God”. Islam is the belief that there is only One God, whose proper name is Allah, which means “ the God”. Islam is the same message given to all the prophets, from Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and finally to the Prophet Muhammad, the last messenger (peace and blessings be upon them). They all brought the same message: worship only God, and stop worshiping human beings and their ideas.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him welcomed even those people who had previously fought him and killed his loved ones. These people later on were to become the heroes of Islam. So no matter what your background and no matter what you may have done or said to Muslims or others in the past, you should rest assured that you will be welcomed with open arms.
Who can become a Muslim?
Some people are worried often worried if they will be allowed to become Muslim due to a variety of reasons. So before proceeding onto how to convert to Islam. I wish to reassure you that anyone can become a Muslim.
Islam is for the whole of humanity. 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]
So you will be our brother or sisters in Islam when you convert to Islam
Any human being can embrace Islam. You do not need anyones permission to become Muslim. You can be any colour, race, age, speak any language and still become a Muslim. There are many American, British, European, Indian, children and Adults who accept Islam every day.
You may hear from some Muslims incorrect advice due to their lack of knowledge of Islam or due to lack of correct knowledge of Islam. So please note that:
You do not need to do a course or obtain a certificate to become a Muslim
Someone may say you have to do a course or obtain a certificate to be a Muslim. This is incorrect. You do not need to attend a course or obtain a certificate to become Muslim.
You should not delay in becoming a Muslim
If someone advices you to delay your conversion to Islam. This is also incorrect. If you believe Islam is the truth then you should not delay your conversion to Islam. You should convert immediately because we are given a certain lifespan. Since we do not know when we are going to die. Not even a minute should be lost as your time to leave this life may be up the next minute.
If you have tattoos you can still become a Muslim
Some one may say to you that you must remove all tattoos to be a Muslim. This is also incorrect. Tattoos are not allowed in Islam but they DO NOT prevent a person becoming Muslim. You should become Muslims and latter you can have the tattoos removed if you can afford it. If you can not afford it then do not worry there is no sin on you for what you did before becoming Muslim You are still a Muslim.
If you have a wild past of have committed a many of sins you can still become a Muslim
No matter what sins you have committed or how wild your past was. You can still become a Muslim.. Islam erases all sins committed prior to becoming a Muslim. Prophet (may the peace and blessings and mercy of Allah be upon him) said, Islam annuls what came before it. (narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, no. 121).As soon as you become a Muslim all your previous sins are forgiven and you start a blank state. Or a complete clean record.
Muslim (121) narrated that Amr ibn al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When Allah put Islam in my heart, I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: Give me your right hand so that I may swear allegiance to you. He held out his hand and I withdrew my hand. He said, What is the matter, Oh Amr? I said, I want to stipulate a condition. He said, What do you want to stipulate? I said, That I will be forgiven. He said, Do you not know that Islam destroys that which came before it?
If you are a Small child you can still become a Muslim without your parents permission
If you are a child you do not need your parent's permission to become a Muslim. If you fear they may harm, you can become Muslim in secret and tell them when you are ready.
What if their are no Muslims (or no Mosque or Islamic center) in your town
Another common question is that there are no Muslims in the city. This too is not an obstacle in you becoming a Muslim. You do not have to go to a Masjid (Mosque) or Islamic center or know any Muslims in order to be a Muslim. You can say the declaration of faith (called the Shahadah) to yourself and from then onwards you are a Muslim. Click Here to know more!
Become a Muslim Now
If you believe there is only One God who should be worshipped, and no one/nothing else has that right but Him, and you believe Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a messenger who brought the same message as all the prophets before him, then you are basically a Muslim.
Do Not Hesitate
If someone receives the message of Islam and dies rejecting it, they are forever destined to Hellfire. Anyone who truly believes in the message of Islam, their previous sins are forgiven and they will spend eternity in Paradise . If you have belief, act on it. Do not worry about what anyone else thinks. Your eternal life is at stake.
“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)
To become a Muslim, simply declare the following:
Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluh.
I testify there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
