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New to the Qur'an? Start with The Qur'an: What It Is, How It Came Down, and How It Was Kept, then read Muhammad ﷺ: A Life. All articles: Deen: Start Here.
Deen · Interactive · أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا
For anyone who has just become Muslim, or is about to. What the shahāda means, what to learn first and in what order, how to handle family, and what is not required of you. The Prophet ﷺ taught people gradually; this page does the same.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa llāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūlu llāh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Sunna Everything before is wiped clean: when ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ hesitated to accept Islam because of his past, the Prophet ﷺ told him “Islam wipes out what came before it” . See also 8:38.
Family and friends
Your parents stay your parents
Qur'an Even if parents push you to leave Islam, “keep their company in this world courteously” 31:15. Allah does not forbid kindness and fairness to those who do not fight you over religion 60:8.
Sunna Asmāʾ's mother, who was not Muslim, came to visit hoping for help. Asmāʾ asked the Prophet ﷺ whether to keep ties with her, and he said yes .
Telling people
Scholars There is no rule that you must announce it to everyone at once. Many new Muslims tell family gradually and kindly, and choose a calm time. If you fear real harm, speak to an imam you trust about how and when.
Festivals and food at home
Qur'an The food of Jews and Christians is lawful for Muslims, and yours for them 5:5, apart from what is forbidden in itself: pork, blood, alcohol, and animals not slaughtered properly 5:3. Scholars Joining family for a meal is fine; scholars differ on taking part in another faith's religious celebrations. Many keep the family time and step out of the worship.
If you are married
Qur'an A Muslim man may stay married to a Jewish or Christian wife 5:5. Scholars If a woman becomes Muslim and her husband does not, scholars give the marriage a waiting period to see if he follows; the details differ. Please speak to a scholar before making any decision.
What is not required
A new name
Sunna Most Companions kept the names they were born with. The Prophet ﷺ changed only names with a bad meaning: he renamed a woman called ʿĀṣiyah (“disobedient”) Jamīlah (“beautiful”) . You may take an Arabic name if you like; you do not have to.
Arabic, before you begin
You will learn the Fātiḥah and a few short phrases in Arabic for the prayer, step by step. Everything else, including du'āʾ, can be in your own language. “Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear” 2:286.
Being perfect
Sunna “Make things easy and do not make them hard; give good news and do not drive people away” . Doubts and passing thoughts are normal: when Companions complained of whispers they dared not speak, the Prophet ﷺ said “that is clear faith” .
Circumcision as a condition
Scholars It is not a condition of becoming Muslim. For adult men the schools differ on whether it is obligatory or recommended, and most say it is not required where it would cause harm. Ask a doctor and a scholar.
Sources
Qur'an: Khattab via quran.com. Hadith: sunnah.com, with grading as shown there.