Being Just with One's Own Self

Associating partners with Allah is a great form of wrongdoing. In particular, one is completely wronging one's own soul and dignity by submitting to and worshipping beings that do not deserve a human'…

True Happiness

Allah says, "Whenever there comes to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve" (2:38). Allah has emphasized these words when He said…

Knowing Allah, the individual's God, Lord and Creator

The greatest benefit of becoming a Muslim and growing in Islam is that the individual is able to truly know Allah. The believer knows Allah not in some vague, dry, philosophical sense. Instead, for ex…

Changing One's Name Upon Becoming a Muslim

It has become common practice in some areas for converts to change their names upon becoming Muslims. Sometimes this is done so that the convert feels more attached and affiliated with the Muslim comm…

Pre-Islamic Marriages

There is no question that Islam affirms the marriages that took place outside of Islam or before a person embraced Islam. The evidence for this is numerous. For example, in Soorah al-Masad, Allah refe…

A Convert's Wealth Earned Prior to Islam

When a non-Muslim embraces Islam, it is very likely that some portion of his wealth has come from sources that Islam considers illegitimate. For example, the convert could have money that resulted fro…

The Special Rewards and Circumstances for the Convert

There are some statements of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that demonstrate that there are some special rewards and circumstances for the Muslim convert. In general, an indivi…

Other Deeds Related to the Act of Embracing Islam

There are a few other deeds that are often associated with the act of declaring one's faith. These are (1) a complete bathing, (2) removing all of one's hairs from pre-Islamic days and (3) circumcisio…

The Testimony of Faith, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

It is important to understand the meaning and the implications of the second part of the testimony of faith as well. Indeed, sometimes one strays from the Straight Path and from Islam itself because h…

The Testimony of Faith, There is None Worthy of Worship except Allah

A person becomes a Muslim by testifying to the truth of the statements: There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Since this is a testimony or bearing witnes…