All praises be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad, His last Messenger

Dear reader on behalf of all the members of FreeQuraan.org.uk, I welcome you to Islam. It always brings Muslims great joy when we hear of anyone wishing to convert to Islam. Muslims want to rush to tell their friends and family about this wonderful news. Muslims always love to hear how others converted to Islam. So for sure you will be greatly welcomed to Islam.

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.“

[Qur’aan 49:10]

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 revert 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

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 committed many sins in past 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?

A Small child can still become a Muslim without 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.

How to become a Muslim

To become a Muslim one must simply pronounce the Shahaadatayn (Declaration of Faith) with sincerity and conviction. The Shahadah can be declared as follows:

“ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH.“

The English translation is:

“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy to be worshiped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.“

The Shahadah is the dividing line between unbelief (kufr) and Islam. It is also called the kalimah (word). Whoever says it with truthfulness will enter the Gardens of Paradise

It is [a kalimah] that Allah Himself has testified to, as have the angels and those who possess knowledge from amongst His creation. Allah the Most High said:

“Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Him; as do the angels and those who possess knowledge. He maintains His creation upon justice. None has the right to be worshiped except Him, the All-Mighty, All-Wise.“
[Qur’aan Aal-Imraan 3:18]

It is a concise declaration that contains few letters; light upon the tongue, yet heavy in the scales.

Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam, who said: “A person from my ummah will be summoned in front of everyone on the Day of Resurrection. Ninety-nine scrolls will be unfurled for him, each scroll extending as far as the eye can see. Then it will be said: Do you deny any of this [i.e. your bad deeds]? So the man will reply: No, 0 Lord. Then it will be said: Do you have any excuse or any good deed? The man, in a state of terror, will answer: No. It will then be said: Rather, you do have some good deeds and no injustice will befall you this Day. So a parchment will be taken out for him, upon which there will be the testification of laa ilaaha illallaah and the testification that Muhammad is the Slave and Messenger of Allah. The man will say: 0h Lord, what is this parchment in comparison to those scrolls! It will be said to him: No injustice shall befall you. The scrolls will then be placed in one of the scales and the parchment in the other; the scrolls will be light in weight, whereas the parchment will be heavy.” ( Reported by at-Tirmidhee (no.2641), from Abdullaah ibn Amr radhiyallahu anhu. It was declared to be saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.135).

Meaning of this Declaration of Faith (Shahadah)

The first part of the Shahadah is laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshiped except Allah) and the first part if the Shahadah has two pillars: The first pillar is the pillar of negation (nafee), whilst the second is the pillar of affirmation (ithbaat). What is meant by negation is to negate divinity and worship (ilaahiyyah) for anything except Allah, the Most High. What is meant by affirmation is to affirm divinity and worship only for Allah the Most Perfect; for it is He alone that is the true Deity. So whatever else is taken by the unbelievers as deities to be worshiped are in fact all false and futile:That is because Allah is the true Deity to be worshiped, and whatever else they invoke besides Him is vain falsehood.[Soorah al-Hajj 22:62]

All the messengers of Allah told their people none has the right to be worshiped except Allah

Allah said:“We did not send any Messenger before you, except that We revealed to him that none has the right to be worshiped except Me; so worship Me.“[Qur’aan Soorah al-Anbiyaa 21:25]

Allah the Exalted also said: “He sends down the angels with the revelation of His commands to whosoever of His slaves that He wills, saying: Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshiped except Me. So fear Me [by keeping away from sin and disobedience].“[Qur’aan Soorah an-Nahl 16:2]

It is a concise declaration that contains few letters; light upon the tongue, yet heavy in the scales.

Allah’s Messenger Peace be upon him said: “Moses said: 0h my Lord! Teach me something by which I can remember You and supplicate to You. Allah said: 0h Moses! say laa ilaaha ilallaah. Moses said: 0h my Lord! All Your slaves say this. Allah said: 0h Moses! If the seven heavens and all that they contain, other than Me, and the seven earths were placed in one scale, and laa ilaaha ilallaah were put in the other, then laa ilaaha illallaah would outweigh them all.” (Reported by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (no.2324) and al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (1/528).

The second part of the “Shahadah” i.e. “Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh” means that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the servant and chosen messenger of Allah. No one should be in any doubt about this matter. In fact, the Muslim has to obey the commands of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), to believe in what he has said, to follow his Teachings, to avoid what he has forbidden, and to worship A11ah alone according to the message revealed to him.

What is the meaning of worship?

It simply means rendering sincere service; showing reverence for Allah. In a deeper shade of meaning, it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah’s Commandments both in utterances and actions, whether explicit or implicit and in private or public.

Worship falls into two categories:

This type of worship does not involve movements of parts of the body but it surely has a bearing on one’s heart which, subsequently, affects one’s way of life (beliefs).

It should be borne in mind that worship not dedicated to Allah alone, will be rejected as one form of polytheism or “shirk”, which amounts to apostasy, from the Islamic point of view.

How to declare the Shahadah

A person does NOT need to do a course or obtain a certificate to become a Muslim.
If there are no Majids (Mosques) and Muslims in your area; and you do not have a means of contacting any Muslims via phone or online then you can declare the Shahadah to yourself.

If you wish for us to go through it with you step by step. Please do no not hesitate to leave us a message and we can arrange an online meeting at a mutually convenient time.

However, it is not sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he or she should believe in it with a firm conviction and unshakable faith. Once you have said the Shahadah then you will be like a New Born Person. Free of any sins. Just like a child is born sinless.

Shahadah During Menstruation

It does not matter if a woman is menstruating. You can say your Shahadah even when you are menstruating. The women do not go inside the prayer area of the Masjid (Mosque) when menstruating. However if they want to say their Shahadah at the Masjid they can arrange to say it say just outside the Masjid or part of the Masjid complex which is not regarded as the place of prayer.

Pledge of Allegiance

During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the people would also give their Bai’a (pledge of allegiance ) and the Prophet peace be upon him would accept their pledge.
Pledge of allegiance being that they would obey his commands, Be on his, the Muslims and Islam side against the enemies of Islam even if the enemy was their own relatives and friends. That they would fight on the side of the Muslims. That they would not fight on the side of the non Muslims against the Muslims. That they would not give information to the non Muslims which they could used against the Muslims.

During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the people would also give their Bai’a (pledge of allegiance ) and the Prophet peace be upon him would accept their pledge.
Pledge of allegiance being that they would obey his commands, Be on his, the Muslims and Islam side against the enemies of Islam even if the enemy was their own relatives and friends. That they would fight on the side of the Muslims. That they would not fight on the side of the non Muslims against the Muslims. That they would not give information to the non Muslims which they could used against the Muslims.

After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the believing men and women would give their pledge of allegiance to the Muslim nation (khalif) and the Khalif would accept their pledge of allegiance.

During the treaty of hudaybiyah believing women would migrate to the Muslim side in the city of Madina and give their pledge of allegiance to the Prophet peace be upon him. To check those who migrated to the Islamic state in Madina were true believers and not just women who had run away from their non Muslim families. Allah revealed the following verse.
Allah said:

“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai’a (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma’ruf (everything good according to Islam) then accept their Bai’a (pledge), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. “(Qur’an 60:12)

So the Prophet would say to them “Pledge to me in that you will not associate any with Allah, nor steal, nor commit Zina, nor kill your children” Then he would recite the above verse (Quran 60 verse 12) and when the women agreed to those conditions then he would say I have accepted your pledge and he would add “Those among you who fulfill this pledge, will receive their reward from Allah. Those who deviate from any of it and receive the legal punishment (in this life), the punishment will be expiation for that sin. Whoever deviates from any of it and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive if He wills.”

The Prophet peace be upon him would shake the hands of the men who had give their pledge. In case of women he only took their pledge by word because in Islam a it is not allowed to shake hands with the opposite sex who are non mehrem.

Narrated ‘Ubada bin As-Samit:

who took part in the battle of Badr and was a Naqib (a person heading a group of six persons), on the night of Al-‘Aqaba pledge: Allah’s Apostle said while a group of his companions were around him, “Swear allegiance to me for:

1. Not to join anything in worship along with Allah.
2. Not to steal.
3. Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse.
4. Not to kill your children.
5. Not to accuse an innocent person (to spread such an accusation among people).
6. Not to be disobedient (when ordered) to do good deed.”

The Prophet added: “Whoever among you fulfills his pledge will be rewarded by Allah. And whoever indulges in any one of them (except the ascription of partners to Allah) and gets the punishment in this world, that punishment will be an expiation for that sin. And if one indulges in any of them, and Allah conceals his sin, it is up to Him to forgive or punish him (in the Hereafter).” ‘Ubada bin As-Samit added: “So we swore allegiance for these.” (points to Allah’s Apostle) (Bukhari Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 17)

Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah:

I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle for the following:

1. offer prayers perfectly
2. pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)
3. and be sincere and true to every Muslim.
(Bukhari Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 54)

Unfortunately the Islamic state was destroyed in 1924 and since then we have had no khalif.
However we will have it one day and in the meantime those Muslims should take note of this pledge of Allegiance and the need for a khalif. Thus even in the absence of the Khalif a Muslim should sincerely adhere to the conditions that Muslims used to pledge to. So a persons loyalty should be with the true Muslims.

The Conditions of the Shahadah

Pronouncing the testimony of faith is sufficient to make one to revert to Islam. There are however, seven conditions that must be observed before it can effectively make one a Muslim. These are describe as follows:

Allah the Exalted says:“Verily, the believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not.”(Quran 49:15)

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah. No slave meets Allah with this testimony, having no doubt in it but shall enter Jannah.”( Muslim) :

Allah, the Exalted, said:“And they were not commanded but to worship Allah, being sincere in devoting religion to Him.“(Quran 98:5).

Abu Hurairah said:“I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him: Messenger of Allah! Who will be most fortunate to enjoy your shafa’ah (intercession) on the Day of Resurrection? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: I was certain that no one else would ask me about this other than you, because I have noticed your keenness for hadeeth. The most fortunate of men who will enjoy my shafa’ah on the Day of Resurrection is the one who says: (La Ilaha Illa Allah) “None has the right to be worshiped except Allah”, sincerely from his heart..”(Musnad al-Imam Ahmad.)

The Messenger of Allah said: “Anyone testifies that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, truthfully from his heart, Allah would forbid his admittance to the Fire.”(Muslim)

5 Love and affection (Al-Mahabbah )

Love (al-mahabbah) for this kalimah and having love and pleasure for whatever it necessitates. This is contrary to the [state of the] hypocrites.

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There are three (qualities), whoever possesses them, will taste the sweetness of Iman (belief): to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else, to love the Muslim only for the sake of Allah, and to dread returning to kufr (apostasy) as he dreads being thrown in fire.” ( Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah says to His Messenger (peace be upon him)

Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (3:31)

Allah says: “Allah shall bring forth a people whom He loves and they love Him.“(Quran 5:54)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said: “None of you shall (really) believe until I become dearer to him than his own father, and son and all mankind.” ( Bukhari and Muslim.)

6 Submission (Al-Inqiyaad) internally and externally

Submissive compliance (al-inqiyaad), by fulfilling its rights – which are the obligatory actions – with sincerity to Allah and seeking His good pleasure. This is its requirement. Allah, the Exalted, says:“And he who submits himself to Allah, and does good, he has surely grasped a strong handle.“( Quran 31:22).

Allah also says:“And turn you to your Rabb, and submit yourselves to Him.“( (:Quran 39:54).

7 Acceptance and conformity (Al-Qubool)

Acceptance (al-qabool), which prevents rejection.

This is achieved by acting upon what Allah has commanded and abandoning whatever He has prohibited.

Abu Musa al-Ash’aree reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him said: “The parable of guidance and knowledge which Allah has sent me with is like a rain which fell on a land. A patch of that land received the water and produced much herbage and grass. And a patch which was barren. The latter retained water wherewith Allah extended benefits to men: they drank from it, irrigated and planted their vegetation. And a patch which was a sandy plain, it neither retained water nor produced herbage. This is parallel to the person who conceived the religion of Allah and benefited from the Message with which Allah has sent me, whereby he learns and taught others. The other person turned away from it (from my Message), and rejected the guidance of Allah with which I am sent..” Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah says “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad peace be upon him) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.“(33:21)

And Allah also says in Surah Al-Hashr

….And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it) , and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment. (59:7)

Again Allah says:

O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger ( peace be upon him), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. (4:59)

And Allah says:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.

In the next verse Allah again tells his Messenger

Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him).” But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbeliever’s” (3:32)

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]

Before Islam people in Arabia were dived into different tribes. Some of them were at constant war with each other, Islam came and Allah put peace and love in their hearts for each other.

Allah the Most High said: “And remember the favor of Allah upon you, for you were once enemies to one another but He joined your hearts together in love, so that by His Grace you became brothers.[Soorah Aal-Imraan 3:103]

And Allah the Most High said:“ He it is that has strengthened you with His help and with the Believers. And moreover, He has united their hearts with love and affection. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts with love and affection. However, Allah has united them. Indeed Allah is the All-Mighty, All-Wise.” [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:62- 63].

Allah has stated in the Holy Quran:

“ … whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that will never break… “(2:256)

The Invalidators of Islam

You should know, dear Muslim brother/sister , that Allah made it obligatory upon all His slaves to enter Islam and hold on to it, and warned them against following other than Islam. He also sent His Prophet Muhammad to call mankind to it. Allah has informed us in the Quran that guided are those who follow the teachings of Islam, and misguided are those who reject them. He warned us in many Verses against the causes of apostasy and all forms of Shirk and disbelief Religious scholars have mentioned that there are a number of invalidators that are bound to take one out of the fold of Islam. For the sake of attaining salvation in the Hereafter, here are the ten most critical of these invalidators of islam:

1 . To associate others with Allah in worship.

The Quran says:

“Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners with Him in worship, but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than this.“(Soorah 4:116)

“Whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, Allah will forbid him Paradise, and the Fire will be his abode. For the wrongdoers there are no helpers. “(Soorah 5:72)

Forms of worship include calling upon the dead, seeking their assistance, offering sacrifices to them, and taking vows in their names.

2. To set up intermediaries between oneself and Allah, seeking their intercession and putting absolute trust in them. Those who do so are unanimously considered disbelievers.

3. Not to accuse polytheists and those who commit Shirk of disbelief, to be in doubt as to their being disbelievers, or to approve of their beliefs.

4. To believe that the Prophet’s guidance is not complete or perfect or that other people’s ruling and judgment is better than his. Those who prefer the rule of false gods are blatant

5 . Those who hate anything that the Prophet came with are also disbelievers even if they act upon them. The Quran says:

“That is because they hate that which Allah sent down, so He has made their deeds fruitless. “(Soorah 47:9)

6. Those who ridicule anything that Islam came with, such as punishment and reward in the Hereafter, are disbelievers. The Quran says:

“Say: ‘Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and His Messenger, that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have rejected Faith after you had accepted it.“ (9:65,66)

7. Magic in all its forms, including turning someone away from somebody that he or she loves, and making someone love someone or something he or she does not normally like. Whoever practices magic or approves of it is a disbeliever, as evidenced by the Quranic Verse that says:

“But neither of these (two angels) taught anyone (such things) without saying, We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).“ (Soorah 2:102)

8. Supporting the disbelievers against the believers, Allaah says what means: “And if any amongst you takes them (as supporters), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Thaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)“ (Al-Maa’idah: 51).

9. Those who believe that it is in their power or authority to for sake the law of Islam are disbelievers. The Quran says:

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.“ (Soorah 3:85)

10. To turn away from Islam and to stubbornly refuse to learn its teachings or act upon them. The Quran says:

“And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Signs of his Lord, then he turns away there from? Verily from those who transgress We shall exact (due) retribution. “(Soorah 32:22)

There is no excuse for committing any of the above mentioned nullifications, regardless of whether one did it seriously, jokingly or fearfully unless one was forced to say or do any of them. A believer must be careful not to commit any of them, so as not to be deserving of the punishment of Allaah.

Summary

It is easy to become a Muslim. All a person has to do is declare

Shahadah can be declared as follows:

“ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH.“

The English translation is:

“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy to be worshiped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.“

We have to consider that when we declare from our hearts, “there is no god worthy to be worshiped but Allah.” It implies on our part of love, devotion, faith and obedience to the rules of Islamic legislation which are legally binding on all Muslims. It is a requirement of “there is no god worthy to be worshiped but Allah,” to love for the sake of Allah and to reject for the sake of Allah. This is the finest anchor of belief.

When one truly believes that Islam is the true religion of God and that “there is no god worthy to be worshiped but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” Then he or she should declare the Shahadah right away. He or she should not hesitate.

We are given a certain lifespan. We do not know when that life span will end. It may end this very minute even. Therefore a person should say the Shahadah and then work on becoming the best Muslim he or she can be.

Some of you will find some aspects of Islam difficult at first. For instance some new Muslim sisters find it difficult to wear Hijab at first. However with time they have eventually grown in their faith and are now wearing the full Islamic dress and encouraging even sisters born into Muslim families to wear full Islamic dress. Some were vegetarian before they became Muslim. Eating meat seemed impossible to them. Now after a few years they have started to even eat meat. Please do not worry about any barriers you may have. become Muslims and you will see those barriers crashing down as you grow in your religion.

However one should recognize that Islam requires a complete submission to the will of God. What Allah has told us do we should try to do and what Allah has told us not to do. We should not do.
Now that you have said the Shahadah you are a Muslim