How to Embrace Islam #

Admission to Islam requires you to believe in the Islam’s fundamental Beliefs. Take your time to know the act of worships that Muslims do (i.e., Daily Prayers, Fasting, Zakah, Hajj) and Muslims Ethics. Spend your time reading and understanding Islam. Ask questions. Try to get a copy of the Quran with a proper translation of its meaning to your mother tongue language.

Once you are ready, you can embrace Islam (some people say revert to Islam) by pronounces the two testaments of belief in the Islamic creed:

1. Say: “Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill Allah.” (I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah.)
2. Say: “Wa ash-hadu ana Muhammad ar-rasullallah.” (And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)

Congratulation. You become a Muslim. It is a tradition to pronouns the two testaments in a mosque while other Muslims witnessing this happy event. The imam (a person leading the prayer) will teach you how to pronounce the two testaments in Arabic.

It is recommended you take a full shower after that event. Then contact your local Islamic center to obtain a “certificate of Islam”.

Then What? #

The first thing to, after you become Muslim, is to learn how to perform purification and to do prayer. It requires a lot of memorizing of words and sequence of movement. We will go through them step-by-step.

If you are in Ramadan month, you will need to fast from down to sunset. In the Fasting chapter, you will find more detail about it.

From a social perspective, try to keep your relationship good with your family and your friends. Definitely, you will face some challenges. But be patient! Try to make new friends from your local Islamic center. In some areas and conditions, it is unsafe to announce you become Muslim. Therefore, be careful and evaluate risks wisely.

Continue to grow in your new faith by learning, studying, and practicing. It is advisable to seek assistance from Muslims if it is feasible.

Islamic Calendar #

As a Muslim, you should familiarize yourself with the Islamic Calendar (Hijri calendar). It is used to determine the timing of religious observances, such as Ramadan, the month of fasting, and the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days.

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, which is the time it takes the moon to orbit the Earth. A lunar month begins with the sighting of the new moon, and ends with the next new moon. The Islamic year is therefore 11 or 12 days shorter than the solar year, so it gradually drifts out of sync with the seasons.

The Islamic calendar begins with the year in which the Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina. This event, known as the Hijrah, occurred in 622 CE. The year in which we are currently living is 1444 AH (Anno Hegirae), or the year 1444 in the Islamic calendar.

Here is the list of Islamic Calendar:

Please note, the Islamic Calendar is depended on moon sight at the beginning of each month. Therefore, it is announced on a monthly basis. Please consult your local Islamic center for more detail.

Common Phrases #

There are some phrases you need to memorize them because they are used on many occasions.

The next chapter is Purification.