La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.

[sandandfoam]

Thanks again
I feel very comfortable in my skin since I made this decision. I am stumbling through salat and look forward to the day when I have some fluency. I have a lot to read and learn and I look forward to that too.
I don't imagine I'm going to be a very good Muslim but I already feel like a contented one with a quieting mind.

 

[beenie]

Thanks again
I feel very comfortable in my skin since I made this decision. I am stumbling through salat and look forward to the day when I have some fluency. I have a lot to read and learn and I look forward to that too.
I don't imagine I'm going to be a very good Muslim but I already feel like a contented one with a quieting mind.

Just remember, it is God and God alone who decides if you're a "good Muslim" or not...not humans. Do your best and inshAllah you'll do great.

 

[Sahar]

The Salah is one of the most beautiful aspects in Islam. Enjoy it and taste its sweetness!

 

[Starsoul]

MashAllah, May Allah make it all easier for you, ameen. I have read it in a hadees somewhere that Allah SWT Loves each and every mistake a man makes, on his way to true guidance, and writes each one of his struggles as a huge virtue.

 

[sandandfoam]

I have read it in a hadees somewhere that Allah SWT Loves each and every mistake a man makes

I'm top of the class so

 

[Starsoul]

You must also keep regularly in touch with the muslim community, that is really going to help you familiarize with the stuff...But ofcorse real help is from Allah subhanao Talla'.

 

[Starsoul]

It is friday today you know, the friday noon prayer is very significant : ). do go to the mosque if thats possible for you,( after a shower and all,nice clean clothes, ) and you can just pray alongside people, and mimic their actions, since you just have to listen to the imam how he prays... You'll love it!

 

[sandandfoam]

It is friday today you know, the friday noon prayer is very significant : ). do go to the mosque if thats possible for you,( after a shower and all,nice clean clothes, ) and you can just pray alongside people, and mimic their actions, since you just have to listen to the imam how he prays... You'll love it!

I won't make it today. But I called into a mosque 2 days ago and asked to be shown salaat and wudu. I am going to call when I can in order to pick it up properly because I think that mimicry is the only way I'm going to get the hang of it.

 

[Peace]

i'm top of the class so :d

lol :d

 

[TashaN]

Thanks again
I feel very comfortable in my skin since I made this decision. I am stumbling through salat and look forward to the day when I have some fluency. I have a lot to read and learn and I look forward to that too.
I don't imagine I'm going to be a very good Muslim but I already feel like a contented one with a quieting mind.

I was born as a Muslim, and where? in Saudi Arabia!!! I have been told by various people how a good Muslim should behave or wear or think but i grew to depend on myself more as i learnt and judged everything through educating myself about Islam from various resources instead of depending on how people gonna define me. Now i feel more free and more comfortable with my beliefs because i no longer allow people to judge whether i'm a good Muslim or not. Just be yourself and put your trust on Allah alone, then your heart.

By the way, just because someone was born as a Muslim or that he/she appear to be a good Muslim, that doesn't mean they surpass you in spiritual growth so don't be intimidated by anyone. Allah made this struggle of belief equal for all of us. I have seen and listened to so many new Muslims who surpassed so many other Muslims who were born into Islam in term of spiritual growth, strength of beliefs and wisdom.

Peace be upon you brother stephen.

 

[Sajdah]

Congratulations brother Stephen, and welcome back ..I'm sooo happy for you.
May Allah swt be your guide in your journey!

 

[*Anne*]

*tip toes in*

I'm so glad you've found a path. Much luck and blessings to you, Stephen! ♥

*tip toes out*

 

[Madhuri]

Now those words make sense. I have a beautiful song on my MP3 player with the lyrics: La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul but did not know the meaning.

Congratulations Stephen, I hope you find joy and fulfilment in this next step of your spiritual journey.

 

[Bismillah]

Intro to Islam Syllabus
(under review)
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
In the name of God, the All-Merciful, Very-Merciful
4.12.11
This syllabus is meant to assist people interested in potentially becoming Muslim, or starting off as Muslims, in their beginning studies on their long but amazing journey. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him said
"When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of the religion.''
(Bukhari, Muslim Hadith Collections)
He also said
"Allah makes the way to the Garden (Paradise) easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.'' (Muslim)
The main method of one’s learning Islam, a living tradition, must be done through people of knowledge in one’s community. This syllabus is simply a support to that instruction, or a good substitute whilst one seeks his or her knowledge-based human environment. To this end, the Southern Arizona, especially Tucson, audience is suggested to contact the Counselor at the Islamic Center of Tucson for assistance, at (520) 624-3233, or [email protected].
Some basic Principals to Remember
 Relax and enjoy it! This should be a fun and enlightening experience, not burdensome.
 Go at your own steady pace. No one elses…
 Islam is about Allah (God). Never lose sight of that when learning the (albeit important) details.
 Islam is a broad path – you’ll find differences of opinion about different issues – while not all of it is firmly grounded, much of it is legitimate and must be respected as equal even if not adopted.
Books to Purchase (or call ICT to get support for)
All books can be purchased at Welcome to Al-Rashad Books - for Authenticity & Reliability, Islamic Bookstore .com - Islamic Books, Islamic Audio, Video, Software and more!, or Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more.
Qur’ran
0. The Meanings of the Qur’an with Explanatory Notes, Taqi Usmani (one of the best translations in English with essential and concise explanatory notes. Original Arabic also included).
Foundations (arranged in in order)
1. The Absolute Essentials of Islam, by Faraz Fareed Rabbani (the obligations of Islamic Law and Creed according to one of the four authentic Islamic legal traditions).
2. The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It, by Nicholas Awde (amazon.com)
3. Reflections of Pearls, by Inam Uddin and Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf (regarding supplications and prayers).
4. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, by Martin Lings
5. Ascent to Felicity, translation by Faraz A. Khan, original by Hasan Shurunbulali (in more-depth
introductory text on the foundational obligations and recommendations of Islam).
6. Agenda to Change our Condition, by Hamza Yusuf & Zaid Shakir (an introduction to Islamic character development and spirituality written by two well-known American-Muslim scholars).
Contextualization (Modernity, Branches of Islam, Historical Development) (amazon.com)
7. Islam, The Straight Path, by John Esposito
8. Oxford History of Islam, by John Esposito (optional)
9. A History of Islamic Civilizations, by Ira Lapidus (optional)
Multimedia
1. The Message, by Moustapha Akkad (a cinematic movie from 1976 about the fledging Muslim community. Available on youtube.com and amazon.com)
Online Resources
1. Study Islam Online at SunniPath: The Online Islamic Academy – Featuring online courses, a high quality question & answer section, and a free online library.
a. The online library features a good translation of “Riyadh As-Saliheen,” (Meadows of the Righteous) a book of Hadith (recordings of what the Prophet said, did, and tacitly approved) which is the second most widely read book in Islamdom after the Qur’an itself.
2. SeekersGuidance - Online Courses, IslamCast, Answers – Similar to SunniPath
3. Quran Recitation and Translation Online in Arabic, English, and Urdu – Lets you listen to the Qur’an in Arabic as you read along in Arabic/English.
4. Islamic Relief USA - Home – A four-star charity organization.
5. Al Tafsir.com - Tafseer Holy Quran from all Tafseer Schools, Quran Translations, Quran Recitations, Quran Interpretation (Tafseer), Quran Sciences, and Love In Quran – A repository of Quranic explanations in Arabic and in English
6. Halal Tube - Islamic Lectures, Islamic Videos, Islamic Audios – A collection of audio/video lectures assorted by topic. This should be accessed after initial readings. Recommended topics not covered by readings include (use the “search tool”) the companions (sahaba), Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali.
If someone decides to enter Islam, the first priority is learning how to perform ablutions, and the five daily prayers.
According to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ihsan (which means excellence, perfection) is “that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then verily, He sees you.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)

 

[Bismillah]

Hi stephen I just copy/pasted a PDF one of my friends created, I would recommend these books

Also there is another book off the list that I would recommend

It is Islam - Religion of Life by Abdul Wadod Shalabi and it is very concise, to the point, and beautifully written.

 

[Vendetta]

Stephen congratulations on your journey and walk with your Creator. Islam is a cool religion and I am sure you will find the help you need here.....But I don't know about Bismillah he is quite the knucklehead lol just kidding...

 

[sandandfoam]

Hi stephen I just copy/pasted a PDF one of my friends created, I would recommend these books

Also there is another book off the list that I would recommend

It is Islam - Religion of Life by Abdul Wadod Shalabi and it is very concise, to the point, and beautifully written.

That is a very helpful copy and paste, than you very much indeed.

 

[sandandfoam]

Stephen congratulations on your journey and walk with your Creator. Islam is a cool religion and I am sure you will find the help you need here.....But I don't know about Bismillah he is quite the knucklehead lol just kidding...

I appreciate that - thank you very much indeed

 

[beenie]

beautifully written, TashaN.

I was born as a Muslim, and where? in Saudi
Arabia!!! I have been told by various people how a good Muslim should behave or wear or think but i grew to depend on myself more as i learnt and judged everything through educating myself about Islam from various resources instead of depending on how people gonna define me. Now i feel more free and more comfortable with my beliefs because i no longer allow people to judge whether i'm a good Muslim or not. Just be yourself and put your trust on Allah alone, then your heart.

By the way, just because someone was born as a Muslim or that he/she appear to be a good Muslim, that doesn't mean they surpass you in spiritual growth so don't be intimidated by anyone. Allah made this struggle of belief equal for all of us. I have seen and listened to so many new Muslims who surpassed so many other Muslims who were born into Islam in term of spiritual growth, strength of beliefs and wisdom.

Peace be upon you brother stephen.

 

[Bismillah]

If I may Stephen, I wanted to once again congratulate you and remind us all of the sacred words that are typed and you and I and our brothers and sisters have uttered countless times.

It is a reflection of the duality of Islam: doctrine and practice.

La ilaha illa Allah

There is no God, but Allah. This is the heart of Islam, this primordial belief that is prevalent in life that manifests itself in the fitrah of the human to recognize that this world, this universe, the complete fabric of being is found to have a single underlying harmonizing force. That this force is both the origin of creation, our beginning and our end, our sentence and our recompense.

wa-Muhammad rasul Allah.

The second portion of the declaration that gives purpose to the self-evident truth of the first half. Following the doctrine we are given the practice, or the Shariah or divine pathway to find ourselves closer to and pleasing Allah. Only through the revelation and the revelator can we, fallible humans, be guided.

The words of the Shahaddah, the spiritual life-blood of the Muslim can be compared with the words said when a Muslim passes away

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Surely we belong to Allah

The doctrine

and to Him shall we return'

And the practice that all mankind and indeed all creation cannot help but fulfill.

Or

Audhu billahi minash shaitanir rajeem

"I seek refuge form Satan the accursed." The doctrine of Islam which acknowledges the presence of Satan, the fragility of man, and the higher purpose for which he was created.

and

Bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim

"With the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful" With the knowledge of Satan's temptation and the weakness of man, we put it to practice uttering the protection of Allah in every act we do. A supplication before every mundane activity to not only make it spiritually refreshing (tahara) but also to remind us of what we are doing so as to protect us from folly. Implementation of beliefs as it were.

Yani with the birth of our religion in the Shahdat, the reminder and sanctifying of our worldly actions with the Isti'adha and Bismillah, and the return to our creator lamented by those who witness our passing through the verses of the Qur'an we can always see the nature of Islam; doctrine and practice.

Alhamdulillah you have seen the light of doctrine may Allah bless you and keep you as you, I, and the rest of the Ummah now implement the much harder and life-long struggle of practice