What happens when a person accepts Islam?
When a person accepts Islam all their previous sins, no matter how major, are forgiven by Allah. As quoted by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), "Islam wipes out whatever sins came before it". In other words, a person's slate is wiped clean.
Allah says in the Qur'an:
Say: "O 'Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped.
And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this Qur'an, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids), before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!"
Lest a person should say: "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah (i.e. I have not done what Allah has ordered me to do), and I was indeed among those who mocked [at the truth! i.e. Laa ilaaha illAllah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), the Qur'an, and Muhammad and at the faithful believers]
Or (lest) he should say: "If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the Muttaqoon (the pious)."
Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: "If only I had another chance (to return to the world), then I should indeed be among the Muhsinoon (good-doers)."
Yes! Verily, there came to you My Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and you denied them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers.'
(Qur'an 39:53-59)
Who are the people that accept Islam?
Ever since the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) people of all ages, races and religions have flocked to accept Islam and acknowledge Allah as their Lord. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, not because of Muslims having large families, but because so many people are leaving their past lives and have found the truth. In New Zealand there are hundreds of Kiwis of all ethnicities Pakeha, Maori, Pacific Peoples, and other ethnicities, who have become Muslim. This is not limited in wealth, age or gender and Kiwi Muslims represent the rich and the poor, men and women, the very young, the very old and every age in between and are found all over New Zealand.
Over time there have been some well known people who have accepted Islam, like Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, and Yusuf Islam (formally Cat Stevens), just to name a few. This is a reflection of the fact that Islam is for all people for all time to come. It is often said that nobody converts to Islam, but rather they REVERT to Islam because we are all born as Muslims in a state of purity. It is our upbringing that causes us to worship other gods, or none at all. Thus, when a person accepts Islam they are merely reverting back to their original state, which is to worship the One and Only True God, Allah.
What is required for someone to become a Muslim?
The process of accepting Islam is surely one of the most simple and straightforward and is testimony to the fact that humans should have a very personal relationship with their Lord. There is no special ceremony required for a person who wants to become Muslim, since it is the person's intention and their relationship with Allah, not the people, which defines their acceptance of Islam. In fact, a person can accept Islam alone or with others in their bedroom, on a mountaintop, in a mosque or almost anywhere clean.
It is preferable that before (or at least shortly afterwards) a person accepts Islam they wash themselves completely with water (perform ghusl) to purify themselves. In order for one to be Muslim, all they need to do is to utter (in Arabic), with absolute conviction and belief, the Shahada (testimony of faith):
Ash-hadu al-laa ilaha il-lallahu,
Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluhu.
Which translated means:
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.
In saying this, a person acknowledges in their heart that they worship none other than Allah and that they believe in all the articles of faith, i.e. belief in the angels, revealed books, Day of Judgement, all the Prophets, and so on.
One should hasten in accepting Islam once they believe since no person knows when their life on Earth will end. It is far worse for a person to die a non-Muslim than for them to die a Muslim who does not practice Islam in its entirety because every Muslim is promised Paradise in the end.
What does a person need to do once they accept Islam?
Once he or she has said the Shahadah, the new Muslim should have a full body wash (perform ghusl), if they she or he not done so already.
After this, it becomes obligatory to adhere to the five pillars of Islam, namely:
They must begin performing salah - the compulsory prayers that are made 5 times a day.
They must also observe fasting the month of Ramadan, paying Zakat (annual alms giving), and perform hajj (pilgrimage) once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially able to.
They should also strive to give up those things that are forbidden in Islam, such as pork, alcohol, adultery/fornication and so on.
In essence, a new Muslim should hasten towards good and abstain from evil or wrongdoing, as this is what has been ordained by Allah, and He is the Most Wise and is the rewarder of good and the punisher of evil.
It is not necessary for the new Muslim to change their name unless their name means something bad. For example, the person is named after another god or goddess, Satan or something dirty or not nice. Of course, this does not mean the person is forbidden to change their name to something better, such as choosing one of the names of the prophets or the pious Muslims for example. Often new Muslims change their name in recognition of their new life and identity, and so they may be recognised as a Muslim because of their name.
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