Click on each title of the blog to read that article!

So you’ve just accepted Islam, and you want to tell the world. But…uhh…

The first things to understand about telling people you’ve become Muslim is who you are going to tell, and when. It is a huge promise between you and Allah that you will now start making all decisions in light of what you know about Islam.

But not everyone is going to see it as a beautiful, spiritual thing.

So here’s a quick (but not all-encompassing) way to decide:

If you have a close relationship with a friend or a family member and you feel that telling them you’ve converted to Islam will help you in your journey, those are the people you want to tell early.

But if you have people around you that you feel sure are going to give you a problem, headache, or worse if they know you are Muslim, then it may be a good idea to delay. It’s okay to even hide your Islam in dangerous situations, as long as you keep firm belief in your heart.

There is no cut and dry answer to this one. You know the people around you better than anyone else, and you have the tools to know who to tell and when.

If you are making choices like dressing differently or food choices that will effect others, you may make excuses for them, but eventually it will just make sense to tell people you are now Muslim.

Please just practice wisdom about it, and be careful and smart. Just know that Allah will support and help you, and of course Converts for Unity is here for you!

So you said your ‘shahaadah’, the testimony of faith, probably had a little gathering (or online meet and greet), and got hugs (or virtual ones) from members of the Muslim community.

Now what?

The first thing that changes about becoming a Muslim is to establish prayer. The 5 times daily prayer is the first habit that a new Muslim needs to begin practicing right away.

But don’t worry! Islam does not come into someone’s life expecting perfection and complete knowledge! The prayer for a new Muslim is to wash, and do the motions with simple remembrances.

You can begin in small steps, like washing for prayer and saying words of remembrance in each position, but pray. Allah will help you learn the whole salah, but do what you can so that you can establish it in your daily life.

There are issues with work, and school sometimes, especially in winter when the prayer times come close together, but just know that Allah will make it easy for you. Trust that Allah wants you to worship Him, and learn and do your best.

Never think that you can’t offer your salah (except if you are a menstruating woman, or in post-natal bleeding after birth). There is always a way for the Muslim to pray, even if there’s no water, and even if the Muslim can’t even stand up.

You’re going to want to revolve your day around the prayer times, so find out when they are in your location, and decide each night how and where you can offer each prayer. Set your alarm for Fajr (the early morning prayer), and ask Allah for help.

As usual, send us your questions and concerns about prayer and any other aspect of life as a new Muslim!

Many times a convert comes to Islam through someone else…of the opposite sex. And that’s okay, and natural. But to accept Islam and then marry right away is not the best series of events.

Although it is not allowed for Muslims to date and spend alone time with members of the opposite sex they are not related to (called ‘mahram’), marrying them right away after you’ve accepted Islam is problematic.

1. There are rights and responsibilities in marriage as a Muslim that are different than what you may be used to. Marriage, like anything else we do as Muslims, has rulings laid down by the religion, and learning them on the fly is not the best way to go about it.

2. As a new Muslim, the relationship you should be concerned about right now is your relationship with Allah. Learn about Islam, work out how and when to offer prayer, and work on changing up little habits to make your life more Islamic for the sake of Allah alone. Distractions like a new marriage may take away from your personal journey to the mercy of Allah.

3. If Allah gives you children, there is a whole other area where you need to know Islamic duties and practices that you may not be ready to perform. As a Muslim parent there are many challenges that you need to research and learn about before beginning this life journey.

If you are confident that you want to marry the one who taught you about Islam and possibly took your shahadah from you, we advise you to get in touch with your local Imam. Insha Allah they offer classes about marriage for new couples before they marry to give you at least the basics.

And as always, Converts for Unity is here for you to offer support, advice and help in all aspects of your new life as a Muslim!