As Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

(in Arabic: ‏اَلسَلامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اَللهِ وَبَرَكاتُهُ‎) English Meaning: “Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

Beginner’s Guide: What to Do After You Take Your Shahadah

To become a Muslim, one must declare the testimony of faith (the shahadah). You should accept it in your heart first, and then declare it out loud in front of witnesses. Although I have been told that you do not have to have witnesses to take your shahadah, I strongly recommend that you do, particularly at a masjid/mosque, for several reasons: 1) to make sure you say the shahadah correctly, 2) to have people to testify for you on the Day of Judgment, and 3) to be surrounded by fellow believers who will support you on this new journey, insha’Allah.

Once you’ve said your shahadah, your record is wiped clean (all your past sins are forgiven), and your new journey of living a meaningful life begins.

“Say (on My behalf), O Servants of Mine who have acted recklessly against their own selves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Surely, Allah will forgive all sins. Surely, He is the One who is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful.” —Surah Az-Zumar [39:53]

I Took My Shahadah Now What?

Sign up for Classes at a Masjid/Mosque

Beginners Class on Islam—focuses on the pillars of faith, how to pray (salah and dua), how to perform ablution (wudú and ghusl), etc

The introduction to Islam class is more significant than the Arabic class, in the beginning, because it will go over the fundamental principles of the religion. Learning these is vital to building a solid foundation for your imaan (faith/belief) and a strong relationship with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

Learning How to Pray / Salat

Performing salaat is a duty upon every Muslim who has reached puberty, so it’s important that you learn how to pray correctly in the early stages of this new journey. In the introduction to Islam class, they will teach you how to prepare for salah, what should be recited during salah, the different movements and standing/sitting positions throughout salah, and what to do after salah.

The prayer book is a great complementary tool you can use to reinforce what you’ve learned in that class. (See our Library page)

Get A Mentor/Teacher/Tutor

In the beginning of this new journey, you could get a tutor to assist you with learning the fundamental principles of the religion such as tawheed (oneness of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), the five pillars of Islam, and the six pillars of imaan (faith/belief).

Then later on, you could get a tutor to help you with learning Arabic and translating the Qur’an (and so on and so forth). This is only necessary if the weekly classes are not enough for you and you need more time and help to comprehend and implement each lesson as a result.

As for a mentor, they would be helpful with providing advice, eliminating doubts, sharing their wisdom, and keeping you on the straight path.

Become apart of a Masjid / Attend Activities & Events at Your Masjid/Mosque

Events held at the masjid/mosque are great opportunities for you to meet and engage with other Muslims, learn more about Islam, and participate in fun and halal social activities. Becoming a Muslim changes your daily life and you must surround yourself with the Muslims.

Congregational Prayers/Jummah

Even if you don’t know how to pray, I still recommend attending one congregational prayer at a masjid nearby. That way, you can observe how the prayers are structured and gain the reward that’s associated with going to the mosque for congregational prayer.

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever leaves his house in a state of purity to come to the prescribed prayer, then he will receive a reward like one who prepares for the Hajj pilgrimage. Whoever leaves to come to the forenoon prayer for no reason but this, then he will receive a reward like the Umrah pilgrimage.” —Sunan Abu Dawud

The best and most populated congregational prayer to attend is the one on Friday (known as Jummah). That’s because Friday is our “holy day” (there are many virtues associated with Jumu’ah). Men, women, and children will gather on that day to listen to the prepared khutbah, pray salaat-ul-zhur together, and gain as many blessings and good deeds as they can by following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). However, you don’t have to wait until Friday to attend a congregational prayer.

Masaajid are usually open every day from a few hours before sunrise to a few hours after sunset to accommodate those who go there to pray any of the five daily prayers. That means there are five congregational prayers for you to choose from [every day] to attend—just know that it won’t be as populated as the ones on Friday, though. So, pick a date, check the masjid’s website to see when each prayer is scheduled for that day (prayer times change throughout the year), and choose any of the prayers to attend in congregation.

Make an Effort Every Day

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.” Thus, try to do something every day that will help to increase your knowledge of the religion and bring you closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

Here’s an example of a schedule you could follow:

Sunday: Attend one class at the masjid and take notes
Monday: Review notes from class & write down any questions/concerns you may have
Tuesday: Read at least one page from your prayer guidebook
Wednesday: Read at least one page from your prayer guidebook
Thursday: Read at least one page from your prayer guidebook
Friday: Attend Jummah service & observe how the prayers are structured
Saturday: Review notes from class again to refresh your memory
Sunday: Attend one class at the masjid, take notes, and get your questions answered

Regardless of how you choose to go about it, it’s important to be consistent with building your relationship with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, increasing and improving your knowledge & understanding of the deen, and practicing the religion to the best of your ability. After all, consistency and sincerity are the keys to success in this world & the Hereafter. And, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala knows best.

Welcome to New Muslims eLearning site. It is for new Muslim converts who would like to learn their new religion in an easy and systematic way. Lessons here are organized under levels. So first you go to lesson 1 under level 1. Study it and then take its quiz. When you pass it move on to lesson 2 and so on.