This video is about growing and transitioning into your new life as a practicing Muslim.
This might be the most exciting time in your life, you finally know for sure that there is a Creator and that you’ve been created for a purpose.
You now know that He wants you to be successful and that He sent guidance for you.
Not only that, He sent an example of how to implement that guidance and that is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Think for a moment about how you got to this point in your life: your story, your journey is uniquely yours. Likewise, moving forward, your journey will continue to be unique.
When you realize that Islam is the truth and you knew you had to accept it, so you took that step to say the Shahadah, the declaration of faith, and you brought witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except the one God (Allah) who created everything, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in fact His last and final Prophet and Messenger.
That took courage. That took conviction. That took confidence.
From here on now, you’re going to need those things. You’re also going to need a little bit of faith in yourself and a lot of trust in Allah Almighty.
Seeking Knowledge
In Islam, all of our actions must be based upon knowledge. So I want you to think about your path moving forward and think about each step being based upon strong, firm, sturdy ground.
That strong, sturdy ground is knowledge. So every step that you take forward, if it’s based upon sound knowledge, it will be a strong firm step. If you step forward unto something weak and shaky, what will happen? You might fall down.
And what that translates into is that you could end up having doubts, you could end up even falling out of the fold of Islam. May Allah protect all of us and save us from that. Ameen.
So you have to move forward and base each step on knowledge. This is just like when you got to the point where you were sure enough to say the Shahadah, you had done research, you had studied, you had had conversations, you had thought it over, and you carefully considered your choice. Just like that, as you move forward, make each step in the same way.
Just now that you got into Islam, your journey has not finished; you have to continue seeking knowledge, continue your relationship with the Quran, and begin improving and embellishing your life with more of the actions from Islam.
First Things First
So there are certain things which are more important to do first and those are the obligatory actions: the first of which is the salah (the five daily prayers). So that is where you want to focus your energy and focus your studies at this point and begin step by step implementing those prayers into your life.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The most beloved actions to Allah are those are done consistently even if they are few.” (Muslim)
So take your time and implement the prayers and all of the actions that come after that in such a way that you’re able to continue with those actions day after day, week after week, year after year and so on…
Not only will those actions be more beloved to Allah, but they will also help you in your confidence as you move forward as a new Muslim.
As I mentioned, you journey will be unique, so you know yourself best and you’re going to have to make certain judgments on how you go forward.
You’ve changed a lot inside, your heart has changed and now you’re ready to begin changing your life, but your surroundings have not changed. The people in your life have not changed, most likely, so that can provide a number of challenges.
Well I can’t speak for everyone’s particular situation, I can give, based on my experience, some general advice for this.
Family & Friends
So regarding your family and friends who are not Muslim, I think one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you is to remember that they all most likely have your best interest in mind. Whatever it is that they do or say from here forward, please remember that it’s probably coming from a place of care, they may be worried about you.
In Islam, we’re taught to deal kindly with everyone; and we’re taught that Islam is the middle path and to avoid going to extremes. We’re taught to calm people and not to repel them. We’re taught to maintain our ties of family and to respect and honor our parents especially and the rest of the family and humanity at large.
So these are all things that if you keep it in mind, it will help you moving forward; it will help you in your relationships. And you might get off to a rocky start, but it will give you the best possible outcome if you behave and you try to adjust your manners to be in-line as much as possible with Islam.
And try to be patient. Patience is a very virtuous action. Allah said that He rewards patience without account.
So keep those things in mind, and do try to be patient and kind towards everyone that you encounter and you interact with.
Interacting with Muslims
When it comes to the Muslims, you have to also have patience.
The Muslims that you may be interacting with, remember that they also have your best interest in mind and they may want to help you and may not realize that they don’t know you deeply enough to really understand what it is you’re going through and what you need.
So be patient with them as well, they’re your brothers and sisters in Islam; and we’ve been taught to love one another purely for the sake of Allah because of the fact that we all believe in Him and we’re all striving for the same thing.
So remember to have that love to make excuses for them and to be kind and affectionate towards them regardless of what they do and how they treat you. They’re responsible for their actions and you’re responsible for yours, so be sure to behave in the best way possible.
And if you make mistakes, remember that Allah is the most forgiving and all you need to do is turn to Him, ask for forgiveness, and then try better next time.
The Quran
Lastly, I would like to remind you to maintain a relationship with the Quran; most likely it was one of the things that got you to this point, and it is the verbatim words of our Lord, and maintaining a connection with that is critical from now until the day that we die.
This will continue to refresh your Iman; it will continue to inform your decisions; and it will help you stay connected with your purpose in life.
I pray that this video is beneficial to you in your new life and the journey that has not yet ended, that will continue as long as you live in seeking knowledge and becoming a better Muslim, and getting closer to Allah Almighty.
May He continue to guide you.
Ameen.
(From Discovering Islam’s archive)