I want to convert but need advice

[alma]

Assalamu alaikum!

I am a 23 year old American girl and I am seriously thinking of converting to Islam... I am writing here because I am hesitant to convert and need some support. I don't speak arabic and am having trouble with the prayers (I want to be able to pray before I convert). Also, I am very active and go to the gym several times a week and there is no "women only" gyms in my area. Is there any way I can still go to the gym? I know it seems silly to be hesitant to convert because of the gym but I have health issues and need to keep active. Also, is there any point in converting if I can't even pronounce the prayers? I would really appreciate any support, advice, etc.

Thank you! <3

[Rachel]

Wa'alaikum assalam Alma,

It is very natural to have these concerns, and to be hesitant because of them. I too was worried about the prayer, and all sorts of other things. The truth is that becoming Muslim will change the way you live, but the extent to which it does is up to you.

About the prayer - do you know anyone who can help you with this? Prayer can be a source of a lot of worry in the beginning, but you should know that what one actually must do in prayer for it to be valid is not very much at all, so I would suggest doing what you can. I have some notes from my lessons on prayer that are very helpful, and can share them if you are interested. For the pronunciation, there are videos on Youtube that can help, but do not worry too much about this - in prayer, the state of your heart is what's most important.

About the gym - all I can say is that you should do what you feel comfortable doing.

You definitely have the right intentions, and I would suggest that you focus on the most important thing - your relationship with Allah.
Before I converted, I too was holding myself back. I spoke to a teacher of mine before I converted and was in this state of hesitancy - I wanted to gain more knowledge and I was worried about family, friends, my life, everything! I was struggling with any Islamic practice I tried to implement.

My teacher had this to say:

"Love is like a boiling kettle. Once the heart is aflame, your imaan bubbles forth, and automatically blows the whistle of La ilaha ill Allah. Stopping it, when you feel it inside, is a typical stalling trick of Shayton, who hates for you to find that intimacy with Allah out of jealousy that he never could do the same due to pride. Knowledge is unending; but life is limited, and Allah mercifully gives us these chances, so when you know, trust your heart. Our admission of our love for Him and His Oneness is paramount and all else comes after (and once that is there properly, all else does indeed come)."

He was absolutely right, though I didn't know it right away. There came a time when I couldn't hold back any more, and I had to surrender. And alhamdulillah, many of the things that were difficult became easy, just like that.

Of course, this is just my experience, and your path may be different. But above all, I would suggest that you listen to your heart

If you'd like those notes, or anything else, do let me know!

[jennifer]

Salaam Alma,

I agree with Rachel.. I think the most important thing to remember right now is your intentions. In terms of the gym, it's critical for us to take care of our health, bodies, and well-being, because these things have been given to us as a trust ("amana" in Arabic) from the Most Merciful. It's a tough balancing act for you, because there are a couple of questions to ask. Are there alternatives to the gym? Do you primarily use the treadmill at the gym, and so can you run outdoors - assuming you live in a climate that makes this possible? I live in California where I don't have to worry about snow and stuff, but I know not every is blessed to live here. Are there workouts that you can do at home? Do you live near a gym that is more in line with your morals and ethics, such as Planet Fitness? Is there a section of the gym that's a little less public where you can spend more of your time? Basically Alma I woudl encourage you to not see it has a black or white decision, but to recognize that if there are steps that you can take to minimize the issues, then you can start with that, and reassess once you've made those adjustments.

Learning to pronounce the Arabic is a process - don't worry!! It takes time. One does not have to learn Arabic or learn how to pronounce everything properly before becoming Muslim. There's no such requirements! But take your time, let it come naturally. Practice and try to learn the prayers over time - some will read from a piece of paper (transliteration plus a translation), and get there slowly. I also encourage you to spend time at a mosqu if you comfortable. You can hang out in the back and observe, and that can be helpful too, and you can join the ranks when you're ready. But really, take your time, don't rush - continue to expose yourself to Islam through reading the Qur'an and learning the example of the messengers of God, and let it come naturally. As Rachel said, you'll know when the time is right. Just listen to your heart, and keep the focus on your intentions.

[Rawan]

For one to become Muslim is easy, one becomes a Muslim by believing in the Two Testifications of Faith and uttering them with the intention of leaving out blasphemy.

The Two Testifications of Faith are:

I BEAR WITNESS THAT NO ONE DESERVES TO BE WORSHIPED EXCEPT GOD and
I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMAD* IS THE MESSENGER OF GOD

The first Testification means that no one or thing deserves to be worshipped except God Who is the Creator of everything.

The second Testification states that Muhammad the son of ^Abdullah who was born in Makkah approximately 1400 years ago is a messenger of God. He was sent to convey what God revealed to him so that the humans believe in and work with the Laws he received and brought. He is truthful in all what he conveyed.
The Two Testifications reject the Godhood of anyone or anything other than God. They confirm the Godhood of God (Allaah) only with the acknowledgment of the message of Prophet Muhammad.

*One can say the name “Ahmad” or “Abul Qaasim” which are both names of Prophet Muhammad. If one is unable to pronounce “Muhammad” properly, then one can say “Abu Qaasim” instead.

Believing in all this implies--Allah, the Creator, has perfect attributes, only Allah must be worshiped, Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet, was truthful in all that he conveyed from Allah, all the prophets before him (the first of whom was Adam) conveyed the same message of belief to their people and are to be loved and respected, yet in no way do prophets (or any creation) have Allah's attributes.

A person can become Muslim, as aforementioned in the solitude of a forest or in a crowded subway; he does not need to go to a mosque or have Muslims witness his profession. Allah knows the hearts of His creation. However, when he becomes Muslim he may declare his belief to some fellow Muslims so he will be known as a Muslim among the people.

Anyone who has read this must know if you are not already Muslim you must become Muslim immediately, for you do not know when you will die. To anyone who becomes Muslim while reading this, we advise you to seek knowledge as to the practice of Islam from a trustworthy Muslim teacher. As people go to college to be taught by those learned on different subjects, one should go to a learned Muslim to learn about the practice of Islam. There will always be more to learn and more ways to improve for a devoted Muslim, so arrogance is not a part of a good Muslim's life.


ISLAM IS THE ONLY RIGHT RELIGION. All other religions worship a creation, whether they worship the fire, cows, a statue, person, or a figure of ones own imagination. Muslims say, what is in need is weak and the weak does not deserve to be worshiped. We worship the Creator, who is not in need of anything. God is clear from needing instruments, or organs and anything among his creation. He is clear from getting tired, resting, sleeping, or getting thirsty; these are all weaknesses. The one who needs something is imperfect and the imperfect does not deserve to be worshiped.

In Islam, the intellect and faith are in harmony. The Muslim belief in the Creator is rationally consistent. Some might say just have faith, of course I have faith, but I also have a sound mind that agrees with what I believe, and I will not believe in something that contradicts the sound intellect. In order for you to know what I am talking about, I will give a brief summary in the Muslim belief in God.

We say that God is eternal, that is He (no gender intended) does not have a beginning and everything else has a beginning. Eternally He existed and nothing else existed. Meaning He existed before the directions, time, and places such as heavens, earth, throne, space. After creating these things, He did not change, transform, materialized, or became dependent on them. Because what changes is in need of one to change him thus is not God, and what becomes dependent on something is weak and the weak does not deserve to be worshiped. What changes for the worst is weak, and what changes for the better was not perfect to begin with. So we say God exists without being in a place or direction. Just as the sound mind accepts His existence without a place before the places, the sound mind accepts His existence without a place after He created the places. Objects require the space they occupy, and God is not an object.

Muslims believe that the Creator does not resemble the creation in anyway whatsoever. The sound mind Judges what is bound to happen to one is bound to happen to its similar. Had God resembled us in anyway, He would have been weak to things we are weak to, and the weak does not deserve to be worshiped. Our attributes prove that we are created. For example, we have eyes which are instruments we rely upon to see, and our sight is limited, and we can only see in the light. We have ears which are instruments we need to hear with, our hearing is limited, and we rely on sound waves and air to hear. We have a mouth and organs so we can eat food, and be able to digest them because without food we would die. We have feet which enable us to move from one place to another and hands which we need to grab things, and do things. We are born, thus is created, we get tired, sleepy, hungry, thirsty. God is clear from needing instruments, or organs and anything among his creation. He is clear from getting tired, resting, sleeping, or getting thirsty; these are all weaknesses. God is clear from needing anything.


The sound mind Judges that bodies do not create other bodies. If someone was to ask what is the proof that a car cannot create another car for example? I will give them the mental proof that the car has a shape, a form, a color, has a volume, it takes up space. As far as the car is concerned it can accept to be bigger or smaller, have this color instead of that color, and have this shape over that shape. Thus it was in need of the one to specify it with such. What is in need is weak and the weak does not deserve to be worshiped.


God is clear of having a volume, size, shape, or dimensions. God is not an object or an image. God is not a material being; God is not a spiritual being. Both the material beings and spiritual beings are subject to time and space. God is far greater than being depend upon what He created. God is far greater than what we may find in the recesses of our minds or in the distant galaxies of outer space. Muslims do not pray to objects or images—whether those objects or images are here on earth, in our minds, or beyond this earth. Muslims worship the Creator and only the Creator, the One Who has no needs and no similarity. We say whatever you imagine in your mind, God does not resemble it, because whatever one images is created, has a beginning, a shape and a form thus is created and not the Creator. We can’t image a time when there was no light or darkness, but they did not exist until God created them. If we can’t imagine something that is a creation, how can we imagine the Creator? We can’t.


A person fortified with such knowledge (and a particle’s weight of sincerity) would not, God willing, believe that God had to become an infant, grow up and learn about the suffering that God Himself (no gender intended) created, and then commit suicide and decide (that is the blasphemous belief that one could murder the Creator) so that God could gain the power to forgive the people for the sins that God created… all the while claiming that God is an offspring and a father of Himself (no gender intended) and a spirit (all of which are allegedly dwelling inside of Heaven (although, God existed before Heaven, created Heaven, and exists/always has existed without being in a place). Nor will he worship the fire, cows, a statue, or a figure of ones own imagination.

All the Prophets came with the same message, the key to paradise is one, and the message of all the Prophets is one. To tell people to worship one God who has no similar. They were among the best of men, for that God chose them; they were fit for what they came for.

[salman75]

Alma I would like to say do not hesitate because of gym or not knowing how to pray. Everything will come into place with time. Islam is a way of life so its not possible for anyone to learn it in a day. It took prophet to teach the people around him 23 yrs so if those people who are known to be the best of the ummah how can we expect our selves to learn everything all of a sudden one fine morning. SO dont stress about things, If you really feel islam is the right way and you want to convert just come to islam and learn things with sincereity and everything will come into place. As far as gym specifially is concerned, as you mentioned you need to go to gym because of your health issues in that case islam allows you to do it because in this case going to gym will not be seen as a luxury but will be considered a need for survival. And as islam upholds life before anything so in this case I think an exception can be made if you have no alternate to it.
Ps would love to be your friend if interested

[GFBA]

Alma, I think you should immediately convert---We don't know when we will die right? There isn't any such thing as a heart saying about conversion, since Satan is waiting in path. Being completely straightforward, while being Muslim, going to gym will be wrong in secular clothing. Practice other exercises which you can do at home, or go to gym in complete awrah (coverage).
May Allah guide you to the right path.

[Richard]

Maa Shaa' Allaah!

AICP all the way!


aicp.org/

Richard from Australia