Becoming Muslim
In this path
Related questions
Jesus
- What do Muslims believe about Jesus?Muslims love Jesus. They honour him as one of the greatest messengers of God (﷾), and belief in him is part of a Muslim's faith.
- Do Muslims believe Jesus will return?Yes. Muslims believe Jesus was never killed. God (﷾) raised him up alive, and he will come back before the Last Day.
- Is Jesus only love, and Allah only anger?No. The New Testament pictures Jesus returning as a judge. In Revelation, a rider called the Word of God judges and makes war, in a robe dipped in blood.
- If Christ paid for sins, can believers keep sinning?No, and the New Testament itself says so. Many Protestant Christians teach "once saved, always saved".
- If forgiveness needed the cross, why did God wait so long to send Jesus?God (﷾) did not need to wait, because He never needed a death in order to forgive.
Islam
- Should I wait to take my shahada until I can stop sinning?No. Do not wait. Everyone sins, Muslims too, and the shahada is not a promise never to sin again.
- How do I handle the "haram police" as a new Muslim?Stay calm, stay kind, and do not let them push you away from Islam. The so-called haram police are Muslims who correct others harshly, often in public, and often over small things or things scholars disagree on.
- What are the Five Pillars of Islam?The Five Pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, prayer, zakah, fasting in Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Makkah.
- How does God record good and bad deeds?Angels write down every deed, and God (﷾) counts them with great mercy.
- How is a Muslim saved? Do Muslims earn Paradise by good works?No one buys Paradise with deeds, not even the Prophet (ﷺ). A Muslim is saved by faith, by the good deeds that grow from it, and in the end by God's (﷾) mercy.
- Does Islam permit suicide?No. Your life is a gift and a trust from Allah (﷾), and it matters to Him even when it feels worthless to you.
- What was the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) like?The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was gentle, humble and forgiving, and he taught that good character is the heart of faith.
Jainism
- I'm a Jain: why should I consider Islam?Islam shares some of what a Jain values, and adds what Jainism leaves out.
- Why do Muslims eat meat and sacrifice animals?Muslims eat meat because God (﷾) made it lawful, but no one has to eat it.
- Can my own effort free my soul?In Islam your effort matters, and every deed is weighed. Yet no one is saved by deeds alone.
Shinto
- If I become Muslim, what happens to my family's customs?Most of your family life stays, and your duty to your parents grows. You keep your family name, your language, your meals with the family and your respect for elders.
- I'm Japanese and not religious: why consider Islam?If you say you have no religion, Islam does not ask you to join an organisation.
- Is wudu like Shinto purification?Wudu is the washing a Muslim does before prayer, because God (﷾) commands it in the Qur'an.
Chinese traditions
- If I become Muslim, do I lose my Chinese culture?No. Your language, your family name and your respect for elders stay. So do your ties with your parents and relatives, New Year reunions, red envelopes and Chinese food, made halal (lawful for Muslims).
- Filial piety: does Islam honour parents too?Yes. The Qur'an puts kindness to parents beside the worship of God (﷾).
- I'm Chinese and have no religion: why consider Islam?Consider Islam because it answers the questions beneath customs that many Chinese families keep.
Comparative Religion
- Is the Muslim declaration of faith (the Shahada) in the Bible?In substance, yes. The Shahadah is the Islamic creed. It says there is no god but Allah (﷾) and that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Messenger.
- Is the headscarf biblical? Did Mary wear a veil?Yes. Paul, a Christian missionary of the first century, told Christian women to cover their heads when they pray.
Questions & Criticisms
- Isn't it better to follow the religion I was born into?No. Being born into a religion shows where a person grew up, not whether that religion is true.
- Is Islam the fastest-growing religion, and does that prove it true?Yes, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion, but the numbers alone prove nothing.
- Is the hijab a sign of oppression?No. For a Muslim woman the hijab, her head covering, is an act of worship, not a sign that she is owned.
- Was Islam spread by the sword?No. There were conquests, but conquest is not conversion. The Qur'an says plainly that there is no compulsion in religion.