http://www.islam.com/ The steps a person needs to take to accept Islam as his/her religion.
The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a Life Time irreversible choice and it is highly recommenced, Islam is the one pure, unadulterated religion. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.
The Introduction to Islam is something to make mention of before converting anyone to the pure, unadulterated religion.
#1 Forced Conversions are not true conversions: this action is blasphemy.
#2 You will be expected to diligently follow the Qur'an and Sunnah and put these codes above all others.
#3 You can't be a Nationalist. This does not mean you must betray a Nation you are a Citizen of; however, you should know nationality is trivial in Islam, Nationality is Oppression, Islam is Liberation.
#4 Islam is not Homophobic, or against Homosexuals and anyone who disagrees is lying or has false assumptions of Islamic life. But the actions of Homosexuality are strictly Prohibited in Islam: it interferes with with Allah's master plan of procreation, and disturbs the actions that are Halal.
#5 Islam comes with the Halal Dietary Laws. This dietary Law can not be Compromised if your found in a strange situation that's forces you to do otherwise, place speak to you Local Imam about it. Under no circumstances unless except for the Shariah listing is alcohol ever permissible, Alcohol is a dangerous and evil intoxicant, if your an alcoholic, please, seek Help from a recovery or rehab.
#6 Islam has limitations on Music and Dance. Folk dancing is strictly prohibited as are several forms of Dace and Music. Art is not Forbidden, but there are Strict Rules that must be Followed. For instance, pictures or statues of Humans and other living things are strictly forbidden in Islam even if they are not being Worshiped.
#7 By Accepting Islam, you leave the Life you Knew behind, this is the Pure, Unadulterated Religion. It is uncompromisable: if you enter into Islam you must enter all the Way.
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the “Shahada”, the testimony of faith, without further delay. The “Shahada” is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam.
With the pronunciation of this testimony, or “Shahada”, with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold of Islam. Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all one's previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness. The Prophet said to a person who had placed the condition upon the Prophet in accepting Islam that God would forgive his sins:
“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Saheeh Muslim)
When one accepts Islam, they, in essence, repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be burdened by sins committed before their acceptance; the person’s record is "cleaned", like he was just born from his mother’s womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible. The Holy Qur'an and Hadith (prophetic sayings) both stress the importance of following Islam. God states:
“... The only religion in the sight of God is Islam...” (Quran 3:19)
In another verse of the Holy Quran, God states:
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (their selves in the Hellfire),” (Quran 3:85).
In another saying, Muhammad, the Prophet of God, said:
“Whoever testifies that there in none worthy of being worshipped but God, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Prophet and that Jesus is the Slave of God, His Prophet, and His word that He bestowed in Mary and a spirit created from Him; and that Paradise (Heaven) is true, and that the Hellfire is true, God will eventually admit him into Paradise, according to his deeds,” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari).
The Prophet of God, may the blessing and mercy of God upon him, also reported:
“Indeed God has forbidden to reside eternally in Hell the person who says: “I testify that none has the right to worship except Allah (God),’ seeking the Face of God.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
THE DECLARATION OF THE TESTIMONY (SHAHADA) TO CONVERT TO ISLAM AND BECOME A MUSLIM A PERSON NEEDS TO PRONOUNCE THE BELOW TESTIMONY WITH CONVICTION AND UNDERSTANDING ITS MEANING:
I testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.”
The translation of which is:
“I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah) and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
When someone pronounces the testimony with conviction, then he/she has become a Muslim. It can be done alone, but it is easier done with an adviser so that we may aid you and provide you with resources for new Muslims. Listings can be found online or even in a phone book.
The first part of the testimony consists of the most important truth that God revealed to mankind: that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshiped except for Almighty God. God states in the Holy Qur'an: “We did not send the Messenger before you without revealing to him: none has the right to be worshiped except, I, therefore, worship Me,’” (Quran 21:25).
This conveys that all forms of worship, whether it is praying, fasting, invoking, seeking refuge in, and offering an animal as sacrifice, must be directed to God and to God alone. Directing any form of worship to other than God (whether it is an angel, a messenger, Jesus, Muhammad, a saint, an idol, the sun, the moon, a tree) is seen as a contradiction to the fundamental message of Islam, and it is an unforgivable sin unless it is repented from before one dies. All forms of worship must be directed to God only.
Worship means the performance of deeds and sayings that please God, things which He commanded or encouraged to be performed, either by direct textual proof or by analogy. Thus, worship is not restricted to the implementation of the five pillars of Islam, but also includes every aspect of life. Providing food for one’s family, and saying something pleasant to cheer a person up are also considered acts of worship, if such is done with the intention of pleasing God. This means that to be accepted all acts of worship must be carried out sincerely for the sake of God alone.
The second part of the testimony means that Prophet Muhammad is the servant and is the chosen messenger of God. This implies that one obeys and follows the commands of the Prophet. One must believe in what he has said, practice his teachings and avoid what he has forbidden. One must worship God according to his teaching alone, for all the teachings of the Prophet were revelations and inspirations conveyed to him, by God.
One must try to mold their lives and character and emulate the Prophet, as he was a living example for humans to follow. God says:
“And indeed you are upon a high standard of moral character,” (Quran 68:4).
God also said:
“And in deed you have a good and upright example in the Messenger of God, for those who hope in the meeting of God and the Hereafter, and mentions God much,” (Quran 33:21).
He was sent to implement the Quran, in his saying, deeds, legislation and all other facets of life. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, when asked about the character of the Prophet, replied:
“His character was that of the Quran.” (As-Suyooti)
To adhere truly to the second part of the Shahada is to follow his example in all walks of life. God says: “Say (O Muhammad to mankind [be careful how you say O Muhammad be sure it's never out of context ]): ‘If you (really) love God, then follow me,’” (Quran 3:31). It also means that Muhammad is the Final Prophet and Messenger of God and that no (true) Prophet can come after him. “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the Prophets, and God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40) All who claim to be prophets or receive revelation after Muhammad are imposters, and to acknowledge them would be tantamount to disbelief. We welcome you to Islam, congratulate you on your decision, and will try to help you in any way we can.
http://www.islam.com/
