Is Converting to Islam OK? Everything You Need to Know

Are you looking for an explanation about "Is converting to Islam OK?" If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You are currently reading the right article. Why? Because that is exactly what I will discuss in this article. As Muslims, we must understand this. That is why I wrote this article. So, make sure you read it to the end!

Specifically, there are four important points regarding "Is converting to Islam OK?" that I will discuss in this article. The four key points I am referring to are as follows:

What is Islam in Simple Terms?

The first important point about "Is converting to Islam OK?" that I will discuss now is "What is Islam in simple terms?" I want you to understand this first before we go into more explanations in this article, as it is a fundamental question in this conversation that must be properly understood.

In general, many people understand that Islam is the final religion from the heavens. By this, I mean a religion that comes directly from God (Allah). Islam was delivered by the Prophet Muhammad, the last Prophet and Messenger of Allah.

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That's correct. If you understand Islam in the simple terms explained above, you’re not wrong. However, there are a few additional simple points that can help you better understand what Islam is.

We can find an explanation of these additional simple points in the hadith below:

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذَ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيْدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيْدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ ، لَا نَرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرَ السَّفَرِ وَلَا نَعْرِفُهُ ، حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَهُ إِلَى رُكْبَتِهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخْذِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ : يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِيْ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ ، مَا الْإِسْلَامُ ؟ قَالَ : أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا اللهَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ وَتُقِيْمَ الصَّلَاةِ وُتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُوْمَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيْلًا. قَالَ : صَدَقْتَ…

From Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: "While we were sitting with Allah's Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) one day, a man with very white clothes and very black hair suddenly appeared before us. We saw no signs of travel on him, and none of us knew him. He came close to the Messenger of Allah, leaned his knees against the Prophet's knees, and placed his hands on the Prophet's thighs. Then he said, 'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Prophet replied, '(Islam is) to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to give Zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to perform Hajj if you are able to do so.' (The hadith continues.)"

From the hadith above, we can conclude that Islam in simple terms can be summarized as follows:

1. Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
2. Performing the five daily prayers (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha).
3. Paying Zakat for those Muslims who are obligated to do so.
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan.
5. Performing Hajj for those Muslims who are able to do so.

These are five key points that serve as a basic understanding of Islam in simple terms. These five points represent the five pillars of Islam. This explanation is found in the following hadith:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ : شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ , وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ , وَإِيْتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ , وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ , وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ

From Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said: 'Islam is built upon five things: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying Zakat, fasting in Ramadan, and making pilgrimage to the House (Hajj).'"

That is a brief explanation of "What is Islam in simple terms?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Is It True That Islam Is a Great Religion for Us?

The second important point about "is converting to Islam okay?" that I will discuss now is, "Is it true that Islam is a great religion for us?" I want you to understand this now so you can grasp Islam better before you actually convert.

Generally, there are two main reasons why Islam is a great religion for us:

• Islam guarantees happiness in this world and the hereafter for Muslims who practice its teachings well.
• The authenticity of the two main sources of Islam is well-preserved throughout time. The two main sources I am referring to are the Quran and the Hadiths. Because of this, the credibility of Muslims as people who follow divine teachings is strongly upheld.

There is a lot to discuss about these two main points. Unfortunately, I can't cover everything in this article, as it would require a lot of time and words.

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So, in simple terms, if you ask me, "Is it true that Islam is a great religion for us?" the answer is "Yes, of course. Islam is a great religion for us."

That's a brief explanation of "Is it true that Islam is a great religion for us?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

Is Converting to Islam OK?

The third important point about "Is converting to Islam OK?" that I will discuss now is a more specific explanation. I want you to understand this clearly so you know that converting to Islam is absolutely OK, and not just a passing trend.

I haven't given the full answer to the question yet, but I hope you've understood everything I've discussed in the previous paragraphs. All of that will help you grasp the answer to the question.

Now, I assume you have understood all the explanations in the previous paragraphs. If you ask me, "Is converting to Islam OK?", the answer is "Of course! It is absolutely OK." However, one important thing to always remember is that converting to Islam must be based on the six pillars of belief in Islam:

1. Belief in Allah.
2. Belief in the angels of Allah.
3. Belief in the Messengers of Allah.
4. Belief in the books of Allah.
5. Belief in the Day of Judgment.
6. Belief in Allah's divine decree, both good and bad.

That's a brief explanation of "Is converting to Islam OK?" As Muslims, we must understand this.

How to Convert to Islam Perfectly?

The fourth important point about "Is converting to Islam OK?" that I will now discuss is "How to convert to Islam perfectly?" So, I truly hope you read the following explanation carefully.

In simple terms, there are two main things you must do if you want to convert to Islam perfectly:

1. Believe in everything outlined in the six pillars of belief in Islam (I briefly discussed these earlier). So, you must believe in Allah, in all the Angels of Allah, in all the Messengers of Allah, in all the books of Allah, in the Day of Resurrection, and in all the decrees of Allah, both good and bad.
2. You must recite the two testimonies of faith (Shahada):

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلُ اللهِ

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

That's a brief explanation of "How to convert to Islam perfectly." As Muslims, we must understand this.

Dear readers! That was a brief explanation of "Is converting to Islam OK?" and some key points about it. Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I believe that is enough for this article. I hope it is beneficial. Ameen.

See you in the next article!