Thinking about becoming Muslim?

It starts with one sentence

Becoming Muslim means sincerely believing, and saying, the declaration of faith (shahada):

The first half means you worship God alone. The second means you accept Muhammad ﷺ as His final messenger and follow his example.

That's it. There's no ceremony, fee or test. Many people say it in front of a few Muslims at a mosque, so the community can welcome and support them, but it is between you and God.

A clean slate

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Islam wipes away whatever came before it.”

Sahih Muslim

Whatever your past, becoming Muslim is a fresh start. The Quran even says that for people who turn to God sincerely, He replaces their bad deeds with good ones (25:70).

What stays the same

• Your family. Islam requires you to keep treating your parents with kindness and respect, even if they don't share your faith (31:15).
• Your name. In almost every case, you don't need to change it.
• Your language and culture. You don't need to speak Arabic or become someone else. You'll learn a few Arabic phrases for prayer, one step at a time.
• Your friends and neighbours. Being a good friend and neighbour is part of the faith.

One step at a time

Nobody learns everything at once, and nobody expects you to.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Make things easy, and do not make them difficult. Give good news, and do not drive people away.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

Most new Muslims start by learning the prayer and build from there, with friends to help. And because “there is no compulsion in religion” (2:256), faith only means something when it's freely chosen. Take all the time you need.

Talk it through with us

Most people have questions before they feel ready, and that's how it should be. Message us any time. If you'd like, we can meet you at a local mosque, or just talk it over coffee.

Quran quotes are English translations of the meaning, adapted from Saheeh International and M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. Tap a reference to read the verse in Arabic with other translations.