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Appendix
If You Decide to Convert
Although this is an appendix, this section should not be regarded as an
afterthought. It is merely serving a different purpose than the rest of the
book. You may regard this section as a brief technical manual on what to do and
the basics of what you need to know if you decide to become Muslim. This
section contains some information on web sites and mailing addresses that are
accurate at the time of writing but I can't guarantee their accuracy for all
future dates.
If you decide to be Muslim, this means that you believe that there is
only one, indivisible God, and you believe in all the prophets sent by Him,
including Prophet Muhammad (saw). You must state this belief to God. This is
called Shahada and is stated as follows:
Ash hadoo an laa ilaahaa ilallaah [I bear witness that there is
no god but Allah (one god)]
Ash hadoo anna Muhammadan Rasoollallah (I bear witness that Muhammad
is the Prophet of Allah). If you state those two things with belief and
conviction, you are Muslim.
The following may be added if you wish to declare that you
have consciously decided to accept the Ja'fari school of thought with Imam Ali
ibn Abi Talib (as) as the divinely appointed guide and ruler after the Holy
Prophet.
Ash hadoo anna Alioon Wallioollah Wasiyo Rasoolillaah,
Wa Khalifatahoo Bilaa Fasl
[I bear witness that Ali is the successor appointed by Allah, inheritor of the
Prophet, and the rightful ruler or Caliph (immediately after the Prophet)]
It is tradition to state your belief in the presence of a few Muslim
witnesses, often in a mosque, but this is not required for your conversion to
be valid before God. So, what's next?
The information and instructions I will provide now are based on the Shia (Ja'fari) school of thought in Islam and may
have slight variations from other schools. It is intended to be general to get
you started and is not meant to be an authoritative set of instructions, as I
am not at all qualified to be authoritative.
There are five roots of religion (Usool e deen) that are considered the
major components of Shia Islamic belief. These are monotheism, justice of God,
prophethood, imamat, and resurrection.
Monotheism This is the belief in a single, indivisible God.
Justice of God This is the belief that God is by nature just and
fair.
Prophethood This is the belief in all the prophets sent by God and
their uniform message of guidance.
Imamat This is the belief in maintainers and protectors of religion
appointed by God, particularly the twelve appointed after the death of Prophet
Muhammad (saw), including the Imam of our time. (as)
Resurrection This is the belief in a life after death, including a
Judgment Day and punishment or reward in hell or heaven.
Similarly, there are ten branches of religion (Furoo e deen) that are
considered the major components of Islamic practice. These are salaat
(the daily prayer), sawm (fasting), hajj (pilgrimage), zakat
(tax on wealth), khums (tax on money),
Jihad (struggle), amr bil ma'ruf (enjoining good), nahi 'anil
munkar (forbidding evil), tawalla [loving the Prophet and his family
(as)], and tabarra [disassociating with the enemies of the Prophet and
his family (as)].
Prayer
The first major obligation once you become Muslim is the
daily prayer. Most converts are very eager and stressed about knowing how to
perform it correctly immediately. Following are some basic instructions to get
you started with the daily prayer. You can hold this if necessary for awhile
until you start to memorize things. When you get the chance, meet with someone
who already knows the prayer and they can help you with the Arabic and little
details, God willing. In the meantime, try to pray with concentration and when
you prostrate place your forehead on soil, rock, wood, or blank paper.
The five daily prayers are as follows:
Morning prayer is two rakaats (cycles) performed
approximately 70 minutes prior to sunrise.
Noon-ish prayer is 4 rakaats performed just after
true noon (when the sun reaches the highest point in its path across the sky,
or passes from the eastern half into the western half of the sky.)
Afternoon prayer is 4 rakaats performed anytime
between the noon prayer and the evening prayer, with its ideal time when an
object's afternoon shadow just becomes longer than the object itself.
Evening prayer is 3 rakaats performed roughly 15
minutes to half an hour after sunset, when redness has left the western half of
the sky.
And the night prayer is 4 rakaats performed after
the evening prayer ideally when twilight is over, which is usually about one
and a half hours after sunset.
Prior to praying you should perform wudhu, the
ritual ablution. This is done by washing your hands with water, then covering
the face with water from the top down. Then using your left hand, cover your
right arm from the elbow to the finger tips with poured water, then using your
right hand do the same to your left. Next, without getting new water, wipe the
top of you head with the wetness on your right hand fingers (usually done in a
parting in your hair), and finally, similarly wipe the top of your right foot
with your wet right hand from toes to ankle, and likewise wipe your left foot
with your left hand.
If you are a female just finishing your monthly cycle, or
if you have had intercourse or a wet dream since your last prayer, or in a few
other less likely cases, instead of performing wudhu, you should perform
ghusl, which is a shower, prior to your prayer. This is usually
performed by rinsing your head and neck area, then your right front all the way
to your toes, then your right back, left front and left back so that your whole
body is touched by running water. It is best to overlap your coverage area (do
a little of the left front while washing your right front and vice versa) to
guarantee coverage.
Also, whenever you use the toilet, you should rinse the
affected area with water three times and make sure no more urine or feces are
present. Men should learn how to perform istibra, which is a process of
pushing out any left over urine from the urethra. Detailed instructions on wudhu,
ghusl, istibra and so on may be found in books of Islamic laws
such as "Islamic Laws" published by The World Federation .
Finally, before beginning, if you are a male you should
make sure your privates are covered, or preferably from the navel to the knee
(more is better). And if you are female everything should be covered but hands,
face and feet.
Prayer is performed facing a house of worship to God built
by Prophet Ibrahim (as) in Mecca. Look at a globe and find the shortest curve
from your location to Mecca (a great circle) and that will show you which way
to face in prayer. For North Americans, that is Northeast.
Prayer begins with Niyyat (You make an intention in
your mind that you are praying so and so prayer for seeking nearness to Allah).
Then recite takbir (saying Allahoo Akbar (God is greater than
description, roughly, with hands held up by your ears). Then lower your
arms to your sides.
1st cycle (rakat)
STANDING:
1) Recite Surah Fateha:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Rahim (In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate, the Merciful)
Alhumdoolellaahi Rabbil Aalameen (Praise be to Allah, Lord of
the worlds).
arrahmaan irraheem (the Compassionate, the
Merciful)
maaliki yowm ideen (Owner/master of the day of
Judgment)
iyaaka na' boodoo wa iyyaaka nas taeen (Thee alone we worship and
Thee alone we ask for help.)
ihdinas siraatal moostaqeem (Show us the straight path)
siraatal ladheena anamta alayhim (The path of those whom Thou
hast favored)
ghayril maghdoobi alayhim waladhaalleen (Not the path of those who
have earned Thine anger nor of those who have gone astray.)
2) Then recite any other surah of Qur'an. Probably
the shortest and easiest, and one that is also highly recommended to recite, is
Surah Ikhlas:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate the Merciful)
Qul hoo wallahoo ahad (Say: He is Allah, the One!)
Allaahus samad (Allah, the eternally besought of All!)
Lam yalid walam yoolad (He begetteth not nor was
begotten)
walam yakool lahoo koofoo wan ahad (And there is none comparable
to Him.)
3) Say Allaahoo Akbar again
BOWING (Bend
forward with your hands on your knees, males keeping the knees unbent and
ladies bending their knees slightly):
1) Say: Soobhaana rabbi al adheemi wabihamdih
(Roughly, Glory be to my High Sustainer and I praise Him)
2) While going back to standing position: Sami' Allahu
liman hamidah (Allah hears and accepts the praise of one who praises)
3) While standing again briefly: Allahoo Akbar
PROSTRATING/SITTING:
1) After that Allahoo Akbar, go to the ground and
put head, knees, toes, and palms on the ground (elbows usually recommended for
women as well).
Say: Soobhana Rabbi al Aa'laa wa bihamdih (Glory be
to my Great Sustainer, Most High, and I praise Him)
2) Go to sitting position, say Allahoo Akbar, then
say Astaghfirullaahaa Rabbi wa atooboo ilayh [I seek forgiveness from
Allah my Sustainer and I turn to Him (repent)] then Allahoo Akbar again
3) Repeat #1 (Soobhana Rabbi al Aa'laa wa bihamdih)
4) Sit up, say Allaahoo Akbar, and return to
standing position while saying Bi haw lillaahi wa qoowwatihi aqoomoo wa
aqa'ood (I stand and sit with the help and strength of Allah.)
THAT IS END OF
RAKAT #1.
RAKAT #2
Perform like rakat #1, except for the addition of qunoot
and the following modification to step#4 in
PROSTRATING/SITTING: (new parts are marked with asterix*)
*Qunoot: In the second rakat, after reciting
the two surahs and before bowing, place you hands palms up, together at
about chest level and say:
La ilaaha illallaahool halimool kareem (There is none worshipping but
Allah, the Forbearing and Generous.) There are many other things you could say
here, but that is a simple one to learn for starters. After qunoot,
continue with the prayer as in the first rakat, with bowing.
Then in step 4) take note of these modifications:
Sit up, say Allahoo
Akbar,
*Then say Al hamdoo lillaah, Ash hadoo an laa ilaha il
Allahoo wah dahoo laa sharika lah (All praise is for Allah, and I testify
that there is none worth worshipping except Allah, who is one and has no
partner.)
*Then say: Wa Ash hadoo anna Muhammadan 'abdoohoo wa
Rasooloh (And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger)
*Then say: Allah hoomma salli'ala Muhammadin wa aali
Muhammad (O Allah, send your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny).
IF THIS IS NOT THE LAST RAKAT,
Then say: Bi haw lillaahi wa qoowwatihi aqoomoo wa aqa'
ood while standing up.
**IF THIS IS THE LAST RAKAT, SAY THE FOLLOWING TO
END THE PRAYER, WHILE STILL IN SITTING POSITION:
*Assalaamoo alayka ayyoohan Nabiyyoo wa rahmatullaahi wa
barakaatoh (O Prophet, Allah's peace, blessings and grace be upon you!)
Assalamoo 'alayna wa 'ala ibaadillaahis
saaliheen (Allah's
peace be on us, and all pious servants of Allah)
Assalaamoo 'alaykoom wa rahmatoollaahi wa
barakaatoh (Allah's
peace, blessings and grace be on you.)
IF IT IS NOT THE LAST RAKAT CONTINUE AS FOLLOWS:
3RD & 4TH RAKAT:
Just like 1st rakat except for the Standing part:
STANDING:
1) While standing say either Surah Fateha or the
following, which is most recommended:
Subhaanallaahi wal hamdoo lillaahi wa laa
ilaahaa illallahoo wallaahoo akbar (Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, there is no
God but Allah and He is greater than description)
You may say this once, or three times.
IF THIS IS THE LAST RAKAT, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN RAKAT
#2 MARKED WITH THE ** SIGN TO END SALAAT.
There are online prayer and wudhu instructions at
Also, you can purchase video instructions from Idara e
Jaferia in Maryland. Their tape is distributed by Khatoons Inc., 6650 Autumn
Wind Circle, Clarksville MD 21029 USA and online at
You can usually obtain a prayer timetable to get the most
accurate local times for prayer from a mosque in your area, or download
computer software that calculates prayer time and direction from this site:
.
Now, continuing with the Branches of Religion:
Fasting
During the month of Ramadhan Muslims are required to fast from about a
half-hour prior to the morning prayer until the time for the evening prayer.
The month of Ramadhan on the Islamic calendar cycles throughout the seasons
with a nice result that no matter where you live you will get to experience
long days and short days of fasting over the years. For those living in extreme
northern or southern locales so that they may not experience any sunrise or
sunset in a 24-hour period, they follow the timings of another, less extreme
location. Fasting means no eating, drinking, intercourse, immoral behavior,
etc. People who have medical reasons for not fasting are exempted but should
donate the equivalent of a meal to charity for days when they miss a required
fast. Also, menstruating women do not fast but make up missed fasts at a later
date.
The month of Ramadhan is a time of spiritual renewal and there are many
special prayers during this time.
Pilgrimage
Every individual with the physical and financial means is obliged to
perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his/her lifetime. It is a very
spiritual and exciting event that happens once a year. Its rituals are
generally related to events involving the Prophet Ibrahim (as), and are
designed for spiritual reflection and renewal. If you plan to go you should
read up on it first and make your arrangements through an established hajj
travel organization that is based on the particular school of Islam that you
follow.
Zakat and Khums
Muslims who possess certain things like amounts of gold, grain or
livestock are required to give a percentage of their wealth, usually 5 or 10%
to the needy. Since most people don't have the wealth to have to pay this, I
won't go into a lot of detail. However, all Muslims are likely to have to pay Khums,
the other kind of charity tax. Khums is a tax of 20% on your surplus
earnings. Let's say that at the end of this month after paying all your
expenses you have $500 in unused goods and/or money in the bank. Next year, you
should take new account of your surplus earnings. If it is less or the same,
you do not have to pay khums, and you record the new amount of surplus
for comparison with the following year. If you have more, then you pay khums
on the difference. For example, if you have $600, the difference is $100 and
20% of that is $20, so you owe khums of $20 dollars. This money should
be sent to people and organizations who have been given authority to accept
and/or distribute khums money.
Jihad
This is the struggle for Allah (swt), discussed in the main portion of
the book.
Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
These are the practices of encouraging each other to do good deeds and
avoid sin.
Tawalla and Tabarra
These are the practices conforming your heart and behavior to standards
that demonstrate your love and devotion to the Prophet and his family (as). And
conforming your heart and behavior to standards that demonstrate that you are
not like and do not associate with those who act as enemies of the Prophet and
his family (as).
Those are all the branches of religion, but, there are some other acts
that are compulsory, such as observing the Islamic modest dress and avoiding
consumption of certain foods/drinks. For women, as mentioned in the main
portion of the book, this standard of dress requires covering all but hands and
face in loose clothing. Muslims do not allow any intoxicating substances into
their bodies, do not eat pork, and otherwise only eat meat that is permissible
according to the Qur'an and has been slaughtered in an Islamic manner. This
meat is obtained from special stores and is called halal meat.
For the sake of not becoming overwhelming, God willing, I
will conclude the appendix at this point. If you are ready for more
information, refer to the suggested reading list, contact Muslims in your area,
or examine the following recommendations:
The Islamic Correspondence
Course
Contact: Islamic Education and Information Center 5359
Timberlea Blvd., Unit 52
Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4N5
Canada
Phone 905-212-9676 Fax 905 212-9690
This is a 50 lesson postal mail course that is very nice.
The first six lessons are free so that you can see if you are interested. After
that, there is a one-time fee to help cover the postage costs.
The World Islamic Network book club
Contact: World Islamic Network
67/69 H. Abbas (as) Street
Dongri, Mumbai 400 009 India
e-mail: win@bom4.vsnl.net.in
This is an organization that distributes Islamic literature
for free to anyone who asks. In order to receive more literature after the
first shipment, you need to write a summary/commentary of what you read and
send it back to them by post.
May Allah (swt) guide us all on the straight path and grant
us the good of this world and the hereafter.
A Brief Glossary
I have tried to include all terms used in this text plus other common
ones and have included the most common variant spellings.
A
Abadat or Ibadat -Worshiping, praising Allah
Adel
or Adil -just
Ahl-House,
family
Asr-
The afternoon, and the prayer of the afternoon.
Adan
or Adhan - the call for prayer
Ayah or Ayat -sign, verse of quran
Ayaat-plural of ayah
B
Batel or Batil void, not accepted
D
Deen-
religion
Dua-
supplication
E
Eed
or Eid -holiday
Eid-ul Fitr-A holy day following the month of Ramadan
Eeman or Iman - deep belief, faith
Ehtiyat or Ihtiyat - precaution
Ehram or Ihram -State of worship, by the entering of which the
worshipper makes certain things haram for himself. Associated with hajj.
Also, the type of dress worn during hajj.
Eqamah or Iqamah -second call for prayer
Esha or Isha -the
commencement of darkness, and the prayer of that time
Estebra or Istibra-purification,
especially of animals and of the male organ
F
Fajr-dawn
Fatwa-verdict, especially of a mujtahed
Fiqh-science
of religious jurisprudence
G
Ghadeer-name of a place near Mecca, and the great holiday named after the
event there of announcing Imam Ali's (as) successorship.
Ghusl-ritual bath
H
Hajj-form
of worship performed in Mecca, required once in a lifetime for all Muslims able
to perform it.
Halal-legal
Haram-illegal
Hejab or Hijab -the screening between non-related men and women, the
Islamic modest dress
I
Iddah - A woman's waiting period after the end of a marriage.
Iftar-the breaking of the Fast
Ijtehad or Ijtihad - struggle to fathom divine law
Imam-Divine
vicegerent
Imam-jamaat -leader of congregational prayer
J
Jafari, Ja'afari Shia school of thought believing in the 12 Imams
(as)
Jamaat -group, congregation, and prayer of,
Jehad or Jihad struggle against self or against oppression
jinn-a
type of creature having like man, free-will
Jomah or Jumu'ah -Friday, or the Friday congregational prayer
K
Kaba
or Ka'aba -the Holy House in Mecca, the qibla of Muslims
Kafan-shroud a corpse must be wrapped in
Khoms or Khums -a fifth, obligatory tax-like charity
M
Maghreb or Maghrib sunset, also the prayer shortly after sunset
Mahram-haram to marry, usually due to close blood relation
Mamoom-person praying in group-prayer
Masjid- Islamic Center or building for prayer and other gatherings
Mecca-holy city in Arabia where the Ka'aba is located
Mehrab-place in the mosque where the Imam jamaat stands to pray
Moadden or Muazzin -caller of the adhan
Muta, Mut'a, Mutah-temporary marriage
Mujtahed or Mujtahid -person capable of acting according to his own
religious knowledge and not needing to refer to the verdict of another scholar
Makrooh-abominable act, one is rewarded for not performing it
Mustahab-thing done in desire of (divine) love, one is rewarded for performing
it
N
Nafelah or Nafilah -defined desirable prayers in addition to the
required daily prayers
Najes or Najis -dirty and impure
Najasat -impurity
Niyyat intention, as in the intention to perform an act
O
Olama or Ulama- the learned scholars of Islam
Omrah or Umrah - a worship performed in Mecca like hajj not
but mandatory
Q
Qada,
Qaza, Qadha -performance of a duty that was not performed in its
proper time, as in prayers performed late
Qasr-four-rakat
prayers, which become two-rakat prayer for those ruled as travelers
Qibla-direction faced in prayer
Qiyam-standing, rise, as in the standing prayer position
Qonoot or Qunoot -part of the prayer with hands palms up
Qorbat or Qurbat -the niyyat of nearness to Allah
R
Rakaat or Rakat - a unit or cycle of prayer
Ramadan, Ramadhan, Ramazan -the month of fasting
Roku, Ruku, Rukoo -a bow; part of the prayer
S
Sajda-prostration; part of the prayer
Salaam, Salam -invocation and greeting, part of the prayer
Salawat-invocation of blessings, particularly on Muhammad (saw) and his family
Shahada declaration, particularly the declaration of belief in Islam
Sharia, Shareea, Sharia'ah - the Divine Law
Shaytan, Shaitan -the enemy of man, Satan
Shia-follower
of the twelve Imams, commonly the Ja'fari school of thought
Sojood, Sujood prostrating (Plural of Sajdah)
Sunni- "orthodox" or majority type of Muslim
Sayyed, Sayyid, Sayed - descendent of the Holy Prophet
T
Taher or Tahir -clean, not impure
Takbeer or Takbir- the saying of Allaahoo Akbar, (God is great)
Taqleed or Taqlid- the following of a mujtahed for Islamic
jurisprudence
Tashahhod or Tashahud- declaration recited in the second
and last rakat of all prayers
Tayammom or Tayammum- Ritual cleansing (with sand/mud etc.) which is a
substitute for wudhu and/or ghusl
Tawheed- Divine Unity (Oneness of God)
W
Wajeb or Wajib - obligatory
Wudoo, Wudoo, Wudhu, Wuzu - ritual wash performed for prayer, etc.
Z
Zakat- an obligatory charity
Ziyarat- pilgrimage to the holy shrines
Zohr, Dhuhr- noon, the name of the first afternoon prayer
