How to Convert to Islam – The Testimony of Faith (Shahada)

Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process.  All that a person has to do is to say a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Shahada), which is pronounced as I testify

لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ

“Laa ilaaha illal Lahu Muhammadur Rasool Allah”

These Arabic words mean, “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”  Once a person says the Testimony of Faith (Shahada) with conviction and understanding its meaning, then he/she has become a Muslim.

It is easy to become a Muslim. To become a Muslim one must simply pronounce the Shahaadatayn (Declaration of Faith) with sincerity and conviction. It is a concise declaration that contains few letters; the light upon the tongue, yet heavy in the scales.

The Shahada can be declared as follows:

Ash-hadu Al-laaa Ilaaha Illa-llaahu Wahdahoo Laa Shareeka Lahoo Wa-Ash-hadu Anna Muhammadan ‘Abduhoo Wa Rasooluhu.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One alone, without a partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger In Quran, Allah Almighty says: 

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you people and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Quran 49:13)

Islam is the true ‘natural religion, and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God’s prophets and messengers. The main message of all the prophets has always been that there is only One True God and He alone is to be worshipped.  God says in the Holy Quran:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

“Indeed, this Quran guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.” (Quran 17:9)

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of his/her race, nationality or ethnic background. Hence, any person who is ready to submit to the will of God is eligible to become a Muslim. Since the Prophet Muhammad was the final prophet, God Himself has promised to preserve His last revealed words so that it is a source of guidance for all humanity till the Last Day. It is now imperative for everyone to believe and follow this final message from God. God Almighty says in the Quran:

“We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but to all mankind as a giver of good news and as a warner, but most people do not know.” (Quran 34:28)

Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process.  All that a person has to do is to say a sentence called the Testimony of Faith (Shahada), which is pronounced as: I testify

“La Ilaha Illallah Muhammad Ur Rasool Allah.”

The first part, “There is no true deity but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone and that God has neither partner nor son.  The second part means that Muhammad was a true Prophet sent by God to humankind. Allah says:

“If you (really) love God then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), God will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 3:33)

Islam itself is essentially associated with peace and tranquillity. The words Islam, Muslim (Muslim) and Salam come from one root – “Sa lama”, which stands for peace and security. Islam as a way of life: It clearly identifies our rights, obligations, and responsibilities towards people, animals, and the environment. In Islam, there are answers to all life questions – big and small. Allah says:

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life,…” (Quran 20: 124)

God tells us we will be tested and He advises us to bear our trials and tribulations patiently. This is difficult to understand unless one embraces the Oneness of God, the religion of Islam. In fact, in Paradise there are pleasures that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no mind has ever
thought of. It will be very real life, not spiritual only, but physical as well.

There are many benefits of converting to Islam:

1. One forms a personal and direct relationship with God
2. Islam itself is inherently associated with inner peace
3. Islam allows a person to truly experience God’s love
4. One feels and is aware that God knows everything
5. One feels  God assist him in all matters of life
6. A person realizes the true purpose of his life
7. As a result, you will be friendly and amicable
8. Islam brings harmony into all relationships
9. Islam brings mercy, forgiveness, and trials
10. A person acquires a pleasant personality
11. One finds true happiness and tranquillity
12. One finds real inner peace and real life
13. Islam answers all life’s big questions
14. Islam has answers to all situations
15. As a Muslim, you never feel alone
16. God will be pleased with them
17. Forgiveness for all previous sins
18. One achieves salvation from Hellfire
19. God makes His desires perfectly clear
20. Perfect happiness exists only in Paradise
21. The key to being happy is the pleasure of God
22. The religion of Islam has answers to all situations
23. A person  God recognize and follow His commandments
24. A Muslim is promised by God the reward of eternal Paradise
25. As a result, realizes the right steps to take in all aspects of life
26. In Islam, a person finds the answers to all important life questions

 Islam emancipates the mind from superstitions and uncertainties; it liberates the soul from sin and corruption and frees the conscience from oppression and fear. Submission to the will of God does not curtail freedom, on the contrary, it gives a very high degree of freedom by freeing the mind from superstitions and filling it with truth and knowledge. Allah says:

 “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut2and believes in God, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And God is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Quran 2:256)

Once a person accepts Islam they are no longer slaves to fashion or consumerism, and they are free from the slavery of a monetary system designed to subjugate the people. On a smaller but equally important scale, Islam liberates a person from the superstitions that rule the lives of those not truly submitted to God. A believer knows that good and bad luck does not exist. Allah says:

“And those who believe (in the Oneness of God) and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, underneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever. Excellent is the reward of the workers.” (Quran 29: 58)

Both the good and the bad aspects of our lives come from God and as Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, explains all the affairs of a believer are good, “If he is granted ease then he is thankful, and this is good for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this is good for him”.

To be a Muslim, one should also:

• Believe in the prophets that God sent and the books He revealed, and in His angels
• Believe that the Holy Quran is the literal word of God, revealed by Him
• Believe that the Judgment Day (Resurrection Day) is true and will come
• Not worship anything nor anyone except God
• Accept Islam as his/her religion

You have to take the initiative yourself and try to acquire them by accepting Islam first and then by practising its teachings. You should be honest with yourself, sincere, and truthful to the Creator. You should try wholeheartedly to practice what you believe, regardless of whether someone else is good or not. While seeking happiness is a must, it should not be measured with other people’s standards or with material gains. Allah says:

هَٰذَا بَلَاغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“This [Qur’an] is a notification for the people that they may be warned thereby and that they may know that He is but one God and that those of understanding will be reminded.” (Quran 14:52)

The overall benefit of Embracing Islam is that it makes every day a Delight. So, No matter what circumstances a Muslim finds him or herself in, they are secure in the knowledge that nothing in this universe happens without the permission of Allah. And One must try experiencing the state of becoming a Muslim it’s a Blessing indeed.

The following items are some of the benefits to be earned and enjoyed by those who wish to become Muslim:

1. Converting to Islam is the first step in establishing a lifelong connection to the Creator
2. Conversion to Islam teaches us that difficulties and tests are part of being human
3. Converting to Islam reveals God’s mercy and forgiveness towards His creation
4. Conversion to Islam establish a lifelong relationship with the Creator (Allah)
5. Converting to Islam you will transcend yourself from all types of allegiance
6. Converting to Islam liberates a person from slavery to manmade systems 
7. Converting to Islam brings mercy, forgiveness, trials, and tribulations
8. Converting to Islam allows every aspect of life to be an act of worship
9. Converting to Islam, we transform all aspects of life into act worship
10. Converting to Islam allows a person to truly experience God’s love
11. Conversion to Islam brings harmony into all relationships
12. Converting to Islam answers all life’s BIG questions
13. As a result, when you die, you will die at peace
14. Converting to Islam guides him/her through life
15. Converting to Islam bliss in paradise conceitedness
16. Converting to Islam able to communicate with Allah any time
17. Converting to Islam is that God promises Paradise to the believer
18. Converting to Islam will do your best to stop all types of exploitations 
19. Converting to Islam loyalty and obedience will be to the Creator himself
20. Converting to Islam help to reduce all types of social illnesses in society
21. Conversion to Islam, man acquires the mercy of God and His forgiveness
22. Converting to Islam control your lusts, selfishness, desires, greed, and ego
23. As a result, you will have a happy life in the grave and later, eternal happiness
24. A person realizes the true purpose of his or her life, which is to recognize God 
25. Happiness, tranquillity and inner peace can be achieved by converting to Islam

To be a Muslim implies complete submission to God and the realization that we were created only to worship Him. That is why we are here – on this rotating planet, in this seemingly infinite Universe – for the sake of worshipping God! Conversion to Islam saves us from that one unpardonable sin – the tradition of associating to the Great and Only Lord. Allah says:

“Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them. But if they return [to hostility] – then the precedent of the former [rebellious] peoples has already taken place.” (Quran 8: 38)

Islam seems to dispel the fog in which a person has been before. Life with all its ups and downs suddenly acquires meaning, it becomes so simple and understandable. Find answers to questions that tormented human minds for millennia. Sometimes, thinking about life, we think: is this really all? No, that’s not all. Life is a temporary haven. It will be followed by real, eternal life. Islam denotes the clear purpose of life. We Muslims find it in the Qur’an, in the Sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and greet him.

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

• “Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest.”  (Quran 13:28)
• “I created the jinn and people only so that they worship Me.” (Quran 51:56)
• “Indeed the Believers (believers in Islam)are but brothers.” (Quran 49:10)
• ” And turn you to your Rabb, and submit yourselves to Him.” (Quran 39:54).
• “Allah shall bring forth a people whom He loves and they love Him.” (Quran 5:54)
• “Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” ( Quran 3:31)
• “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.” (Quran 3:85)
• “We will certainly test you with slight fear, hunger, loss of property, lives, and fruits. but Allah gives glad tidings to the patient ones.” (Quran 2: 155)
• “We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people, and he said:“ O my people! Worship Allah, for you have no other deity besides Him … ” (Quran 7:59)
• ” Verily, the believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not.” (Quran 49:15)
• “And those who believe and do righteous deeds – We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.” (Noble Quran 29:7)

Islam Religion is given for the benefit of mankind, which will last until the Day of Judgment. Islam is a full-fledged way of life, and not something that is practised only on holidays, weekends, etc. The believer is connected with God twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. By His mercy, the Highest did not leave us to wander in the darkness of ignorance but gave us a comprehensive guide to life – the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (which explains all the provisions of the Quran). It covers all aspects: spiritual, emotional, physical. Allah says:

“Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those, there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Quran 3:91)

Islam takes into account the physical and spiritual needs of man. The system created by the Almighty, not only implies a highly moral behaviour of a person but also turns all his deeds into worship. The Lord calls believers to devote their whole lives to Him. Happiness is from its potential to its kinetic forms. People around you should feel your happiness as well as benefit from you. Allah says:

“Say:“ Verily, my prayer and my sacrifice, my life, and my death are dedicated to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Quran 6: 162)

No one can know a person; the human soul is better than its Creator. He knows what is good for us and what is evil. Therefore, Islam describes in detail what our relations with others should be: God, parents, spouses, children, relatives, neighbours, etc. It turns chaos into order, confusion into harmony, conflict into the world. Converting to Islam gives you the opportunity to accept any situation with confidence. Allah says:

“We did not send before you (O Muhammad) any messenger but We revealed to him: ‘none has the right to be worshipped except I, therefore worship Me.” (Quran 21:25)

In fulfilling our duties towards God, we automatically acquire the moral qualities required by Islam. To come to Islam means to submit yourself to Allah, and such submission means showing respect for the rights of another person, other sentient beings and even the outside world. We must know and obey God in order to make decisions that please Him. Allah says:

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (Quran 2: 186)

There are so many people in the world who spend countless hours studying the principles of Islam. They read and reread the semantic translation of the Holy Quran, admire, turning over the pages of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and welcome. Someone needs only one glance at Islam to become a Muslim, and someone hesitates to make a decision, even a hundred times making sure of the truth of this religion, which threatens their well-being in the next life. Therefore, today we will continue to talk about the benefits of conversion to Islam. Sometimes they are not so obvious, but no less significant. Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

“Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.” (Quran 12:2)

Every person comes to this world already knowing that God is one. The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him, said that every child is born in a state of fitrah, with a full and correct understanding of who God is. Fitra is a nature. Man instinctively knows that God exists, and subconsciously seeks to worship Him. Anyone who has not yet known God or does not keep in touch with Him may find life difficult. But as soon as a person allows God into their lives and begins to worship Allah in the manner He prescribes, this will give a whole new meaning to life. Allah says:

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (Quran 2:2)

Through worship, one understands how close the Supreme is, how boundless his knowledge and wisdom are. The believer is calm from the thought that even being in heaven, the Lord is always with him and is ready to provide help at any moment. The Muslim is never alone. Allah says:

“And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow…” (Quran 2: 25)

Often a person feels lost and lonely. At such times he cries out to God, seeking His help, mercy, and forgiveness. When a person is sincere in conversion, the Lord grants him peace, and the person sees the expression of divine mercy in his surroundings. For worship to take place properly (as the Lord prescribed), we must first know Him. Conversion to Islam opens the door to knowledge. Allah says:

“He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. And God is the All-Seer of what you do.” (Quran 57:4)

Many are ashamed of their sins. But becoming a Muslim, a man opens a new page in life. The Lord forgives him of all previous sins, for His mercy knows no bounds. The soul of a Muslim convert is as pure as a baby’s. Even if a person sins, having already accepted Islam, the door of repentance is always open for him. Having accepted Islam, a person begins to understand that trials, hardships, and good luck are not an accident, but part of God’s plan. Everything is orderly, and it happens exactly as He predestined. Allah says:

“Tell unbelievers that if they stop, they will be forgiven for what was in the past. But if they return to unbelief, then there were already examples of the first generations.” (Quran 8:38)

Allah tells us and warned us that we will be tested, and He urges us to bear our tests and tribulations patiently. While a person is not in Islam, it is difficult for him to understand. But a Muslim knows exactly how to behave when hard times come because Allah himself taught him in the Holy Quran and there is always an example from the life of the Prophet, may Allah bless him. Having such knowledge, a person patiently experiences difficulties and even remains grateful to God. Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

“Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran that you might understand.” (Quran 12:2)

The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him, said: “A person will be tested according to his conviction, and trials will occur until he walks the earth without the burden of sins.” The Muslim knows that present life is just an intermediate place of stay, a small “pass” on the way to real eternal life in Heaven or Hell. To meet the Creator without being burdened with sins is without a doubt a great reward. There are many advantages of converting to Islam; we list only the most obvious of them. Allah says:

“O you who believe! Repent to Allah sincerely! May your Lord forgive your wickedness and bring you into the Paradise (Garden under which rivers flow) … ” (Quran 66: 8)

In conclusion, let us recall another advantage that supports us every day. Whatever the situation of the believer, he is convinced that nothing in the Universe happens without God’s permission. Challenges, difficulties, joys – in all is good. If you take them in full trust in the Lord, then they will surely see a happy outcome and complete satisfaction. The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and please with Him, says: “Indeed, the deeds of the believer are amazing. Any situation – to his benefit. If he is easy, then he is grateful, and this is for his benefit. If he is comprehended by difficulties, he shows patience, and this is in his favour. ”