Assalamu Alaikum! Becoming a Muslim is an exciting new chapter in your life. By accepting Islam, you’ve decided to submit yourself to the One True God and live a righteous way of life. As a fresh Muslim, it’s normal to feel a bit lost or have tons of questions swirling in your mind. Well, here teaching the Quran helps you the best. No fancy complicated terms, just the facts you need to know as a newbie Muslim.
The Five Pillars – The Core of Islam
As a Muslim, your faith is built on five key pillars or foundations that you need to follow:
- The Shahadah: This is the testimony you recited to become Muslim, declaring that there’s no God except Allah and Muhammad is His final messenger. Straight and simple!
- Salah (The 5 Daily Prayers): We Muslims have to pray five times daily while facing the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. It’s how we stay connected to Allah.
- Zakat (Yearly Charity): If you can afford it financially, you will give a small percentage of your wealth annually to the poor and needy folks. It’s an obligation.
- Sawm (Fasting): During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset by not eating, drinking, or getting intimate. It teaches self-control.
- Hajj (The Big Pilgrimage): Every Muslim who is physically and financially able must make the spiritual journey to the Holy Kaaba in Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
The 6 Beliefs Every Muslim Has
Along with the five pillars, there are six key beliefs that we Muslims must have faith in:
- Allah is the One and Only God.
- Angels.
- Divine Books like the Quran.
- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- The Day of Judgment/End of the World.
- Predestination, that Allah has already determined everything.
The Holy Quran – Our Sacred Scripture
The Quran is the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. It’s like our holy book and life manual that guides us on how to be good Muslims. Read it daily if you can, slowly with understanding. Many mosques offer Quran study sessions to help you grasp it better.
The Sunnah – Modeling the Prophet’s Life
After the Quran, the next important source for us is the Sunnah – the teachings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad. We have to follow how the final Messenger of God lived his life. The Sunnah is found in the authentic Hadith books recording his sayings.
The Muslim Basics You Got To Know
As a rookie Muslim, start by focusing on fulfilling your core religious duties:
- Pray all five daily prayers on time, no skipping!
- Fast the whole month of Ramadan if you’re physically able.
- Give a portion of your wealth to charity annually if you can afford it.
- Stay away from the major no-nos like worshiping others besides Allah, murder, stealing, lying, getting intoxicated, etc.
- Be a kind, respectful child to your parents.
- Live an ethical, moral life that doesn’t harm others.
Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to implement every single Islamic rule overnight. Take it step-by-step and make the intention to gradually improve your practice.
The Muslim Greeting – As-Salamu Alaikum!
A simple way to recognise another Muslim is by greeting them with “As-Salamu Alaikum” which means “Peace be upon you.” They’ll usually respond with “Wa Alaikum As-Salam” meaning “And upon you be peace too.” It’s our standard Muslim hello!
The Dress Code – To Cover Up
Part of being a Muslim is dressing modestly and covering your private areas. For dudes, it means at least covering between the belly button and knees. For the ladies, you must wear loose, non-revealing clothes called a hijab that cover everything except the face and hands. No need to change your wardrobe overnight though – adopt the Islamic dress code as gradually as you can.
Halal vs Haram – The Do’s and Don’ts
Two really important concepts in Islam are halal (permissible things) and haram (prohibited things). Halal foods include stuff like veggies, grains, and permitted meat sources like lamb and chicken that were slaughtered the Islamic way.
Haram foods that are off-limits are pork, anything containing alcohol/intoxicants, animals that died before being slaughtered, and anything with blood in it.
When it comes to income, halal sources like jobs, businesses, rent, etc. are all good. But haram ways of making money like gambling, interest, fraud, and deception have to be avoided at all costs. Muslims should also stay miles away from other major sins and prohibitions like intimate relations outside marriage, gossiping, lying, oppressing others, etc.
Wudhu and Ghusl – To Purify
Wudhu is the ritual of washing your face, hands, and feet with water before performing the obligatory prayers. It’s how we spiritually purify ourselves. Ghusl refers to the full-body purification bath that’s required after marital intimacy and for women after their monthly period or post-childbirth bleeding. Staying in a constant state of cleanliness (tahara) is important for us Muslims.
Your Local Mosque – The Community Hub
Mosques are like community centers and houses of worship where Muslims congregate to pray, learn about Islam, and socialise. Try your best to attend the main weekly Friday prayer service and celebrations like Eid at your local mosque. It allows you to be part of the global Muslim brotherhood (ummah), make new Muslim friends, and gain more knowledge.
Marriage and Family Life
In Islam, marriage is a sacred bond between a husband and wife that allows intimacy. Having intimate relations outside of a legitimate marriage contract is completely forbidden. Both future spouses must freely consent to the marriage with no coercion.
Muslim men are permitted to have multiple wives at one time (up to four maximum) but there are specific ethical regulations around that. Like you can’t mistreat your wives or play favorites unjustly. At the end of the day, marriage and family life is a huge priority in Islam.
Conclusion
Being a Muslim means learning and growing step by step. Embrace Islam with an open heart and find support from your local mosque and Muslim community. Take your time, learn the Quran online slowly, and find friends who can help you on your journey as a new Muslim.
At Quraan Teacher in the UK, we pride ourselves on being the best online platform for Quran classes. We offer exceptional Quran classes from experienced Quranic teachers to help individuals in Quran classes online UK effectively and conveniently.
FAQs
I’m struggling to wake up for the Fajr (dawn) prayer. How can I fix my sleep schedule?
Praying Fajr on time can be tough, especially with work/school. But here are some tips;
1. Go to bed earlier, and drink water before bed so you wake up.
2. Set multiple loud alarms, and have self-discipline.
3. Maybe ask a friend or family member to wake you up too. Consistency is key.
Can Muslims follow any fun hobbies and interests?
Of course! Being Muslim doesn’t mean you have to give up all enjoyment in life. As long as your hobbies don’t violate Islamic principles like causing harm, wasting money frivolously, or involving prohibited activities, then they are permissible. Have fun, but in moderation.
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