Lesson 3 of 3
What should a new Muslim do first?
From the Quran
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرٗا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾
Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
وَجَٰهِدُواْ فِي ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦۚ هُوَ ٱجۡتَبَىٰكُمۡ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٖۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمۡ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَتَكُونُواْ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِۚ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰكُمۡۖ فَنِعۡمَ ٱلۡمَوۡلَىٰ وَنِعۡمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ ﴿٧٨﴾
And strive for Allāh with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. He [i.e., Allāh] named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakāh and hold fast to Allāh. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.
From the Sunnah
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A Bedouin came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Direct me to a deed that will make me enter Paradise if I do it. He said: "Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish the prescribed prayer, pay the obligatory Zakah, and fast Ramadān." He said: By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, I will not do more than this. When he left, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is pleased to look at a man from the dwellers of Paradise, let him look at this."
Explanation
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to guide him to a deed that would make him enter Paradise. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) answered him saying that being admitted to Paradise and saved from Hellfire are contingent on observing the pillars of Islam, which include worshipping Allah alone without associating partners with Him, establishing the five prayers that Allah has made obligatory upon His slaves every day and night, paying Zakah due on your wealth that Allah has made obligatory upon you and giving it to those entitled to have it, and maintaining the fast during the month of Ramadān in its due time. The man said: By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, I shall not add any act of obedience to these obligatory acts, which I heard from you, or deduct anything therefrom. When the man left, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever is pleased to look at a man from the dwellers of Paradise, let him look at this Bedouin.
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Make matters easy and do not make them difficult, and give people glad tidings and do not drive them away."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) orders us to make things light and easy for people and not put them into difficulty in any religious or worldly matter - within the limits of what Allah made lawful and legislated.
He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also urges us to give people glad tidings and not drive them away.
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