QabasLesson 1 of 3
How do I become Muslim?
From the Quran
فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمۡ وَمَثۡوَىٰكُمۡ ﴿١٩﴾
So know, [O Muḥammad], that there is no deity except Allāh and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allāh knows of your movement and your resting place.
مُّحَمَّدٞ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلۡكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ تَرَىٰهُمۡ رُكَّعٗا سُجَّدٗا يَبۡتَغُونَ فَضۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٗاۖ سِيمَاهُمۡ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنۡ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةِۚ وَمَثَلُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡإِنجِيلِ كَزَرۡعٍ أَخۡرَجَ شَطۡـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسۡتَغۡلَظَ فَٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعۡجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلۡكُفَّارَۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِنۡهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٗ وَأَجۡرًا عَظِيمَۢا ﴿٢٩﴾
Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allāh and [His] pleasure. Their sign is in their faces from the effect of prostration [i.e., prayer]. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that He [i.e., Allāh] may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allāh has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.
شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ قَآئِمَۢا بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ﴿١٨﴾
Allāh witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
From the Sunnah
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: As the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was riding a mount with Mu‘ādh behind him, he said: "O Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal!" He replied: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." He again said: "O Mu‘ādh!" Mu‘ādh replied: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." This was said three times. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no one who bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, should I not inform the people of that so that they may rejoice?" He replied: "Then they would rely on this alone." Mu‘ādh narrated this Hadīth at the time of his death to avoid the sin of concealing knowledge.
Explanation
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding on a mount behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who called him: O Mu‘ādh! He repeated the call three times to show the significance of what he was about to say.
Meanwhile, Mu‘ādh was replying: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." That's I am answering your call, O Messenger of Allah, and seek happiness in answering you.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that if anyone bears witness that there is no god but Allah - which means that none is truly worthy of worship except Allah - and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, sincerely from his heart, not lying, and then he dies in this state, Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire.
Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) whether he could tell people about that so that they would rejoice and feel hopeful.
But the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) feared that they might solely rely upon that and their good deeds might decrease.
So, Mu‘ādh did not narrate this Hadīth to anyone, except at the time of his death, fearing that he would incur the sin of concealing knowledge.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith has over seventy branches - or over sixty branches - the most excellent of which is the declaration that 'lā ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)', and the lowest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the way; and modesty is a branch of faith."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that faith consists of many branches and elements comprising various deeds, beliefs, and words.
And he states that the best and most sublime among the elements of faith is to say "there is no god but Allah" while knowing its meaning and acting according to it - that Allah is the One true God Who is worthy of worship, alone, and apart from all else.
And that the lowest act of faith is to remove any object harmful to people from their ways.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that modesty is one of the elements of faith, and it is a character trait that prompts one to do what is good and deters him from doing what is evil.