New Muslim guide, your first steps after the Shahada.

Welcome, and congratulations. If you have said the Shahada sincerely, you are a Muslim, and every sin before it is forgiven. The Prophet ﷺ told Amr ibn al-As: "Do you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it?"¹ Your first steps are to take a ghusl, start learning salah, and find a masjid and a friend to learn with. You do not need to learn everything at once.

Revert or convert?

Both words are used, and both are fine. "Revert" comes from the hadith: "Every child is born upon the fitrah,"² the natural belief in one God, so becoming Muslim is seen as returning to it. "Convert" stresses the conscious choice you made. The Quran uses neither word. What matters is that you are now a Muslim, and Allah says:

1. Say the Shahada

The Shahada is: Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Saying it in front of Muslim witnesses is not a condition, but it helps for practical things, such as a certificate for Hajj or marriage. Learn it word by word on the Shahada page.

2. Take a ghusl

Learn how on the ghusl page. It takes a few minutes: make the intention, rinse the mouth and nose, and wash the whole body.

3. Learn to pray, step by step

The five daily prayers are the most important act after belief. Start now, even before you have memorised everything.

• Wudu first: how to make wudu.
• The movements and words: how to pray, step by step, with every position shown.
• Al-Fatiha: the one surah you recite in every rakah. Learn it word by word with the Al-Fatiha trainer, then a short surah.
• The times: see prayer times for your city and use the qibla finder.

While you are learning the Arabic, you can say what you know. A man told the Prophet ﷺ he could not learn any of the Quran, and he taught him to say: Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.⁴ Keep learning, and Allah rewards the effort.

4. Find a masjid and a friend

• Search a map app for "masjid" or "mosque" near you, and visit at Dhuhr or Asr, when it is quieter. Introduce yourself to the imam.
• Many masjids and Islamic centres run classes and mentoring for new Muslims, often in English. Ask about them.
• Find one or two Muslims you trust and feel comfortable asking even the simplest questions. Learning with others makes it easier.
• Jumuah, the Friday prayer at midday, is obligatory for men and a good way to meet your community.

5. Gentle first steps

• Learn in order: belief, salah, then the rest. Ramadan, zakat and Hajj come when they are due.
• Your name: you do not have to change it, unless its meaning is against Islam. Many new Muslims keep their name. If you want a new one, browse Islamic names.
• Your family: keep treating your parents with kindness, even if they are not Muslim. Allah says to accompany them in this world with appropriate kindness (Quran 31:15).
• Food and drink: avoid pork and alcohol, and learn what makes meat halal.
• Mistakes: everyone makes them. Repent, and carry on. Do not let anyone make you feel you are not Muslim enough.
• Learn the basics of belief: the six kalimas and the 99 Names of Allah are a good start, and the Arabic alphabet leads to reading the Quran.

1. Sahih Muslim, from Amr ibn al-As.
2. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Abu Hurayrah.
3. Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, on ghusl; the hadith of Qays ibn Asim is in Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, which graded it hasan. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
4. Sunan Abi Dawud and Sunan an-Nasai, from Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa; graded hasan by several scholars.

The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.