Other faiths and new Muslims, questions and answers.
People of the Book, converting, family who are not Muslim, and greetings. 25 answers, Hanafi first, with the Quran and hadith behind each one.
- How do you convert to Islam?You become Muslim by believing in your heart that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His messenger, and saying the shahada (declaration of faith) with your tongue. No witnesses, fee, imam or certificate are needed, and it is the same for men and women.
- Do you have to take a ghusl after converting to Islam?It depends. In the Hanafi school ghusl after taking the shahada is fard (obligatory) if you were in a state needing ghusl, such as after intercourse, a wet dream or a finished period, and otherwise it is mustahabb (recommended). The Hanbali school makes it obligatory for every convert.
- Do you have to change your name when you convert to Islam?No. You can keep your name after accepting Islam. A change is only needed if the name has a meaning against Islam, such as servant of someone other than Allah, or a clearly bad meaning. Choosing a new Muslim name is allowed and many converts like it, but it is optional. All four schools agree.
- Are all past sins forgiven when you convert to Islam?Yes. Accepting Islam sincerely wipes away the sins committed before it, as the Prophet ﷺ said that Islam erases what came before it. Rights owed to people, such as debts or stolen property, still have to be returned. All four schools agree.
- Do converts have to make up prayers and fasts missed before Islam?No. A convert owes no prayers, fasts or zakat for the time before accepting Islam. Obligations begin from the moment of the shahada. All four schools agree on this.
- How do I tell my family I converted to Islam?Tell them gently, at a time you choose, and show them through better character before you argue about belief. Islam does not require you to announce your conversion, and you can keep it private for a while if telling would put you in danger, but you may never deny your faith when asked except under real threat.
- How should a Muslim treat non-Muslim parents?With kindness, respect and service, just as with Muslim parents. You obey them in everything permissible, but not in anything that involves disbelief or sin. Living with them, spending on them when they need it and visiting them are all part of your duty. All four schools agree.
- Can Muslims eat at a non-Muslim's house?Yes. Food cooked by a non-Muslim is halal if the ingredients are halal. Avoid pork, alcohol and meat that was not slaughtered in a halal way. In the Hanafi view most supermarket meat in the West does not meet the conditions, so stick to halal meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.
- What happens to my marriage if I convert to Islam and my spouse does not?It depends on who converts. If the husband accepts Islam and his wife is Christian or Jewish, the marriage continues. If the wife accepts Islam and the husband does not, the Hanafi view is that the marriage ends after three menstrual cycles pass without him accepting Islam. Ask a mufti about your case.
- Can Muslims go to church?Muslims do not worship in churches, but entering one for a real need, such as a wedding, funeral, school visit or work, is allowed as long as you do not take part in the worship. Going in without need is makruh (disliked) in the Hanafi school. If you must pray there, your prayer is valid, but avoid facing images or statues.
- Can Muslims attend a Christian wedding?Yes, you can attend a family member's or friend's wedding to keep ties, and you may congratulate the couple on their marriage. Stay out of the religious rites, and avoid the parts with alcohol, dancing between the sexes or immodesty. If the whole event is built on those, attend briefly or send a gift.
- Can Muslims say Merry Christmas?The mainstream Hanafi position is no: congratulating people on a religious festival like Christmas is not permitted, because it affirms a celebration tied to beliefs Islam rejects. Some respected contemporary scholars allow a courteous greeting that does not affirm the belief. All agree you may be kind, accept gifts and return the warmth in other words.
- Can Muslims shake hands with non-Muslims?Yes, with people of the same gender, whatever their religion. Shaking hands with a non-mahram of the opposite gender is not permitted in the Hanafi school, and religion makes no difference to that rule. A polite smile, a nod or a hand on the heart is the usual alternative.
- Can you say salam to non-Muslims?It is makruh (disliked) in the Hanafi school to start a non-Muslim greeting with as-salamu alaykum, unless there is a need. Greet them warmly with hello, good morning or similar instead. If a non-Muslim says salam to you, reply with wa alaykum (and on you), or with a full reply when the greeting is clearly sincere.
- Can Muslims read the Bible?Muslims believe Allah revealed the Tawrah (Torah) to Moses and the Injil (Gospel) to Jesus, but that the texts people have today are not preserved as revealed. Reading the Bible for study, comparison or dialogue is allowed for someone grounded in their own faith. For guidance and law, Muslims follow the Quran.
- Who are the People of the Book?The People of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) are Jews and Christians, the communities who received the Torah and the Gospel. The Quran addresses them with respect, invites them to the worship of the one God, and allows Muslim men to marry their chaste women and Muslims to eat their properly slaughtered meat.
- What does Islam say about Jesus?Muslims believe in Jesus (Isa) as one of the greatest messengers of Allah, born of the virgin Mary by Allah's command, given the Gospel and the power of miracles. Muslims do not believe he is God or the son of God, and the Quran says he was not killed or crucified but raised to Allah and will return before the end of time.
- Do good non-Muslims go to heaven in Islam?Mainstream Sunni belief is that Paradise is for those who die believing in Allah alone and accept His final messenger once the message has truly reached them. Those it never reached in a clear way are not punished without a messenger, and their case is with Allah. Muslims do not declare any specific person to be in Hell, and Allah is perfectly just and merciful.
- Can you pray for non-Muslims?Yes, for the living. You can make dua for a non-Muslim's guidance, health, safety, success and wellbeing. After they die, you may not ask Allah to forgive them or have mercy on them, but you can speak well of them and comfort their family. All four schools agree.
- Can Muslims visit a sick non-Muslim?Yes. Visiting a sick non-Muslim relative, neighbour or colleague is permitted and a good deed, and the Prophet ﷺ himself visited a sick Jewish boy. You can pray for their healing and comfort them. All four schools agree in principle.
- Can a Muslim work at a church?It depends on the job. Work that is not part of the worship itself, such as building, maintenance, cleaning, accounting or teaching ordinary school subjects, is allowed according to Abu Hanifa, though better avoided. Jobs that directly serve the rites, like leading or playing music for services or preparing communion, are not allowed. Ask a mufti about your exact role.
- Can you give charity to non-Muslims?Yes, voluntary charity (sadaqah) can be given to non-Muslims, and it is rewarded. Zakat cannot: in the Hanafi school it goes only to eligible Muslims, and the relied-upon Hanafi fatwa also keeps zakat al-fitr, kaffarah and vow money for Muslims.
- What does Islam say about leaving Islam?Islam asks for sincere faith, chosen freely, and the Quran says there is no compulsion in religion. Leaving Islam after knowingly accepting it is one of the gravest sins. Having doubts, questions or unwanted thoughts is not leaving Islam: the Prophet ﷺ called hating such thoughts a sign of faith.
- Can Muslims be friends with non-Muslims?Yes. Muslims can have non-Muslim friends, neighbours, colleagues and classmates, and should treat them with kindness and justice. What the Quran forbids is taking them as allies against Muslims or taking on their religion. Choose close friends who help your faith, whatever their background.
- Can you be Christian and Muslim at the same time?No. Islam and Christianity share a great deal, including belief in one Creator, in Jesus and in Mary, but they differ on core beliefs: Islam teaches that Jesus is a prophet and not God or the son of God, that there is no Trinity, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the final messenger. Holding both sets of beliefs at once is not possible.