New to Islam Reader: A Trusted Collection of Resources for Converts
The Ultimate Guide for New Muslims
Commonly Asked Questions for a New Seeker to Support Their Journey
SeekersGuidance Readers provide the seeker with a purposely curated list of articles, answers, and other content on a particular topic.
When one embarks on a journey to seek the truth, they may encounter several obstacles, questions, and confusions. One can conduct consistent research in small, regular steps to benefit from their studies in Islam. This reader provides guidance and clarity on commonly asked questions that are beneficial to anyone on the path, particularly those who have newly embraced Islam or considering Islam. A new Muslim can seek solace in remembering that the companions of the Prophet were new to Islam. Allah Most High has guided you to this point in His Absolute Wisdom, just as He guided those before you.
Many of these questions have been submitted by new Muslims and answered by trained and reliable scholars. This reader was compiled by new Muslims with questions and resources that they felt were necessary to highlight. Topics include the conversion process, dealing with family members, and marriage.
Advice from Shaykh Abdullah Misra – A Convert, Counsellor, and Scholar
You will encounter a wealth of advice and guidance. But I urge you to take your time. Take small steps. Step by step, work on yourself. Limit your exposure to controversies and debates. Go easy on rules and practices. Learn values of being close to God and your character. Build on this with practices (fiqh). It might be tempting to leave your worldly life but aim for balance. New Muslims sometimes leave their worldly pursuits only to be completely changed – keep your identity. Incorporate small lifestyle changes over time, not overnight. Start with distancing yourself from any sinful practices. God is merciful and forgiving towards new Muslims. When seeking advice, take from good company and your teachers. Good company is important – we are interdependent on one another. When adversities in the Muslim community occur, attribute these to the person, not to Islam. When you find yourself in doubt, suspend judgment until you are able to seek clarity. Take your time with knowledge. Try to resist falling in love with certain groups of people or values they possess. If God and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are the cornerstone of your faith, you will not be disappointed.
Questions and Answers
Do you have any questions? Submit questions here for our trained and reliable scholars to answer. All SeekersGuidance services and offerings are completely free of charge.
Marriage and Children
I Am a Convert and Ready to Marry
This answer addresses how a new Muslim can involve their parents in their wedding if their beliefs are not entirely aligned. Advice includes performing the prayer of seeking counsel (istikhara) and treating them with respect and kindness. In this section, one can find useful guidance about maintaining relationships – commonly asked questions from new Muslims.
Husband not allowing me to support my mother after marriage
Can Muslim women marry Christian men?
Can I see my family without my husband’s permission?
I Converted to Islam but My In-Laws Do Not Accept Me. What Do I Do?
Is There Any Leeway for a Muslim Woman to Marry a Non-Muslim Man?
Should I Marry a Muslim Man Who Does Not Pray?
Parents Don’t Approve of Marriage Despite My Conversion
Should I Marry a Muslim Man Who Does Not Pray?
Circumcision Rites & Imitating Non-Muslims
Do not feel pressured to rush into marriage for the first few years. You will go through phases and ups and downs and that is normal, so wait until you’ve been around the block and settled in your practice before bringing someone else into your life.
Shaykh Abdullah Misra, On Finding a Soulmate as a Convert
Dealing with non-Muslim Family or Disbelievers
Dealing With Non-Muslim Parents (I)
Dealing With Non-Muslim Parents (II)
Given the high station of parents in Islam, and in an attempt to not displease them – new Muslims struggle with putting forth their true beliefs. The questions above, addressed by Shaykh Faraz Khan and Shaykh Abdullah Misra, give comfort and clarity to Muslims who are dealing with this difficulty. Shaykh Abdullah provides puts forth practical and useful advice, as he himself is a convert. This section is dedicated to providing guidance in navigating sensitive relationships and topics as a new Muslim.
Leaving Children with Non-Muslim Grandparents
I Am a Convert and Live With My Adopted Parents. What Are My Obligations to Them?
How Should I Tell Parents About Becoming Muslim?
My Mother Is Not Muslim. How Can I Help Her?
Does Not Talking About Islam With a Non-Muslim Mean That I Am Pleased With Disbelief?
Is My Family a Victim of Witchcraft?
I Have a Non-Muslim Family. How Should I Go About Writing My Will?
Should Muslim Converts Break Ties With Non-Muslim Family Members?
What Is the Proper Etiquette in Giving Condolences to the Family of a Deceased Who Is Non-Muslim?
How We Should Treat Our Non-Muslim Friends in Regards to Sin?
How to Deal With a Non-Muslim Relative’s Death
Attending Christmas Festivities of One’s Non-Muslim Family
Can I Eat Supermarket Meat With My Christian Family to Make Them Happy?
I Am a Convert to Islam and Struggle to Interact with My Family.
My Fiancé Does Not Like Me Keeping in Contact With My Non-Muslim Male Cousin. What Should I Do?
I Don’t Want My Husband’s Friend to Die as a Non-Muslim. What Can We Do?
Dealing With Non-Muslim In-laws Who Dislike Muslims
Inheriting and Property Bequests from Non-Muslims
Apostasy
Loneliness and Depression
I Became Muslim and Am Now Lonely and Depressed. What Can I Do?
In the answer to this question, Ustadha Raidah provides hope for lonely new Muslims, including nine practical ways to deal with loneliness.
Ours is a deen embedded in the social fabric of families and communities. It is a very, very difficult path to tread alone. I pray that Allah eases your loneliness and grants you the companionship which you seek. – Ustadha Raidah
Prayer and Qur’an
Does a Convert Have to Make-Up Past Prayers?
A commonly asked question with a simple answer – your past sins are forgiven when you enter the faith of Islam. You do not need to make-up missed prayers. Read more commonly asked questions and their answers in this section.
Making Up Missed Prayers: I Believed but Did Not Utter the Testimony of Faith
Can New Muslims Hold the Qur’an and Recite from It During Prayer?
Can New Muslims Recite from a Copy of the Qur’an During Prayer?
Making Up Missed Prayers: I Believed but Did Not Utter the Testimony of Faith
Convert Muslim: Is My Prayer Valid?
Illegitimate Children and Leading the Prayer.
What Is the Proper Etiquette When Reading the Quran?
Forgiveness
Should I Seek Forgiveness from a Girlfriend I Wronged Before I Was Muslim?
Shaykha Zaynab Ansari answers this honest and heartfelt sentiment submitted by a new Muslim, offering a practical solution in the spirit of morality.
How to Repent from a Statement of Disbelief?
Hijab
My Non-Muslim Parents Get Upset When I Wear the Hijab
Dr. Bano Murtuja answers this question submitted by a concerned Muslimah.
As you are not required to hijab in front of your parents, you may be able to wear the hijab when out of their presence, but refrain from doing so within the home. As time progresses, and they see positive shifts in your character God willing, the hijab may become less jarring to them. – Dr Bano Murtuja
Can Muslim Women Wear Tight Jeans and Tight Dresses at Home?
Difficulties with Hijab in the West
Seeking Knowledge
Keeping One’s Faith While Navigating Differences of Opinion
What Is Belief and What Is Disbelief?
Conversion Process – Testification of Faith (Shahada)
Does Saying the Testification of Faith (Shahadah) Suffice for Becoming a Muslim?
The testification of faith is powerful. This answer outlines the simplicity of converting to Islam. The door to Islam opens with this belief: There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is His messenger. This section answers many doubts and confusion relating to the testification of faith by our trained and reliable scholars.
I Have Doubts That Make Me Question Whether I’m Muslim
I am Hesitating Over Becoming Muslim. Could You Clarify Some Issues?
Is a Convert Rewarded for the Good Deeds He Performed Prior to Converting to Islam?
I’m Hesitating Over Becoming Muslim. Could You Clarify Some Issues?
I Am Hesitating About Entering Islam. What Should I Do?
Should I Clear All My Doubts Before Converting to Islam? Should I Change My Name and Cut My Hair?
Is It Permissible to Add the Mention of Jesus to the Testimony of Faith When Becoming a Muslim?
Uncertainty Regarding the Validity of Ghusl and My Testimony of Faith (Shahada)
What Should I Do If I Want to Become Muslim Again?
Conversion to Islam and How to Remove Major Ritual Impurity
Overwhelmed and Confused in Trying to Understand and Practice Islam: What Can I Do?
I Have Doubts That Make Me Question Whether I’m Muslim
Do not let the community make a trophy out of you or put you on a platform too soon, at the same time do not hesitate to get involved nor be dismayed if they fall short in welcoming you come up because you are under the protection & hospitality of Allah Himself who found you lost and guided you.
Shaykh Abdullah Misra, On Converting to Islam
Articles – Laila’s Story
Muslim Covert – Betraying Parents by Becoming a Muslim?
Muslim Convert – Wearing a Scarf to Hide her Cancer?
Beneficial SeekersGuidance Courses
Introduction to Islam: What it Means to be Muslim
This course is based on the clearest, most concise, and comprehensive introduction to Islam in print: Being Muslim, by Asad Tarsin. Being Muslim presents content that is both reliable—rooted in Islamic scholarship—and not obscured in jargon and difficult terminology. Using the Hadith of Gabriel as a basic framework. It covers the basics of Islamic belief, essentials of worship, spiritual refinement, a brief examination of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, an introduction to the Qur’an, and guidelines for living an Islamically ethical lifestyle.
Absolute Essentials of Islam – Getting Started With Your Belief and Practice
The Essentials of Belief for Muslim Youth
Tafsir of the Fatiha and Juz Amma: The Qur’an’s Message in Summary (1,78-81)
First Step in Arabic: Grammar and Simple Sentences for Beginners
Juz One: Introduction to Guidance
Juz Two: Worship, Relationships, and Striving For Allah
Beneficial SeekersGuidance Podcasts
Islam FAQ: Clear Reliable Answers to Common Questions
Prophets in the Qur’an, Practical Lessons from the Qur’anic Stories
Spiritual Counsel, Wisdom on Turning to God from the Islamic Tradition
Why? Sincere Questions, Sincere Answers
This is Your Faith : A Deeper Understanding of the Prophet’s Life
Adab: The Art Of Doing Things Right
Seekers Book Club
Keep up to date with monthly interactive live sessions – seekersguidance.org/bookclub
Final Thoughts – Shaykh Abdullah Misra
Make an abundance of supplication (duaa) for yourself and others, because later you will realize that in the pure state of just having your sins forgiven as a new Muslim – an amazing number of your prayers would have been accepted. Make note of the people who help you along the way and always pray for them, even if your paths separate. Resist the temptation to look down on cultural Muslims because of your newfound knowledge, and rather work to improve yourself and others with your fresh perspective.
Shaykh Abdullah Misra: Biography
Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada in 1983. His family hails from India and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith, and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta). Shaykh Abdullah has also sought knowledge in Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Trinidad, and India.
He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance. He has taught intensive courses and lectures in Norway, Bosnia, and India, as well as the West Indies.
Shaykh Abdullah has traveled to around 25 countries and currently resides in the West Indies with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian History, comparative religion, English singing-songwriting, and poetry. Mahatama Gandhi and Abdul Sattar Eidhi hold strong significance for Shaykh Abdullah for their contribution to humanitarian causes.
