A person does NOT need to do a course or obtain a certificate to become a Muslim.
If there are no Majids (Mosques) and Muslims in your area; and you do not ahve a means of contacting any Muslims via phone or online then you can declare the Shahadah to your self.
At MuslimConverts.com we have helped brothers and sisters say the Shahadah via phone and via the Net. So if you wish for us to go through it with you step by step. Please do no not hesitate to leave us a message and we can arrange an online meeting at a mutually convenient time.
However, it is not sufficient for anyone to only utter this testimony orally either in private or in public; but rather, he or she should believe in it with a firm conviction and unshakable faith. Once you have said the Shahadah then you will be like a New Born Person. Free of any sins. Just like a child is born sinless.
From the Emails I received on the message board. I noticed some women have delayed their Shahadah because of menstruation. It does not matter if a woman is menstruating. You can say your Shahadah even when you are menstruating. The women do not go inside the prayer area of the Masjid (Mosque) when menstruating. However if they want to say their Shahadah at the Masjid they can arrange to say it say just outside the Masjid or part of the Masjid complex which is not regarded as the place of prayer.
Pledge of Allegiance
During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the people would also give their Bai’a (pledge of allegiance ) and the Prophet peace be upon him would accept their pledge.
Pledge of allegiance being that they would obey his commands, Be on his, the Muslims and Islam side against the enemies of Islam even if the enemy was their own relatives and friends. That they would fight on the side of the Muslims. That they would not fight on the side of the non Muslims against the Muslims. That they would not give information to the non Muslims which they could used against the Muslims.
After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) the believing men and women would give their pledge of allegiance to the Muslim nation (khalif) and the Khalif would accept their pledge of allegiance.
During the treaty of hudaybiyah believing women would migrate to the Muslim side in the city of Madina and give their pledge of allegiance to the Prophet peace be upon him. To check those who migrated to the Islamic state in Madina were true believers and not just women who had run away from their non Muslim families. Allah revealed the following verse.
Allah said:
“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bai’a (pledge), that they will not associate anything in worship with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands), and that they will not disobey you in any Ma’ruf (everything good according to Islam) then accept their Bai’a (pledge), and ask Allah to forgive them, Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. (Quran 60:12)
So the Prophet would say to them “Pledge to me in that you will not associate any with Allah, nor steal, nor commit Zina, nor kill your children” Then he would recite the above verse (Quran 60 verse 12) and when the women agreed to those conditions then he would say I have accepted your pledge and he would add “Those among you who fulfill this pledge, will receive their reward from Allah. Those who deviate from any of it and receive the legal punishment (in this life), the punishment will be expiation for that sin. Whoever deviates from any of it and Allah screens him, then it is up to Allah to punish or forgive if He wills.”
The Prophet peace be upon him would shake the hands of the men who had give their pledge. In case of women he only took their pledge by word because in Islam a it is not allowed to shake hands with the opposite sex who are non mehrem.
Narrated ‘Ubada bin As-Samit:
who took part in the battle of Badr and was a Naqib (a person heading a group of six persons), on the night of Al-’Aqaba pledge: Allah’s Apostle said while a group of his companions were around him, “Swear allegiance to me for:
1. Not to join anything in worship along with Allah.
2. Not to steal.
3. Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse.
4. Not to kill your children.
5. Not to accuse an innocent person (to spread such an accusation among people).
6. Not to be disobedient (when ordered) to do good deed.”
The Prophet added: “Whoever among you fulfills his pledge will be rewarded by Allah. And whoever indulges in any one of them (except the ascription of partners to Allah) and gets the punishment in this world, that punishment will be an expiation for that sin. And if one indulges in any of them, and Allah conceals his sin, it is up to Him to forgive or punish him (in the Hereafter).” ‘Ubada bin As-Samit added: “So we swore allegiance for these.” (points to Allah’s Apostle) (Bukhari Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 17)
Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah:
I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle for the following:
1. offer prayers perfectly
2. pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)
3. and be sincere and true to every Muslim.
(Bukhari Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 54)
Narrated Ziyad bin’Ilaqa:
I heard Jarir bin ‘Abdullah (Praising Allah). On the day when Al-Mughira bin Shu’ba died, he (Jarir) got up (on the pulpit) and thanked and praised Allah and said, “Be afraid of Allah alone Who has none along with Him to be worshiped.(You should) be calm and quiet till the (new) chief comes to you and he will come to you soon. Ask Allah’s forgiveness for your (late) chief because he himself loved to forgive others.” Jarir added, “Amma badu (now then), I went to the Prophet and said, ‘I give my pledge of allegiance to you for Islam.” The Prophet conditioned (my pledge) for me to be sincere and true to every Muslim so I gave my pledge to him for this. By the Lord of this mosque! I am sincere and true to you (Muslims). Then Jarir asked for Allah’s forgiveness and came down (from the pulpit).(Bukhari 4: Volume: 1, Book Number: 2, Hadith Number: 55)
Unfortunately the Islamic state was destroyed in 1924 and since then we have had no khalif.
However we will have it one day and in the meantime those Muslims should take note of this pledge of Allegiance and the need for a khalif. Thus even in the absence of the Khalif a Muslim should sincerely adhere to the conditions that Muslims used to pledge to. So a persons loyalty should be with the true Muslims.
Thus a Muslim should not be aiding in the killing of Muslims or the Invasion of Muslim lands. We should be working for the reestablishment of the Khailifate (Islamic state) under one leader (Khalif).
We should know we have our own flag and our own nation. We are one nation (one Ummah) of almost 1.5 billion. We may be scattered all around the globe but our loyalty should be with each other. Thus we should not be in the armed forces of the non Muslims. Even in the Armed forces of the Muslim countries we can not obeying orders which are against Islam or call for fighting on bases of nationalism, or spreading of man made laws and unIslamic practices.
As Muslims we should allow Islam to change us into the kind of human beings that our creator loves and not try and change Islam to fit us. Therefore some old habits and ways of thinking will have to be left behind. It will take time to leave old habits and ways of thinking but as you become more Allah conscious, you will start leaving those old habits and ideas which are not in accordance to Islam.
We should strive to be the perfect Muslims but we should remember that people do mess up from time to time and end up committing sins
We should remember that Allah is most merciful and if we sincerely repent from a sin, Allah will forgive us.
Allah loves to see his slaves turn to Him in sincere repentance. Allah knows who is sincere in repentance
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Syndicated from: BISMILLAHIARRAHIMANIRRAHEEM, ISLAM, MAQFIRAT
