(This article is for people who are ready to accept Islam and need a guide for what to do).

Embracing Islam is a very basic procedure. After gathering a certain amount of knowledge and truly Believing that there is no god Except Allah(Glory Unto Him) and that Muhammad(Peace be upon him) is His Messenger, all that is required is to recite the Testimony of Faith.

Pre-Testimony checklist:

You have already read/know/accept the 5 pillars and 6 articles of faith before embracing Islam:

https://www.zaytunhub.com/learn/5-pillars-of-islam/

https://www.zaytunhub.com/learn/6-articles-of-faith/ You have attempted to or fully addressed any lingering issues you may have from your previous faith or other beliefs that might contradict Islam (like the status of Jesus/Isa)

Once you are ready to embrace Islam, you can follow the following steps:

Go to the local Mosque or Imam (preferably the Imam that has been helping you with learning about Islam) and tell him that you are ready to embrace Islam. If you do not live near a Mosque, then you can recite your testimony among a group of Muslims that you know. It is not necessary to take the testimony in front of witnesses, but it is strongly encouraged so that the community knows you are a Muslim¹ If you do not live near a Mosque or know a group of local Muslims who can listen to your testimony, you can (as a last resort) join the ZaytunHub community and recite your testimony to us¹ The Imam or your group of Muslim acquaintances or people from the ZaytunHub community will ask you a few questions before embracing Islam. Examples: Have you read/know/accept the 5 pillars and 6 articles of faith?

Are you embracing Islam of your own free will without being forced or pressured by anyone? If you have answered positively to the questions, you will be asked to recite the Shahada:

اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهٗ وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُہٗ ‎

Ašhadu an lā ilāha illā-llāh waḥdahu lā šarīka lahu, wa ašhadu anna muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluhu.

(I bear witness that (there is) no god except Allah; One is He, no partner hath He, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.)

Audio Link You should first recite the English translation and then recite the Arabic/transliteration You will be welcomed to Islam by the witnesses as you are now a Muslim After embracing Islam, the first encouraged thing to do is to make a major ablution (this is also known as a ritual bath or a ghusl) You should now focus on learning how to pray the daily prayers(MALES & FEMALES) and how to recite the first chapter of the Quran: Al-Fatihaa

In order to learn about the basics of Islam and improve your knowledge about Islam, you should attach yourself to a local Mosque and reliable local scholars who are from Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah(People of the Sunnah and the majority)¹. Learning about Islam from the internet should be a last-resort. If you only have access to Muslims online, you can join the ZaytunHub community, as we represent a broad spectrum of Muslims within Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah and we provide weekly classes to learn more about Islam.

If you are reading this and you wish to embrace Islam, May Allah Grant you Belief.

[1] You should ensure that the Mosque, local community or online community you are reciting your Testimony to and will participate in is from Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah(People of the Sunnah and the majority). This group will adhere to the scholarly tradition of agreement on the Aqida(Creed) as formulated in Aqeedah Tahawiyyah (Al-Tahawi), and to the known madhaahib(schools) of Fiqh(Jurisprudence) by reliable narration as formulated in the Hanafi, Shafii, Maaliki and Hanbali madhaahib (if you are unsure what this is, please join our community to ask more about it)