New to Islam? Basic beliefs one is required to accept while entering Islam

Now, the basic beliefs one is required to accept while entering into Islam are the following :

(i) God is one. He has neither a partner, nor a son or daughter. He is one in the true sense of the word which has no room for the concept of Trinity, or for any other form of camoufaged monotheism or a disguised polytheism.

(ii) The Holy Prophet Muhammad ( Sallaho Alaihai Wasallam ) is the last Messenger of Allah after whom no messanger or Prophet of Allah (in any sense of the word) will come.

(iii) The Holy Quran is the last of the divine books revealed on the Holy Prophet ( Sallaho Alaihai Wasallam ) and all its contents are true.

(iv) The life Hereafter is the eternal life one has to live after his death where he will have to face the fate of his good and evil deeds.

(v) All the teachings given by the Holy Quran or by the Holy Prophet ( Sallaho Alaihai Wasallam ) in absolute and unambiguous terms are true and acceptable.

Once a person accepts all these fundamental beliefs as true, both verbally and with his heart, he becomes a Muslim.

Conversion to Islam has no particular procedure, like baptism etc. As soon as a person accepts the aforementioned bel- iefs with his heart and soul and professes them verbally, he enters the fold of Islam. It is not necessary that he seeks the mediation of a saint or priest, nor is it a prerequiste to go to mosque or to an institution for accepting Islam. One can acc- ept Islam on his own. However, it is advisable to go to a learned Muslim who can inform him about the basic beliefs of Islam and can teach him the concise and comprehensive words to express his acceptance to those beliefs.

Normally following sentences are used for that purpose :

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (S.A.W.) is His slave and messenger."

"I have believed in Allah and His Angels and His Books (as they were originally revealed on His Prophets) and in His messengers and in the Last Day and in the fact that all the good and bad destinies come from Allah and in being raised alive after death."

A further requirement for a convert Muslim is to free himself from those beliefs of his former faith or religion which are not in line with the Islamic beliefs. For example, a Christian must proclaim that he does no more believe Jesus Christ as the Son of God or a part of the Godhead. Instead, he accepts that he was a revered messenger of Allah, and was no more than a messenger, having all the human attributes. There is a large number of Muslim institutes in karachi which can help a non-Muslim to do the needful for accepting Islam. Here are the addresses of some of them :