Important Advice To New Muslims
First and foremost always remember that Allah is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When ever you need someone to talk too Allah will always be there for you so never despair. You have a direct line with your Creator and you do not need a middleman to communicate with your Lord. Allah will help you so call upon Him.
After accepting Islam, many brothers and sisters find it difficult to know what they are required to do next.
The brother/sister is left with very little support or contact from a Muslim and is given a bucket full of information from a range of Muslims wishing to help, which can be confusing or over-burdening.
The brother/sister faces other unique challenges, such as hostility from family members and or exclusion from social groups due to differences in beliefs and actions. This can become an extreme situation for someone who has recently taken up the religion.With these challenges in mind, it is important not to despair. Allah has guided you, and this should bring a solace to your heart.
Trials And Tribulations After Conversion: God's Mercy Is Embedded In The Difficulties Of Life.
Converting to Islam usually counts as one of the greatest days in a person's life. Life takes on a rosy glow, you feel bigger, better, and stronger. You feel the tingle of extreme excitement. Many of us just want to shout out loud. Some are lucky enough to be surrounded by friends and family, others convert in the privacy of their own home or even bedroom. Still others are lost, alone or homeless. But now you are a Muslim, part of a worldwide brother or sisterhood; part of a family. For many it is might be the first time they have felt a part of anything. For a fleeting moment or for a longer prelude to a new real life, everything is perfect. Sometime later, and it is different for each of us, reality sets in.
Along with the triumphs come the trials and tribulations. Of course it is a huge step, a monumental change, for not only the person accepting Islam but also his or her friends, family and colleagues. Sometimes it might feel as though everything is happening too quickly, at other times and for others, it may seem as though you cannot learn enough quickly enough and the trials and tribulations seem to be crushing your new found happiness. A person might well ask why Allah continues to test him when he has finally seen the reality of life and embraced Allah and Islam whole heartedly. In this situation it helps to understand just why a believer is afflicted with trials and tribulations, and why along with the overwhelming joy can come sadness and unexpected troubles.
Dealing With Doubts
Doubts about what we believe and why we believe it are natural. In fact it is often those doubts that cause people to embrace Islam. A doubt about the validity of their belief systems often sends people on a search for something they can understand and believe in. Having doubts about your chosen religion or aspects of that religion may happen but the difference is that Islam allows us to be both forewarned and forearmed to deal with doubts. Islam is often described as 'informed knowledge' rather than blind faith, therefore when doubts arise we are able to deal with them. Doubts are a disease that can cause great damage to our spiritual health if they are left to fester rather than be confronted for what they are - tricks and illusions thrown at us like arrows from the bow of Shaytan.
Shaytan is humankind's sworn enemy. Just as he is able to whisper evil thoughts into our hearts he is also able to fill our minds with doubts, doubts that are designed to cause disquiet and confusion. Sometimes a person is unable to distinguish between what is planted by Shaytan and what we think of our own volition. On other occasions the thoughts are of such a frightening nature that we are afraid to repeat them or examine them in case they condemn us or reveal us to be hypocritical or away from Islam. One should completely ignore such thoughts and doubts and not ponder over them and seek refuge from Shaytan in Allah. Say "a'udhu billahi minash-shaytaanir-rajeem" (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan) and ask for forgiveness.
Six Tips to Boost New Muslims’ Faith After Shahadah
As a convert to Islam, you can easily remember the moment that you discovered that Islam was the one and only true religion. The moment of realization is an intense whirlwind of emotions such as relief, joy, gratitude and peace.
The moments leading up to the taking of the Shahadah, or Islamic declaration of faith, are equally exuberating. You wear your best clothes, travel to the mosque and pronounce the testimony of faith: “Ash hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan rasoolu Allah” (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger) in public for the very first time.
Afterwards, the Muslims at the mosque will offer their congratulations and so too will the Muslims in your community. Your new faith has lit up your heart and the sense of the Islamic nation surrounds you.
However, it is important to realize that the level of excitement you felt in taking the shahadah will likely fade away as you get back to living. It’s inevitable and it does not necessarily mean that you are a “bad” Muslim or have done anything wrong. The faith, ebbs and flows just like a babbling brook in the middle of a grassy meadow. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.” (Al-Hakim)
There are several reasons why our faith decreases. Everything from engaging in unlawful activities to committing major and minor sins takes a toll on our faith.
The good news is that there are several ways that you can maintain an optimum level of faith and enjoin the good while forbidding the evil.
12 Tips For The New Muslim
1. Practice Islam as much as you can
"He who loves my Sunnah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise." The Prophet Muhammad peace & blessings be upon him (Tirmidhi)
As a new Muslim, you will have trouble keeping up with prayers every day, fasting during Ramadan, and the many other practices in this religion. The struggle that we face, with such a radical change in lifestyle, is difficult and will take some time. Awkward moments are bound to happen, don't fret. You are not expected to wake up at 4am every morning to pray tahajjud (extra night prayers). If you have problems with certain practices, then gradually work yourself into the mindset of worship. A counselor once told me when I was young, "How do you eat an elephant? Just One bite at a time." Think of it as one step at a time. Pray to Allah (swt) and ask for Him to make it easy for you and the rest will come naturally.
Keeping up with your devotional practices is something that will strengthen your faith immensely. Read the Qur'an whenever possible. Find a collection of hadith, such as Riyadh us-Saliheen, and read it often. You will start to feel a connection to Allah (swt) and you will become closer to Islam as a religion and way of life.