1 in 3 Reverts...

[aflawedbeing]

Asalaamu alaykum wa rahmahtullahi wa barakatuh.

Brothers and sisters, years ago I read a statistic, and that was that "1 in 3 reverts eventually leave Islam."

For obvious reasons this weighed heavily on my heart and has played a role in my thinking when I meet and interact with new reverts (also, knowing that isolated feeling you may get from time to time. You know, that 'surrounded by people, but still walking alone' sort of feeling from when I was newly reverted myself.)

I cannot quote a source, I'm not even sure I could find a source to back up the statistic. It could be more optimistic now (or even then for that matter) or it could be even worse. But let's just abandon these details and assume the statistic is true. Undoubtedly, some of these reverts never expected to apostate the day they took their shahada. Undoubtedly, however, some would have came to Islam with the wrong reasons entirely.

I post this as a believer that a prevention is better than a cure.
In this thread I would like us to ask ourselves, what more can we do to eliviate a certain feeling of isolation, alienation or rekection some reverts feel? How can we pay more attention to them? How can we be there for them rather than say "MashaAllah, MashaAllah" give Salaams, and walk into the 'abyss' never to see them again?
What I'd also like to discuss is, what is the prevention?
What in our community is so lacking that these people just seem to come, stay a while, and then move on?

It's a true tragedy. And it's not like we sit idlely by, or anything - especially if we knew of what was coming.

May Allah swt guide us all, and make us as a community better equipped at reaching out to those who may be within a 'risk group' when it comes to apostacy. Ameen.

Wasalaam.

[revert88]

I'd like to see a support base for new muslims to keep eachother on the straight path

[aflawedbeing]

There was a local Masjid in my area that had a revert group meeting every Saturday morning, when I'd been Muslim for just a few months (back in 2007).
It didn't take off, apparently. :(

I could never get there due to work commitments. But now wish I had have made a move to...

[greenhill]

That's the thing. Islam is such a wide subject. A life time of learning and perfecting. Where do we start? I always say read the stories about the prophets, peace be to them all. Learn the solah, and start on building on the five pillars. And whilst your interest in reading should have picked up, read up on the readable items of the remaining pillars of faith, as you've read the stories of the prophets already. Then you would be more grounded in the basic foundation to explore the 'lifestyle'. Jumping straight into the lifestyle without adequate grounding can be 'jarring'.

Personally, what you described as the 'mashallah' bit and then disappear, I believe, they are happy to hear, but themselves perhaps shy or feel inadequate to help. I am sometimes guilty of this when timing was not favourable, :hiding:

In truth, I reckon this is the hardest area to tackle, Best place to start is in places like these, the forum. Ask, In syaa Allah you will get answers. If you can find support group in your area, even greater. You really need time to really be supportive, without it, it's Hi Bye kind of thing... ^o)

Peace

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[Sumaiya54]

I have heard that 70/100 new Muslims leave Islam within their first year.
Really helpful things for reverts are other reverts mentoring them. I believe that the Why Islam organization has one of these programs and some Masjids. Also, you can meet Muslims online such as forums like these Alhamdulilah.

Assalamu Aleikum

[Allahuakbar_]

I am revert as well. And I think its important for the revert to spend time in the masjid. As far as some programs that the masjid could have could be classes on tauhid and aqeedah. This i how the revert could get more in touch with other reverts. Every muslim could get engaged in this kind of activity not just the research.

[sajjad7006]

I suggest to the new reverts to spend their most of time in the Masjid and learning their different lecture from different resources.Research and more about Islam.

[Icy Maiden]

I accepted Islam a few years ago and have gone through bad experience with Muslims practicing the religion. I've been ridiculed because I don't wear hijab or eat halal food. I'm sure a lot of reverts must have faced the same sort of thing I have, become angry and left Islam. Perhaps if the Muslims weren't so judgmental more reverts would stick to their religion. What a strange thing it is that when I went to the mosque to say the shahada there were all these cries of Allahu Akbar and people congratulating me for becoming a Muslim. And the next thing I know is that the same people are calling me kafir simply because I don't do this or don't do that.

[sister herb]

Salam alaykum

As a revert myself too, I didn´t face kind of problems here when I was new in islam; simply because in my city hadn´t any islamic community at this time, hardly any other muslims at all (even i didn´t know anyone and this is quite small place). Maybe that was good to me at that time as I had to find out what islam really means alone, not by the behavior of other muslims. So I understood that muslims don´t directly mean same than islam everytimes.

I understand, that also some reverts may think that islam is some kind of miracle cure to they every problems and when they return to the reality of the everyday life, they might be disappointed - they problems are still there and they have to struggle with them like before.

Anyways; I hope that those whose are new reverts and face problems from others now, will learn from them and later, when they have been muslims longer time, can be to new muslims kind of sisters and brothers like they hoped to meet when they were new ones.

[Woodrow]

While there probably are reverts that leave Islam, I doubt if it is 1 in 3.

Most Muslims I know are reverts. I do not know any who have left Islam.

It would be interesting to see the source of the population studied for the statistics

[sister herb]

Actually only Allah knows how really leaves islam and who feels that he/she still needs some time to think. May Allah gives all those unsure brothers/sisters power to be sure and return.

:statisfie

[Scimitar]

Asalaamu alaykum wa rahmahtullahi wa barakatuh.

Brothers and sisters, years ago I read a statistic, and that was that "1 in 3 reverts eventually leave Islam."

walakum salaam warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu...

...I wonder how they collated these stats :D

Not to mention that the whole "stat" game is something that requires cencus reports to justify their authenticity for a locality. And what may be true of one locality may be the opposite for another. Thus, stats such as these make absolutely no dent on Islams numbers of adherents at all.

Especially when the CIA and the NSA published figures claiming that Islam is spreading across the USA at an alarmingly quick rate, despite their attempts to curb the spread of Islam in the USA.

Also, in the same report, they concluded that 3 out of 4 converts were actually women - that's 75% of converts to Islam in the USA are women. This, despite the fact that USA promotes the idea that Islam oppresses women.

Moving on: I can throw legit stat after legit stat with links to authenticate the sources in this post if I want to, but the truth is, you can find the sources yourselves, it's not biggy.

From WIKI, sources from elsewhere so not really WIKI:
Muslim population growth refers to the topic of population growth of the global Muslim community. In 2006, countries with a Muslim majority had an average population growth rate of 1.8% per year (when weighted by percentage Muslim and population size).This compares with a world population growth rate of 1.12% per year.As of 2011, it is predicted that the world's Muslim population will grow twice as fast as non-Muslims over the next 20 years. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population. However newer reports show the Muslim population growth will level off and slow down.

Really now? :D What report can tell you of something that will happen before it has actually happened? Especially something as wide ranging and diverse as the subject of conversion to Islam? LOL... You can see what the agenda is clearly, the enemies of Islam are hating the fact that our numbers exceed all others - and now they want to put a downer on our collective conscious... don't fall for it.

Champion your position in Islam instead.

Scimi

[Futuwwa]

From WIKI, sources from elsewhere so not really WIKI:
Muslim population growth refers to the topic of population growth of the global Muslim community. In 2006, countries with a Muslim majority had an average population growth rate of 1.8% per year (when weighted by percentage Muslim and population size).This compares with a world population growth rate of 1.12% per year.As of 2011, it is predicted that the world's Muslim population will grow twice as fast as non-Muslims over the next 20 years. By 2030, Muslims will make up more than a quarter of the global population.However newer reports show the Muslim population growth will level off and slow down.

Really now? :D What report can tell you of something that will happen before it has actually happened? Especially something as wide ranging and diverse as the subject of conversion to Islam? LOL... You can see what the agenda is clearly, the enemies of Islam are hating the fact that our numbers exceed all others - and now they want to put a downer on our collective conscious... don't fall for it.

It has nothing to do with conversion and everything to do with birth rates. It's called the Demographic Transition, something almost every developing country goes through. It's hardly arbitrary to believe that what happened to almost every industrializing country will happen to Islamic countries as well, especially when many are showing the decreasing but still relatively high birth rates that characterize countries in the later stage of the transition.

[Hulk]

There is a difference in doing a wrong action and knowing that it is wrong, and doing a wrong action and saying that it is right. There are muslims who don't fast in ramadan, eat non-halal food, drink alcohol, but they would never say that their actions are permissible, that would be an even deeper problem.

I personally know quite a few converts myself(in fact I know more than 3!) and none have "left Islam", I'm sure the fact that they are on the path of knowledge has something to do with it inshaaAllah.

[ServantForAlla]

There are many reasons they could leave.

1. They could have fallen in love with a Muslim boy or Girl converted but when the marriage didn't work out they returned to whatever faith they were originally

2. They converted but had struggles with there families accepting who they were and in the end the weight of there family made them say they reverted back to there original faith.

3. They didn't have a support system no Muslims took them under their wings and helped them into Muslim life.

4. They weren't educated and feel for some anti Islam site or person spreading rumors about Islam

[Scimitar]

There are many reasons they could leave.

1. They could have fallen in love with a Muslim boy or Girl converted but when the marriage didn't work out they returned to whatever faith they were originally

crap reason to become Muslim dont you think? :D I know of two sisters who reverte coz they wanted to marry a Muslim man. One is divorced from him but still wears hijaab and is Muslim. Dare I say, the husband went off the rails - a Pakistani born Muslim. The girl ws a Christian, so really, she didn't have to revert... good thing she did though, she's still Muslim.

2. They converted but had struggles with there families accepting who they were and in the end the weight of there family made them say they reverted back to there original faith.

Highly irregular and quite rare. No one converts back because their families were like "You a terrorist now?" :D anyone who takes the decision to become Muslim, knows that apostacy is something that you just don't do in Islam - every new convert/revert knows this.

I see on the interwebs, this new agenda to paint Islam as a religion of apostates. With some accounts of supposed Ex-Muslims speaking of their apostacy from Islam and how they found their saviour thru Christ and the like - ie: Judaism. People like this guy:

Exposing a fake apostate:


Yup, as you can see - this guys was never a Muslim - he's clearly not done his research, either that or he has some severe mental difficulty in identifiying good from bad... what a fool.

3. They didn't have a support system no Muslims took them under their wings and helped them into Muslim life.

Allah says, for he who has no one, he has me.

4. They weren't educated and feel for some anti Islam site or person spreading rumors about Islam

I doubt anyone would be so fickle as to leave Islam after visiting Answering-Islam troll site, surely if they can use the internet, they can find the refutations which are all over the web...

...No. Sorry but these reasons are just whimsical and not validated for me.

It has nothing to do with conversion and everything to do with birth rates. It's called the Demographic Transition, something almost every developing country goes through. It's hardly arbitrary to believe that what happened to almost every industrializing country will happen to Islamic countries as well, especially when many are showing the decreasing but still relatively high birth rates that characterize countries in the later stage of the transition.

Bro :D we're on the same page - I don't agree with wiki lol. Not on this one. It's an insult to my intellect to agree on this one with wiki lol.

Scimi

[ServantForAlla]

crap reason to become Muslim dont you think? :D I know of two sisters who reverte coz they wanted to marry a Muslim man. One is divorced from him but still wears hijaab and is Muslim. Dare I say, the husband went off the rails - a Pakistani born Muslim. The girl ws a Christian, so really, she didn't have to revert... good thing she did though, she's still Muslim.

A crap reason sure doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I once lived in America and there was the Russian girl who was married to her He was Muslim but no practicing but she converted and became a practicing Muslim even after he left her she was an excellent Muslimah

Highly irregular and quite rare. No one converts back because their families were like "You a terrorist now?" :D anyone who takes the decision to become Muslim, knows that apostacy is something that you just don't do in Islam - every new convert/revert knows this.

I see on the interwebs, this new agenda to paint Islam as a religion of apostates. With some accounts of supposed Ex-Muslims speaking of their apostacy from Islam and how they found their saviour thru Christ and the like - ie: Judaism. People like this guy:

Exposing a fake apostate:

Yup, as you can see - this guys was never a Muslim - he's clearly not done his research, either that or he has some severe mental difficulty in identifiying good from bad... what a fool.

Actually you would be surprised how many say they have had a hard time with there families and revert back to their original faith, Born Muslims wouldn't know how the reverts feel because we have support from our family or family is Muslim we live around Muslims, But my Uncle is married to a Christian woman and she consonantly disrespect Islam in front of her daughter and son making them not practice Islam.

Having family support is important.

That man is one of many who are claiming to be apostates -______________-

Allah says, for he who has no one, he has me.

Doesn't mean Muslims shouldn't try and welcome them to the Ummah, I'm sure the Prophet (pbuh) would welcome every single revert to Islam with open arms and help them with whatever they needed.

I doubt anyone would be so fickle as to leave Islam after visiting Answering-Islam troll site, surely if they can use the internet, they can find the refutations which are all over the web...

...No. Sorry but these reasons are just whimsical and not validated for me.

Anyone can tell Answering Islam hasn't read the Quran and have no idea what they are talking about, but WikiIslam has tricked many Muslims wither you believe that or not. Then you have things such as Quranic Path a deviant website that tells women they don't have to wear the hijab and try to change the interpretation of the Quran and yes many people have fallen for it

But how would you know if they are valid? You aren't a revert to Islam you were born into Islam there is a great difference.

There is a youtube video I watched that a man said he left Islam because Hell sounded scary -_______- but you could tell he never read the Quran because when Allah describes Hell he will Describe Heaven right before or after it.

Besides that these fake apostates and Anti Islamic websites do turn people away from Islam someone who may have wanted to convert may have re thought about it

[Icy Maiden]

When I investigated Islam the only thing of interest to me was the concept of God and the emphasis on worshipping only one God. It was radically different from all the other religions I had studied. I was also impressed by the man who taught that message. I studied his life and was convinced that he was God's messenger. I then enquired what it took to accept Islam. They said all I had to do was recognize God's oneness and that Muhammad sws was God's messenger. That was it? Yes, they said. That was all I had to do. So I said the shahada. But after 3 years of belief in Islam and intermingling with Muslims I'm inclined to think that saying the shahada is not enough. There are other things that the Muslim community expects a new Muslim to do and if the new Muslim doesn't act according to their prescribed rules, they show great scorn and disrespect for him/her.They look down upon such a person... someone who has newly said the shahada. Why, they treat the Christians and people of other religions better!

Let me illustrate. Brenda is a Christian and she doesn't wear hijab.She drinks alcohol and smokes cigars. Muslim sister named Maryam is very friendly with her because Brenda has shown a slight interest in Islam. Maryam treats Brenda with kindness, gives her many books as gifts and one of them, a copy of the Quran. This goes on for many years but Brenda doesn't accept Islam. But Maryam continues being friendly with Brenda.And there's another girl by the name of Lola. She too is a Christian, doesn't wear hijab, drinks alcohol and smokes. Maryam meets Lola at the mosque. Lola has been studying Islam for five years. After being convinced that Islam taught about the true God Lola says the shahada at the mosque. Maryam is overjoyed. But what is this? 2 weeks later the very same Maryam who had congratulated Lola on her acceptance of Islam is looking down on her because she had seen Lola at the shopping mall, eating hot dogs and she wasn't wearing a hijab.

This is actually my story. Brenda (name changed) is my Christian friend and to this day my Muslim sisters treat her better than they do me.If it's the hijab that makes me Muslim I would wear it. If it's fasting in Ramadan that makes me Muslim I would fast. If it's eating halal that makes me Muslim I would eat only halal.

But no. It is belief in Allah and His messenger that makes a person Muslim. This is the assertion a person has to make to become Muslim: ashaduan lailailhallah muhammad rasul allah. I know this and that's the reason why I haven't left Islam despite being ridiculed by several Muslims for not doing this or that.

People have called me kafir and accused me of apostasy.But you know what? These people can take that up with Allah on the Day of Judgment and learn for themselves who really believes and who doesn't.

[Scimitar]

@ ServantforAlla - the reasons you stated were more the exception than the rule.

Scimi

[greenhill]

People have called me kafir and accused me of apostasy.But you know what? These people can take that up with Allah on the Day of Judgment and learn for themselves who really believes and who doesn't.

In these matters, we really shouldn't be the ones to judge. In a story narrated about prophet Musa's journey with Khidr shows how wisdom/knowledge is granted to people very differently.

But on your story, you are absolutely correct (in my humble opinion) about the belief in Allah being the one true God and that Muhammad(pbuh) is His (final) prophet. However, with that already established, we need to proceed with the other pillars.

I tell myself (in layman's terms) the shahada is my passport to heaven. Which means in syaa Allah I will enter paradise. The question is when? After an extensive spell in hell for not upkeeping and submitting to His other commandments? How then do I shorten, or if possible, skip entirely the possibility of even entering hell to expunge myself of sins before being granted access to heaven? By doing what is is asked of me and to avoid that has been warned and to constantly ask for forgiveness.

So, to be a muslim, we also need to practice, not just believe. It is not other people's place to make judgements, but it does not stop them from doing so, such is the way of the world.

Peace

[habib al-almass]

i just wanted to remind you All who Replied
Without Allah, WE RE Nothing! :shade:

[greenhill]

crap reason to become Muslim dont you think?

It is, it is .... but for some they cannot live a 'fulfilled' life knowing that the person they love 'got away' due to differences in religious beliefs. My sister's ex-hubby converted but has since left islam after the divorce. Yes it was a crap reason. But she inspired someone else to convert (but she never pursued the relationship) and he has remained true to islam. In the end, we can convert for the silliest of reasons, but if our hearts open up to learn and stay, we will remain in faith, in syaa Allaah. Likewise, we my take the shahada with the best of intentions and still drift off the correct path and stray as Allah has said He will guide whom He wills and send astray whom He wills. We just have to keep praying and make dua that we will always be kept on the straight path and that we die in the state of belief. In syaa Allah.

Peace.

[Ali Mujahidin]

If it's the hijab that makes me Muslim I would wear it. If it's fasting in Ramadan that makes me Muslim I would fast. If it's eating halal that makes me Muslim I would eat only halal.

Rather odd that you should put it this way. Hijab is part of being a Muslim. It's not a question of making you more Muslim (if there's such a thing) if you wear hijab. Hijab is not a bargaining chip that is used to determine how Muslim you are. It's part of Islam. Same with fasting in Ramadan and eating halal. All that is part of Islam.

Now, if you do not do that (plus all the rest of the things which are part of Islam) and you are convinced that doing all that has got nothing to do with you being a Muslim, then I think you should seriously review your understanding of Islam. I am not, by any means, claiming that I know Islam any better than you do, but there are simply some things in Islam which are not negotiable, things like hijab, fasting in Ramadan and eating halal (just to name few).

[Icy Maiden]

Rather odd that you should put it this way. Hijab is part of being a Muslim. It's not a question of making you more Muslim (if there's such a thing) if you wear hijab. Hijab is not a bargaining chip that is used to determine how Muslim you are. It's part of Islam. Same with fasting in Ramadan and eating halal. All that is part of Islam.

I do know one thing. When I don't wear the hijab, Muslims look down upon me. If Muslims see me drinking a little bit of wine, they will look down upon me. If I eat bacon for breakfast, again they look down upon me.

So why should I start wearing the hijab, stop drinking wine or bacon? So that these same Muslims will look up to me? Why should I care for the opinions of such Muslims? I don't.

To me Islam is about having a proper understanding of God. It isn't a way of life where you follow a set of rules.

Would you have a higher opinion of a woman just because she wears hijab and eats halal? What use is all that if she goes to the grave of some saint to pray? Do you think Allah really cares if she wears hijab or eats halal if she is associating partners with Him?

[faithandpeace]

To me Islam is about having a proper understanding of God. It isn't a way of life where you follow a set of rules.

Would you have a higher opinion of a woman just because she wears hijab and eats halal? What use is all that if she goes to the grave of some saint to pray? Do you think Allah really cares if she wears hijab or eats halal if she is associating partners with Him?

Assalamu alaikum. I do not believe this is a correct understanding. Islam is indeed a complete way of life. The Qur'an says over and over about following the "straight path." Taking Shahada is what makes one a Muslim. You accept sincerely in your heart that there is no god but Allah (swt) and that Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah (swt). It is not necessary to be an Islamic scholar to be able to sincerely take Shahadah. However, one must at least know enough of the basics of who Allah (swt) is and who the Prophet (saw) is to be able to make such an educated decision and take Shahada based on a firm foundation of belief and understanding.

Once someone takes Shahadah and becomes Muslim then it should be in our fitrah (nature) to ask "What do I need to do next?" Islam is the "straight path" toward bringing one's self closer to Allah (swt) and living the kind of life Allah (swt) prefers us to live. While Shahadah is the foundation, it is just the beginning of Islam! It is our duty as Muslims to keep learning about Islam and incorporating Islamic practices and values into our lives. After taking Shahadah for instance, you will want to start learning Salat (prayer) and Sawm (fasting) during Ramadan and incorporating halal (permissible) things in your life as well such as modest dress code (hijab), abstaining from haram (prohibited) foods and drinks, etc.

Does this mean you are the perfect Muslim and will never mess up? No. Does it mean you will never be at a point in your life where you feel like you aren't doing anything correct Islamically? Not necessarily. You may not be praying, fasting, wearing hijab, or doing much of anything you think of that is Islamic. But you may be doing some things right. Maybe you aren't stealing, lying, or cheating. That's a start. The point is that as a Muslim you constantly have the intention to improve. You ask Allah (swt) to forgive you for your shortcomings and to help you along the path and then you do what you can to strive for improvement. Maybe you won't wear hijab yet but you will put down the alcohol this time. Maybe you aren't ready to quit alcohol either but you are willing to stop eating pork. Maybe you can't do that either but you could gossip less, withhold judgment more, be kinder to others, whatever. There is always something a Muslim can do to improve. The point is that Islam is not about mere belief and that's it. We believe, we learn, we ask Allah (swt) for help, we put forth intentions, and then we act with Allah's (swt) help.

That being said, Muslims should not go around putting down other Muslims. Muslims can give advice to other Muslims for what is correct Islamic behavior but we should not be putting each other down. We as Muslims should strive for humility and be willing to accept advice from other Muslims so that we can become better Muslims ourselves and closer to Allah (swt). If a Muslim corrects me on something I am saying or doing wrong then inshaAllah I will thank Allah(swt) for guiding them to show me the correct way. And that goes for this response of mine as well. I am not an expert. Allah (swt) knows best and I stand corrected if something I have said is incorrect. We then turn to our sources for guidance -- the Qur'an and the Hadith.

[faithandpeace]

There is a difference in doing a wrong action and knowing that it is wrong, and doing a wrong action and saying that it is right. There are muslims who don't fast in ramadan, eat non-halal food, drink alcohol, but they would never say that their actions are permissible, that would be an even deeper problem.

I personally know quite a few converts myself(in fact I know more than 3!) and none have "left Islam", I'm sure the fact that they are on the path of knowledge has something to do with it inshaaAllah.

Jazakallah khair for this excellent point! This may be the difference between Islam and many other faiths. We don't say we are perfect people. At the same time, we don't settle for less and say that anything goes. Let's say that I am committing a sin and I know what I am doing is wrong. It isn't good. But hopefully I have the intention to stop that sin as soon as possible and that I am asking Allah (swt) for both forgiveness from the sin and help with stopping the sin. I may still be doing the sin but my heart has the right intentions. At that point what happens next is the will of Allah (swt). All I can do is keep believing, striving for improvment, repenting, ans asking for help. And that's it!

The wrong attitude is not only not care about the sin but to then go around telling others that I am sinning and then encouraging them to commit the sin as well by saying that it is ok what I am doing. I should at best keep the sin private as in only between me and Allah (swt) or if not possible and the sin must be disclosed to others (or it becomes exposed somehow) that I own up to what I did, say that what I did was wrong and not permitted in Islam and ask other Muslims and Allah (swt) for help.

But any kind of an "anything goes" attitude is definitely not Islam. For reverts (as I am one), there is a learning curve in Islam. You don't take Shahada and then instantly be able to pray perfectly the next day. You don't suddenly have a whole collection of hijabs and abayas to wear the next day. You don't magically become the perfect person the next day. It all takes time, practice, and striving.

It is possible that many reverts leave Islam soon after reverting because they didn't fully understand what Islam is about when they took Shahada. Islam takes work. It isn't a free handout. Just as much as it is the Ummah's (community's) responsibility to guide the new revert, it is also the revert's responsibility to work at becoming a better Muslim.

Shahada makes one a Muslim. That is all. The next step is to become a better Muslim.

Allah (swt) knows best!

[Ali Mujahidin]

When I don't wear the hijab, Muslims look down upon me. If Muslims see me drinking a little bit of wine, they will look down upon me. If I eat bacon for breakfast, again they look down upon me.

Just curious. Do you really care about what other people think about you? Or are you more concerned about how you are going to answer on Judgement Day?

Myself, I pray. Five times a day. With the jemaah. So that I can look good to other people? No, not at all. Their opinion is irrelevant to my practice of Islam. I do it because it's encouraged in Islam to pray with the jemaah. I do it because it is compulsory to pray in Islam. I pray 5 times a day because that's the number of times mandated in Islam. Nothing at all to do with what other people think.

One other thing. Islam is not just a religion like any other religion. Islam is not just about a set of rituals or a way of worship. Islam is a way of life. Yes, it is a way of life. You practice Islam with every breath you take. You practice Islam with every beat of your heart. You practice Islam when you wake up. You practice Islam when you go to the toilet. You practice Islam when you smile. You practice Islam every single living second of your life.

If you want to.

[Icy Maiden]

Just curious. Do you really care about what other people think about you?

No.

Or are you more concerned about how you are going to answer on Judgement Day?

Yes. On Judgment Day Allah will ask me who is my Lord... and I will reply, "Allah, the One and Only". The angels will test the truth of those words and will find that I do believe. Just by virtue of that, Allah will forgive me for all my sins.

It is a teaching of Islam, isn't it, that Allah can pardon all sins except the associating of partners with Him. If I am wrong, do correct me. Thanks.

[Abz2000]

Yusifislam used to come and do support work with reverts at regents park mosque in London - every week i believe,
Dunno if he still does coz I don't live there any more, I did however see crowds of reverts come and join him and sit at talks and discussions.
There's also quite a nice library there for those who want to do research and spend time in an Islamic educational atmosphere, nice and quiet, feels amazing and doesn't get boring easily as all the reading tables are aligned with the windows overlooking the massive courtyard.

For those living in london, I don't think it would be too difficult to find yusuf as he also runs an Islamic school, from what I know of him, he's very friendly and eager to go the extra mile to help new and old brothers and sisters in need of support, there must be other celebrity types like him who are an inspiration to others and give a feeling of confidence,
you could try finding them online and contacting them, then take revert friends to visit them, people are almost always inspired by people they look up to. (which is probably why some get depressed and fall apart when their role models and peers shun them for accepting Islam).

[Ali Mujahidin]

Yes. On Judgment Day Allah will ask me who is my Lord... and I will reply, "Allah, the One and Only". The angels will test the truth of those words and will find that I do believe. Just by virtue of that, Allah will forgive me for all my sins.

From what I have learned, it's actually two angels who will ask that question when you are in the grave. Please check this out for confirmation:
http://www.correctislamicfaith.com/w...swhenwedie.htm

Now back to the issue of your answer.


I am sure you truly and sincerely believe that Allah is one and only one worthy of worship. What exactly does this belief entail? It means that you will obey none other than Allah. Now if Allah commands that you perform solat and you do, then you have obeyed Allah. If you don't, can you sincerely say that you have obeyed Allah? If you don't perform solat (just as an example, mind you) who are you obeying? Are you obeying Allah or are you obeying your own nafs? Are you putting your nafs above Allah? In not performing solat, are you not saying that your nafs is more important than Allah? When you do not perform solat, how can you claim that you truly and sincerely believe that Allah and only Allah is worthy of worship? (Note that I am just using this as an example and I am not saying, in any way, that you are not performing solat.)

Allah has commanded that a woman shall wear the hijab. There is no dispute about that. So when a woman refuses to wear the hijab, how can she claim to believe that Allah is the one and only worthy of worship? Where is the imaan of a woman who refuses to obey Allah? And how can a woman claim to be a Muslim if she does not have imaan?

Note that imaan is not a constant state of being. Imaan is not something that you achieve just by proclaiming the shahadah. Or, in other words, just by proclaiming the shahadah, you cannot claim that you have imaan. Please refer to the following for clarification:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iman_%28concept%29
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledg...illarsiman.htm
http://www.islamhelpline.com/node/6935

Please understand that I am not a Muslim scholar. I am just sharing what little I know about Islam (and what I know is really very, very little indeed).

WalLahu aklam.

[Abdul Fattah]

Aselam aleykum

A couple of years ago, I came across this web-forum for people who had left Islam (and quite a few on that forum where people who had first reverted to Islam, and then afterwards left it). I stuck around for a while, avoiding debate, and just listening to their stories, tryig to understand their point of view. In my opinion, the most common factor in all of their stories I heard there (both from people who reverted to Islam, or who were born in an islamic family) was that they were all guided by emotion and not rational arguments or doubts. They had all 'wanted' to leave Islam. Be it because they were disapointed by the behavior of other muslims around them; or disgusted by some of the opnions from certain hard-liner scholars, or just because they were tested by allah and no longer wanted to follow the rules due to the hardship they endured.

Now to get to my point, I understand why you would want to look for the cause of reverts leaving Islam; and try to remedy his situation. But remember that if Allah subhana wa ta'ala wills somebody to go astray that the whole of mankind combined cannot guide him back to the right path. Of course thta being said, the causes I mentioned (bad behaviour among muslims, and extremist scholars) are things that need to be worked on eitherway...

[jawad555]

Nice comments i like and get many suggestion. :nervous:

[cottonrainbow]

Assalamu alaikum! It's mainly because when a person reverts, they are coming in completely isolated, unknowing and exposed. They are looking for some type of help or guidance. It's difficult to be in this position as a revert and having to deal with current Muslims who have their baggage and hangups as well. And Muslims in general have some serious issues, not all, but it's enough to leave a bad taste in any new reverts mouth. As a revert, you have to ignore soo many things and seek Allah Subhanah wa ta'ala for guidance.

I, personally, have been a revert for four years, and I have dealt with some very ugly things from other supposed believers, as well as trying to become a better person and dealing with my own family who are Christian and their drama.

i suggest to any new revert is to learn the 5 obligatory prayers ASAP in your language (this will be your peace). Read the Quran. Don't worry about the language barriers and cultural stuff with the other Muslims because Islam is not only Arabic or African, it is international. Allah cannot be put into a box. Do what feels best for you and you will grow and learn!