format_quote Originally Posted by
Muslimah inshal
Sometimes they get overwhelmed by the things they have to learn and they give up prayer or take their hijab . How to help them ?
An excellent subject and one that definitely needs to be reflected upon.
1) For some reason, one of the first things we seem to encourage single revert brothers and sisters to do is to get married. Like, NOW. This is definitely important but is also definitely NOT the first thing they should do! They have embraced a completely new way of life, and in many cases this new life has affected relations with siblings, parents, friends and colleagues. Let’s try and support them through just getting to grips with the basic tenets of Islam, before we hurry them into marriage (which in itself is a life changing event)
2) Start practising what you preach – subhanAllah, a reminder to myself first and foremost. We talk the talk of Islam, but do we walk the walk? Let’s ourselves not miss our prayers, or engage in backbiting, or cut off relations with our kin. Similar to teaching a child, learning is more by seeing what a person does as opposed to what he/she says. So when we talk about our amazing faith and the obligations within it, let’s attempt to better ourselves and enforce stricter standards upon our own lives before we preach to others
3) Regular communication = invite revert brothers / sisters to small gatherings. Let them be comfortable and meet other Muslims, or better yet, other reverts. Swapping stories and sharing experiences allow them to bond and feel they are not alone in their journey. As born Muslims, many of us are unable to relate to a lot of what revert brothers and sisters have to go through on a practical level
4) Practical faith – I have found the best literature/media on the subject of the basics of salah to be those written and produced for children. Simple and easy to follow, let’s not inundate new Muslims with in-depth and complicated reading. Keep it simple....