Walaikum Assalaam
format_quote Originally Posted by
jessamin
I've considered reverting, but there are some things that worry me. I live a busy life, so I fear I may not meet the salah requirement. I also am on a tight budget, so I don't know if I can afford a wardrobe of Islamic wear, a prayer mat, prayer beads, etc. I cannot drive due to my disability, so I don't know if I can get to the nearest Islamic market I know of or the nearest mosque (which take 37 mins and 40 mins to walk to respectively). If there's any advice, I would appreciate it.
The most important thing is if you already believe Islam to be the truth in your heart, then you are already Muslim. All you'd need to do is to declare it. It can be overwhelming thinking that you have to do everything perfectly and at one time, but that is impossible. It will take time for you to learn all the essentials, but eventually you will be able to incorporate practices into your life. The main one of course is prayer. You'll know how to manage your time better, and leave behind things that really don't matter.
So for prayers and hijaab in general, you don't need to wear any specific type of clothing. What is important is that the clothing you wear is roomy (doesn't show the shape of your body) and is long. This can be for example a long sleeve loose shirt, tunic, hoodie, cardigan with loose shirt underneath, and a maxi skirt (that is long enough to cover your ankles (or even your feet for prayer). You may be able to find inexpensive islamic clothing. Starting out, do what you are able to do with what you have available to you.
Here is an example of an inexpensive abayah you can order from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Abetteric-Wom...07&sr=8-8&th=1
Abaya would be suitable for going out in and wearing.
For prayer you can also order a prayer clothing set which is just handy to have because it can just be used specifically for prayer and is always ready for you:
https://www.amazon.com/Modish-Group-...8-3&th=1&psc=1
you can just search for terms such as: abayah, jalabiya, hijaab, women prayer clothing and you should see some islamic clothing come up.
You do not need a prayer mat or prayer beads. You just need a clean area to pray in. You can use a clean towel or cloth to pray on and it is sufficient. Instead of prayer beads it is actually better to use your fingers.
If you can't pray every prayer, then do your best to pray as many as you can for the day. Prioritizing prayer should be your goal and you should strive towards it and with time you'll be able to acheive it as you learn and grow in knowledge and practice inshallah (God willing).
I hope this helps.