hi my name is abby and i decided to convert to islam from being a latter-day saint (christianity) ive never felt the happiness and warmth from finding the true and correct religion and i wish i knew all this a long time. im 19 years old.
what im finding hard is praying, remembering arabic phrases, getting it in the right order. I dont have any muslim friends and i would love to goto the local mosque but i dont know where to go, i live in bradford. I knew it will take time but im just really enthusiastic. has anyone got any advice for me? thanks
Believe it or not, even some born into muslim families have trouble with those things. These things really do take time, as you said yourself. As adults, it can be harder for us to memorise things but with a little effort it is possible InshaAllah (God Willing)..
The first Chapter/Sura you might want to memorise is Al Fatiha which is the first sura in the Quran and is recited in every single one of the five daily prayers (salaah).
You can go to Quran.com and take a look at the transliteration, and from there if you want you can write it in your own way which you might feel more comfortable in reading. For other parts of the prayer, you can also do the same thing, make transliterations on your own which you find easier to read. Also, you can test yourself by reciting them without looking at the text. Again, all this takes time. Don't overwhelm yourself.
Memorisation is only the first step, but it might be one of the more challenging ones. The idea is to improve the state of our prayer after every prayer. This goes beyond merely reciting memorised phrases but also understanding their meaning and reflecting upon them. One step at a time..
God is Most Merciful, He knows your intentions, and your struggles. Never forget that.
I'm not from your neighbourhood (nor country) so I'm afraid I'm not able to be of much help in regards to suggesting where you can go.
Congratulations on your conversion. I remember Bradford as having quite an active Muslim community. Recently they organised to save a synagogue there.
As br. Hulk says, don't overwhelm yourself. But learn the necessary recitals for prayers like Al Fatihah and the tashahud and Salam. The rest of the embellishments can be added later.
Slow and easy. At your own pace. You are not in a race and there is no one to impress any effort on yiur part is impressive. Do the best you can with what is available to you.
Learn the Fatihah. Never mind if you cannot recite it like an Arab. Recite it and you get twice the merit - one for reciting it and one more for reciting it even though you can't recite it well. Find someone who knows to help you. If none is handy, ask Google. Plenty of Youtube clips to help you.
I have been a Muslim for more than 40 years already and I still am learning the Fatihah. Just remember not to give up.
hi my name is abby and i decided to convert to islam from being a latter-day saint (christianity) ive never felt the happiness and warmth from finding the true and correct religion and i wish i knew all this a long time. im 19 years old.
what im finding hard is praying, remembering arabic phrases, getting it in the right order. I dont have any muslim friends and i would love to goto the local mosque but i dont know where to go, i live in bradford. I knew it will take time but im just really enthusiastic. has anyone got any advice for me? thanks
Hi Sister,
please read:
3 – If a person is unable to recite al-Faatihah at all or is unable to learn it, or he has just become Muslim and the time for prayer has come and there is not enough time for him to learn it, then he is given a way out in the following hadeeth:
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, teach me something of the Qur’aan that will suffice me, for I cannot read.” He said, “Say: Subhaan-Allaah wa’l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu akbar wa laa hawla wa la quwwata illa Billaah (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god except Allaah and Allaah is Most great, there is no god except Allaah and there is no power and no strength except with Allaah).” The man made a grabbing gesture with his hand (indicating that he had learned a lot) and said, “This is for my Lord, what is there for me?” He said, “Say: Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wahdini warzuqni wa ‘aafini (O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, and grant me provision and good health).” He made another grabbing gesture with his other hand and stood up.
(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 924; Abu Dawood, 832. Its isnaad was classed as jayyid by al-Mundhiri in al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 2/430. al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar indicated that it is hasan in al-Talkhees al-Habeer, 1/236)
and if are interested in learning just how awesome Al Fatihah is, and how it relates to the Din, check out these amazing lectures. they are guaranteed to change your life: http://www.kalamullah.com/al-fatihah.html
Had the non-believer known of all the Mercy which is in the Hands of Allah, he would not lose hope of entering Paradise, and had the believer known of all the punishment which is present with Allah, he would not consider himself safe from the Hell-Fire http://www.muftimenk.co.za/Downloads.html
Allah (SWT) who has guided you to the truth will also help to learn & practise your faith. Just be calm & persistent with your efforts and the results will come soon. (Insha-Allah)
Abigail, do you think you became a better person by changing your faith? Was there anything lacking in your belief in Christianity? I for one hope to learn Islam first. But I am curious to know about the thoughts you went through before changing to Islam.
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