Hello and welcome to the forum,
Islam is the final culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truth that God revealed through all His Prophets and Messengers to all nations through the ages and not a new religion.
Islam is a complete way of life. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم stated that Islam consists of five pillars:
- Affirmation of the faith, that is, testifying that none is worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the Messenger of Allah
- The five daily prayers
- Fasting during the month of Ramadan
- Performing pilgrimage once in a lifetime if one's financial and physical conditions permit it.
- Paying Zakah: a small portion of the Muslim's wealth that must be given (if certain conditions are met) to specified beneficiaries.
Among the fundamental beliefs that one is required to have by accepting Islam is:
- Belief in Allah (God); that He has no partners, parents, children, peers or equals, and does not share his divinity with anyone.
- Belief in His Angels
- Belief in His Books (all revealed scriptures which were sent prior to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)
- Belief in His Messengers
- Belief in the Last Day
- Belief in the Divine Preordainment and Divine Decree
Islam provides comprehensive guidance which includes the social, economic, moral and spiritual aspects of life. The Quran reminds man of the purpose of his life on earth, of his duties and obligations towards his Creator, towards himself, his kith and kin, his community and his fellow human beings.
The process of converting to Islam involves pronouncing the 'shahadah', or testimony of faith. The wording in Arabic is as follows:
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool ullah
The translation of the shahadah is: “I bear witness that there is no deity (none worthy of worship) but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
The first part means that one believes and confirms that there is nothing to be worshipped other than Allah and that one is prepared to implement His divine rulings and guidelines for all aspects of life.
The second part means the belief that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the final Prophet, whom Allah has sent with the Islamic religion to supercede all other previous religions and that it is obligatory to comply with what he has enjoined, and to abstain and renounce all that he has prohibited.
One must utter the Shahadah believing in its meaning. It is then recommended to take a complete bath with the intention of (ritual) purification in order to start performing prayers.
After this you should focus on learning how to purify yourself for prayer, how to pray, fast and so on. This could be achieved by asking knowledgeable people, reading from reliable sources and visiting local Islamic centers as they can be of great help. We are also here to help if you need anything.
