How do you become Muslim?
Question 1107
Question
What does a person have to do to become Muslim, and is anything required besides saying the shahada?
Summary of answer
A person becomes Muslim by sincerely bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. No witness, imam, mosque, fee, name change, or circumcision is required, and Islam wipes away what came before (Muslim 121) while keeping every good deed (Bukhari 1436). There is no compulsion in religion (2:256): take your time, keep your family close, and learn the practice step by step.
﴿لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ﴾
There is no compulsion in religion. The right way has become distinct from error.
Answer
الحمد لله Praise be to Allah.
Becoming Muslim is one of the simplest and most beautiful acts a person can take. You become Muslim by bearing witness, sincerely and with understanding, that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger. Nothing else is required: no ceremony, no fee, no witnesses, no new name. The rest of the practice is learned over time, at a pace you can carry, and Allah welcomes you exactly as you are.
How do you become Muslim?
The Prophet ﷺ said that Islam is built on five pillars, and the first is the testimony of faith:
«شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ»
“Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
To become Muslim, say: Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūlu Allāh (“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”).
The first half is tawḥīd: the One God, Creator of all, the same God worshiped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them), with no partner and no rival. The second half accepts Muhammad ﷺ as the final messenger in that long line, and the Quran he brought as Allah’s word. The Muslim creed rests on these and on belief in the angels, the scriptures, the prophets, the Last Day, and Allah’s decree (What do Muslims believe? The six articles of faith). You do not need to master all of it first. A sincere heart and a true testimony are enough to begin.
Do you need witnesses or a mosque to convert to Islam?
No. The shahada is between you and Allah, and it counts the moment you say it with conviction. Many converts choose to say it at a mosque, surrounded by people who will celebrate with them, and that is a lovely thing to do. A certificate from a mosque can help with practical matters later, such as a marriage contract or a visa for Hajj, but it is paperwork, and your Islam does not depend on it.
Many scholars recommend a full bath (ghusl) after accepting Islam, following the report that the Prophet ﷺ told Qays ibn ʿAsim to wash with water and lote leaves when he came to embrace Islam (Sunan Abi Dawud 355). The schools differ on whether it is required, and no one should delay their shahada for it.
What happens to my past?
When ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAs came to pledge himself to the Prophet ﷺ, he pulled his hand back and asked first to be forgiven. The Prophet ﷺ answered:
«أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ الإِسْلاَمَ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ»
“Do you not know that Islam wipes away whatever came before it?”
The good you did is kept. Hakim ibn Hizam asked about the charity and the kindness to family he had done before Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ told him, “You have embraced Islam along with all the good you did before” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1436).
Do converts have to change their name or be circumcised?
A new name is not required. Most of the Companions kept the names they were born with, and the Prophet ﷺ changed only a few names with bad meanings, such as ʿĀṣiya (“disobedient”), whom he renamed Jamīla (Sahih Muslim 2139a). See Do converts to Islam have to change their name?
Circumcision is a Sunnah practice and the schools differ on whether it is required, but it was never a condition of becoming Muslim. When an official named Malik ibn al-Mundhir had elderly converts from Kaskar in Iraq examined and circumcised in winter, and some of them died, al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 728) was appalled:
«وَلَقَدْ أَسْلَمَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الرُّومِيُّ وَالْحَبَشِيُّ فَمَا فُتِّشُوا عَنْ شَيْءٍ»
“Byzantines and Abyssinians accepted Islam with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and they were not examined for anything.”
More on this in Is circumcision required in Islam?
What about my family?
Becoming Muslim brings you closer to your family. The Quran tells a believer whose parents do not share the faith to keep them company in this world with kindness:
وَصَاحِبۡهُمَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَعۡرُوفٗاۖ
“And keep them company in this world with kindness.”
When Asmaʾ bint Abi Bakr asked whether she should welcome her mother, who had not accepted Islam, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Yes, keep the bond with your mother” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2620). Visit your parents, share their holidays and their table, and let them see the faith in your gentleness.
Should I take my time?
Yes. “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256), and a decision of the heart deserves care. Read, ask questions, visit a mosque, and speak with Muslims you trust. No one has the right to pressure you before you are ready, or to pile rules on you after.
The Quran itself came down gradually. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) explained that the first passages spoke of Paradise and the Fire, and only once people’s hearts had settled in Islam did the rulings on lawful and unlawful come; had the first words been “Do not drink wine,” people would have said they could never give it up (Sahih al-Bukhari 4993). Learn the same way: first the prayer (How to pray in Islam), then fasting (How can a new Muslim fast Ramadan?), then the rest, season by season. Look for a community that welcomes you as you are (Are there LGBTQ-friendly and inclusive mosques?).
A closing word
بَلَىٰۚ مَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٞ فَلَهُۥٓ أَجۡرُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ
“Indeed, whoever submits his whole self to Allah and does good will have his reward with his Lord. No fear will be on them, nor will they grieve.”
Welcome home. May Allah fill your first prayer with light, and every one after it.
And Allah knows best. والله أعلم
Frequently asked questions
Can I say the shahada alone, at home or online?
Yes. The testimony is between you and Allah, and it counts wherever you say it. Many converts later say it again at a mosque with friends, for the joy of it and for a certificate that can help with practical matters.
What is the shahada in English?
"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." It is customary to say it in Arabic, and someone who cannot yet pronounce the Arabic may say it in their own language.
Do I have to learn Arabic before becoming Muslim?
No. Many Muslims around the world learn Arabic slowly over years, and the Prophet ﷺ taught simple words of praise to those who could not yet recite the Quran.
Is becoming Muslim different for women?
No. A woman becomes Muslim exactly as a man does, by the same testimony, and no one's permission is needed.
Do I have to tell my family right away?
No. Choose the time and the way with wisdom, especially if you fear for your safety. Your faith counts before Allah from the moment you believe and bear witness.
Related questions
Sources
Image: 沈澄心 (Shen Chengxin), Prayer hall of the Great Mosque of Xi'an, 2024. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.. Image credits
