Converting to Islam

[ErikaAndHamit 73]

Yea, I wish there were more Mosques! We have only one and it is a bit more modern than most, but i am still too shy to go...my hubby tells me to go with him...but...cannot find the confidence to do so. Too bad I cannot have the best of both worlds (Islamic customs and living in the U.S)

[Kenza 1]

Yea, I wish there were more Mosques! We have only one and it is a bit more modern than most, but i am still too shy to go...my hubby tells me to go with him...but...cannot find the confidence to do so. Too bad I cannot have the best of both worlds (Islamic customs and living in the U.S)

U can! and it is possible! it might even be easier to practice the real Islam here than in a "Muslim" country that has all the traditions... U can do it

[Kenza 1]

[KittyPollitt 284]

[UmmSqueakster 54]

I wouldn't even know what to do and am afraid of making a mistake in prayers....so I prefer to pray at home the way I learned when I was young and feel Allah/God won't judge me as he is loving...I know some people may attack me for doing it all wrong, but that is between me and Allah/God......

Please do not take this as an attack, but I think the bigger mistake would be to not try praying at all. Yes, Allah (swt) is al Wadud (the Loving), and al Ghaffur (the Forgiving), but He also is al Wali (the Governor) and al Hakam (the Judge). He has created for us an order and a system to follow, and we need to do our best to follow it. It is in striving to follow this system that we will find the forgiveness from Allah (swt) for our shortcomings.

The blessed Prophet (saws) told us that the first thing we will be held accountable for on the day of judgment is our salat. Out of all of our actions, everything we do in this life, it is our prayer that is what will be the foremost action.

Do not be afraid of making mistakes in salat. If your intention is pure, inshaAllah you will be rewarded even if you make mistakes.

I learned to pray from a set of cards a sister mailed me. It has a line of Arabic, followed by the meaning in English. I would read the Arabic aloud, and then the meaning silently. After a few weeks, not only did I have the prayers memorized, but I knew what I was saying (which is incredibly important for making the prayers meaningful). I made a set of cards and have them here. If you’d like, you can pm me your address and I can mail you a set.

That isn't to say that I prayed perfectly. When I met my husband in Egypt a few years after, he asked me to recite what I say in my prayers, and low and behold, I had been pronouncing things wrong. But then, at that point I could build from what I had already learned and worked to perfect it further. Even now, nearly 9 years later, I still review my Arabic pronunciation with AbuS on occasion and find there are things I need to tweak. Heck, even AbuS, a native Arabic speaker who's been praying for close to 3 decades still needs to review his tajweed.

Islam isn't about perfection. It's about submission to Allah (swt). We submit to what He has revealed and what the Prophet (saws) taught, and when we fall short, we repent and seek forgiveness. That's why Allah (swt) and the Prophet (saws) taught us how to repent, and taught us to ask for forgiveness. If we were expected to be perfect, they wouldn't have bothered to emphasize that.

Don't worry about falling short. The Prophet (saws) was the best example, and even he made mistakes. The important thing is that when we do make mistakes, we realize it, and if it's a sin, we repent, and if it's just a mistake, we try to improve.

Re: fitting in. Sometimes you've just got to do it, as the old slogan goes. I moped for years that no one talked to me at the masjid, and then one Ramadan, I just decided to take charge. I sat with ladies and initiated conversations. I cooked and brought food for potlucks. I went to community events. I still wouldn't say I'm 100% comfortable with everyone, but it's a lot better.

I have found that I tend to get along better with other converts. We commiserate about how we don't fit in in the community, lol. But seriously, we do often share similar backgrounds and life experiences, and have the commonality that we chose to practice this religion, rather than just doing it by default.

Also, if you can find women your age, it might help. It's mainly middle age women at the masjid I attend, and I think a lot of our problem is that we're just at different places in our lives. When I was in college, I hung out with girls my own age through the MSA and we got along fabulously, even if they were raised in muslim families and I was a convert.

Edited December 17, 2009 by UmmSqueakster

[Golden Gate 530]

"I made a set of cards and have them here. If you’d like, you can pm me your address and I can mail you a set. "

Thanks for posting these prayers. Very helpful.

[ErikaAndHamit 73]

Thanks so much for the willingness to want to help me by sending me cards (I will take you up on your offer gratefully) and sharing your opinion. I did not take it as an attack at all. It is the truth, only I am afraid, but I need to take that step and try.

Anyone else have any success stories? I would love to hear them!