Readings for New Muslims

Readings for New Muslims

Question:
Hi,

My name is Elizabeth and I’m Russian but I have been living in an Arab country for the last 10 years. I’m Christian and I’m getting married to a Muslim man. I am thinking of converting to Islam.

So, I would like to get your advice on what books should I read, to get to know more about Islam. Also, what should I do to become Muslim.

Thank you.
Answer:
In your blessed trip of learning to explore Islam, you should do some objective readings. Taking them stepwise, you would start by reading to examine the fact that Islam is the same eternal message, sent to guide humanity through all prophets, and that Qur’an revealed to Muhammad the Seal of Prophets is the last (and only book preserved intact) word of God, and could not be the work of any human being. To prove that, you can read some of books or articles dealing with Science and Qur’an, e.g.
Qur’an and Modern Science, by Maurice Bucailles
Why Islam? Proofs of Modern Science, by N. A. Haroun
A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam, by I. A. Ibrahim
You can also visit the following links:
www.Islam-Guide.com
www.Islam-for-everyone.com
www.It-is-truth.org
www.Science4islam.com
Also, being a Christian converting to Islam, you can easily discover that some of the basic tenets of Christianity are totally different and even opposite to what Jesus himself has been sent with. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus proclaim that he was more than a human prophet “the son of man”, sent to the Israelite to purify their souls and get them back to the original message of all prophets i.e. Islam. You will find also that Moses, Jesus, Isaiah and other Israelite prophets has prophesied – according to the Bible itself - the coming of Muhammad the seal of messengers. Read e.g.
Muslim – Christian Dialogue, by Hasan Baagil
Islam the True Message of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, by N. A. Haroun
Is the Trinity Doctrine divinely inspired, by M. A. C. Cave
Crucifixion or Crucifiction, by Ahmad Deedat
Resurrection or Resucitation, by Ahmad Deedat
Jesus; a Prophet of Islam, by M. Ata ur-Rahim
Muhammad in the Bible, by G. Badawi
What the Bible say about Muhammad, by Ahmad Deedat
Besides, the following sites are rich in articles:
www.Todayislam.com
www.Sulktan.org
The historical reality of the bible, both Old and New Testaments, can be ascertained, to find out that they are a collection of68 human writings, documented and collected as a sacred book several centuries after the departure of Moses and Jesus respectively. So neither of them can be considered the word of God, the only divine text preserved, by the Will of Allah is Qur’an. Read if you like:
Qur’an, Bible, and Modern Science, Maurice Bucailles
Let the Bible Speak, by A. Dimashqiyyah
The Qur’an and the Gospels; a comparative study, by M. Abu-Layla
At this point you could be, insha’-Allah, totally convinced that Islam is the authentic message of Allah to all humanity everywhere to the end of time. You need to build a broad overview of Islam as a comprehensive message and guidance addressing: elements of faith, how to worship and get near to Allah, elements of Islamic morals and behavior, as well as basic legislation for the individual and community. There are some useful primers to read at this stage, e.g.
Islam; faith and Practice, by M. M. Ahsan
Comprehensive background on Islam, by A. A. Al-Mawdudi
Islam in Brief, By M. I. El-Masry
Islam, by I. R. Al-Faruqi
Islam at a Glance, by Dar El-Falah
Islam, What is it All About, by Yahia A. Emerick
Islam in Focus, by H. Abdul-`Ati
Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam, by Yahia A. Emerick
Or visit:
www.discover-islam.com
www.understandingislam.com
You might be interested to know more about the status of woman in Islam and the Islamic concept of marriage and family. Here you can read:
Woman in Islam, by A. Limo
Woman under the shade of Islam, by G. Badawi
Family Structure in Islam, by H. Abdul-`Ati
Family Life in Islam, by Khurshid Ahmad
Or visit:
Section on “Women in Islam” in www.islaam.net
Section on “Woman’s Status in Islam and Christianity” in www.sultan.org
It could be interesting also to examine the stories and experiences of many new converts to Islam in:
Section “My Journey to Islam” on this Site (Islam-Online.net)
www.converterstoislam.org
You would now be ready to start your great trip to the world of Islam. It is very simple, you do not need any intermediary as there is no Clergy or Church-like institution in Islam. You should simply testify that belive there is no diety except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger. It is recommended, but not essential, to do that in the nearest Islamic Centre or major mosque (I am not sure of your whereabouts), and you should have a purifatory bath before going there. You need to take this step mainly to identify yourself as a Muslim, for legal and social considerations. A useful guide is the book:
Your Way to Islam, by Muhammad Sulayman Al-Ashqar, published by Kuwait Ministry of Waqfs. It is also available online at: www.al-sunnah.com/your_way_to_islam.htm, or through www.islam-for-everyone.com (this site).
You will find a variety of articles dealing with converting to islam in the section “How to become a Muslim” of the same site (al-sunnah.com)
Becoming a Muslim, you are responsible before Allah to follow His guidance and develop you belief, understanding and practice of Islam, and strive to help others to achieve the blessings you thankfully gained by becoming a Muslim. Allah blesses us all and guides us to His Righteous Path.