Conversion, do you need witnesses?

No, you don't. I'm not making fatwa here but this is a question I've spent more than 8 years researching, and have asked the people of knowledge that I have access to, and despite an opinion here or there, which will generally say it might be recommended for reasons x,y, or z, it is neither a condition nor precondition for the validity of one's shahadah. I took my shahadah a second time nearly 2 years after my first because some well-meaning sisters wanted to ensure everything was okay. So we went to the masjid and I said it again in front of 5 people (2 brothers behind the curtain and 3 sisters on my side of the partition), at which point the brother said I should begin to learn al-Fatiha, which I mentioned that I had already learned. If a person is ready to take their shahadah, there is no need to delay it. I've heard so many stories where a person was ready to take his or her shahadah on the weekend but was “waiting” until after the following jumu'ah or some other later date to embrace Islam. None of us can be certain when we will die and in an issue as critical as faith, it's better to hasten to enter the fold of Islam.

Muslim Name?

What is a Muslim name? How do you define, identify, and categorize it? Is it anything more than the name a Muslim carries? So that a name like Ify Okoye is by default a Muslim name once the said Ify Okoye becomes Muslim? Not so, for so many of our brethren. A Muslim name for a convert should be Arabic, preferably a name shared by a prophet in Arabic or a companion of one of the prophets. So after trying to resist the pressure of those well-meaning but insistent Muslims I encountered that I take on a “Muslim name” one Nigerian brother who rode the same bus route as me finally said I should take the name Zainab as I reminded him of his little sister and so the name stuck. Much easier to integrate into the community with a name like Zainab, which everyone recognizes and can pronounce rather than Ify much less Ifeoma. You'll get more “I didn't know you were a convert” rather than the “Are you Muslim?” comments and looks, which I still get even today. And just as a matter of da‘wah and choosing your battles wisely with your non-Muslim family, I think it would be good to see more converts retaining their given names.

Resist the urge and pressure to get married 5 minutes after your conversion

At least wait for 10 minutes. Two things about marriage, if you are still on good terms with your family (and may Allāh reconcile those who are not) tell your family beforehand and try to get them involved in the process and beware of your waliespecially if he's not your dad because he may have other than your best interests at heart.

It's okay to retain the good from your culture and manners

It's okay to speak in English. Saying shukran is not more holy and does not make you more religious than saying thank you. There is no hadith that says eatingbiryani for iftar is more rewarding than eating baked chicken and macaroni and cheese. Depending on where you live, converting to Islam is also like converting todesi or Arab or insert whichever culture predominates cuisine and dress. If you are accustomed to arriving on time for events, continue to do so even after your conversion. Islam is a beautiful way of life, which does not ask us to abandon the good from our cultures in order to convert but rather part of the strength of the Islamic tradition comes from its being able to encompass a variety of cultures.

Enjoin Ties with your Family

Don't break off ties with your family. The responses to my conversion within my family were diverse from intensely hostile to supportive to somewhat indifferent. It requires much more patience to interact with and display excellent manners to those who are hostile to you especially from your family and close friends as they know how to push all of your buttons. And it requires wisdom, something often lost in that new convert zeal and fervor to implement the religion as much as possible. Don't be afraid to apologize to your family for past behavior even if you think you were right because in the end we seek to call them to our faith and not simply to score brownie points in arguments.

Get your Salah and other Ibadah on – learn to read Arabic and the QurʾānNo one can learn this religion all at once. In the early stages, I recommend that the new convert begin by learning about who Allāh is and Islam through reading theQurʾān. Translations are good in the beginning but nothing compares to reading and understanding the Qurʾān in the original Arabic language in which it was revealed. Learn about the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam and his companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) and you will come to know and love them. Focus on learning, practicing, and perfecting the fundamentals like purification, ṣalāh, and fasting before going into the finer details of more esoteric debates.May Allāh azza wa jal help us to remain sincerely steadfast upon this deen. Āmīn.

http://muslimmatters.org/