How to Become a Strong Muslim

A strong Muslim has faith which gives him inner and outer strength.If you follow these steps you are well on your way to become a true Muslim and be the love of God.

Steps

1. Accept that God Almighty exists and His attributes are beyond our imagination. He is capable of everything and anything. Faith in God is essential. Accept that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of a long line of Prophets that started with Adam, through Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and everyone in between. Accept that the Holy Quran is the last and true word of God.
2. Pray sincerely. Affirm that God is close to you. Always pray on time, never delay. Never do things that will only prevent you to do things that are much more important. Nothing is much more important than obeying what God asks of you. While working or studying, halt everything you are doing and go to the nearest mosque to pray. If somebody were to ask you where you are heading, say that you are answering God's call to prayer.
3. Pray in the middle of the night. Pray when most people around you are sleeping soundly. The name of the prayer is Tahajjud. However to perform this special voluntary prayer, you must have some sleep first, even if it is very short. The night is the most efficacious time to pray.
4. Recite His name every time. Also known as Zikr in Muslim terminology, reciting His name will ultimately make you a strong Muslim because you are constantly reminded of what good He has done for you.
5. Be grateful for everything you have. The more thankful you are the more you will realize how much you have been blessed. And by doing this, God willing, you will be stronger because you will believe that God is present.
6. Protect your chastity. You need to know that adultery is a sinful act and always avoid it. This applies to both men and women. Women should not wear tight or revealing clothes, and men should always lower their gaze and guard their modesty.
7. Keep to your promise. If you feel that you could not manage something, just inform that person so. Abiding to your promise will ultimately make you trustworthy person.
8. Respect the opinion of others. No opinions are bad or stupid. You should treat them as gems. Without opinions, things will never get better. If you do not like any idea, do not invalidate them but add on to the idea to improve it.
9. Fast for the right reasons. Not because you want to impress others, nor because you want to feel superior in terms of popularity when you get fitter later. Fast with the intention to please only Allah, and to get the reward for fasting. Also fast because you will be able to perform salat correctly and also because you want to be responsible over your health. Nevertheless fast because of remembering those who do not have privileges like food and water. Fast twice a week, preferably on Mondays and Thursdays. Fast during the month of Ramadan and also on the day of Arafah which is on the 9th of Zulhijjah. God will forgive all the sins you have done the one year before and after if you fast during the day of Arafah.
10. Never lie. It should be emphasized again. God hates his adherents to lie to others. Your integrity will directly have an impact towards your dignity. People will look high upon you if you are honest and true to whatever you say. Unless the lie will actually cover up somebody else's shame or will avoid distress for everybody. For instance, if your friend have stolen money from his parents, you should not tell others that your friend had once stolen money.
11. Be good to your wife, if you are a man. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said that "The best of you is he who is the best to his wife". Be kind to her, always support her and allow her an equal share in decision making and property ownership.
12. Struggle towards goodwill. Sacrifice your time and visit the mosque if there is a lecture. Forfeit your property to those who needs it more than you do. In other words, always give charity. The recipient will be thankful that you have given them aid in their daily life. Remember, the one who gives is better than than one who receives.
13. Practice felicity towards everything. Be gentle and good-hearted not only to your parents, but to your cousins, to your friends, to the flora and fauna around you. Always protect the surroundings. Never ever be aggressive towards the animals. You can always protect the environment by throwing rubbish properly and using the common transport.
14. Be gracious towards your parents. They have worked hard to bring home food. Your mother has suffered all the pain just to bring you to this world. What have you done to say thanks to them? They have brought joy to your life by buying you presents every now and then. Have you acknowledged that and appreciated them? Do whatever they expect of you and you will be fine.
15. Never sough over your loved one's death. Know that God did that because He loves your loved ones even more than you do. Accept that death is a resting phase for your loved ones against all the trouble this world can bring about.
16. Never waste your Time on useless things. The wasters will be the brother of Satan. At day of judgement, some items/properties are going to talk for the reason you wasted/damaged the properties.
17. Read the Quran/Hadith Regularly. It will keep your iman stronger. It will keep your soul pure. You'll get su'ab for every letter you said.

Tips

• Establishing the 5 daily prayers is a MUST. The more you make these daily, the more you will see yourself coming back to Islam and becoming a better Muslim.
• You must not waste food and water because you must be gratefull for what you have.
• If you are a Muslim convert, learn the Islamic basic teaching gradually as to avoid misunderstandings.
• Seek knowledge of Islam. From your local community to lectures, books and articles online, there's a lot available.
• Read the Quran with translation every single day. Even if its just a few lines.
• If you did something wrong once, immediately ask for forgiveness (Tawbah) from Allah. He is the most Merciful, never give up coming back for forgiveness.
• If you have commited a great sin, don't disappoint because Allah forgives every sin. Allah says in Quran, "O people never disappoint the mercy of Allah come back to me I will forgive you." So run to Allah and Allah will be with you.

Warnings

• Be careful of aberrant teaching which actually does not teach correct Islamic knowledge.
• Realize how important it is to only eat Halal foods (food, mainly meat, which is killed in accordance of the Islamic rites).
• Don't drink alcohol. In general, what a large amount of makes you drunk, you are forbidden to have a small amount of.
• Try and follow all the regulations of Islam. Doing so is like wearing a white shirt. not following a regulation is like staining that shirt until it becomes a different shirt, and you become no longer a Muslim.

How to Be a Successful Muslim Husband

Being a good husband is important in any marriage. Marriage should be a partnership of sorts, no matter what the religion. Two people who join together should learn to live with each other, each giving to each other, instead of always taking.

Steps

1. Begin with a good greeting: When you return from work or travel, greet her. Start with "As Salaamu Alaikum". Smile to her. Give her a kiss. Tell her you love her, she will never forget this. There is always time for telling bad news.Have a sense of humor. Joke around. Play games with her.
2. Listen to her: Give her your attention when she speaks.
3. Talk with her: Talk with her about her feelings and your good memories.Spend time talking together. Postpone telling bad news to her until a suitable time. Look for the most suitable way to convey bad news.
4. Be Cheerful: Be happy, cheerful, friendly and gentle when you meet your wife.
5. Help her: Doing housework is not easy. You have a share of the housework too. Especially if she is sick or tired, don't wait untill she asks you to help.
6. Be Honest: Avoid telling her lies. If you're not truthful with her, she will never trust you. Always tell her the truth.
7. Consult her: Let her feel her opinion is important to you. Change your decision if she has a better opinion.
8. Thank her: Thank her for all the nice things she does, this will give her self-confidence.
9. Bring her a gift: It should not be an expensive gift, but is should be something she likes.
10. Listen to her Halal Demands: Let her improve you as a person. Encourage her to enjoin people to righteousness and discourage people from sinning. Encourage her to meet with her good friends and relatives. Take her out for halal entertainment. Entertain her yourself in halal ways!
11. Be nice to her in bed: Adhere to Islamic etiquitte of marriage and sex. Have a healthy intimate life with her and encourage and praise her during that. Incorporate halal means to improve your love life and her satisfaction.
12. Make Dua: Ask Allah to help you achieve and maintain excellent relations with your wife.

    Tips

    • Help her in serving Allah. Wake her up in the last third of the night to pray "Qiyam-al-Layl". Teach her what you know of the Quran, Hadith, Tafseer and Dhikr.
    • Take her to Hajj and Umrah whenever you afford to do so.
    • Take her to visit her family frequently but especially at some occasions.
    • Be generous. Give her enough money. Never wait until she asks for that.
    • trust her, love her, understand her.
    • treat her generously.
    • Understand her fair needs and necessities and try his best to fulfill them.
    • Always share with her (some joke, special moments of your Business/Job/any profession, any emergency news, family matters, own habits).
    • Arrange some parties/sittings with your best friends' families in order to strong your family relation, expand her vision, and in this way she also able to support you in your outside matter.

    Warnings

1. Never blame your wife for the bad cooking of the food. If you like the food, eat and thank her. If you don't like the food, say nothing.
2. Don't insult her. If you've hurt her feelings, say "I'm sorry" and try to please her.
3. Don't describe other men to her. Don't compare other women with her.
4. Avoiding excess Gheerah. Don't prevent her from answering the phone. Give her space so she wont feel suffocated
5. Avoid shaming her such as insulting her
6. Avoid returning at an unexpected time or at night, she may start to get suspicious.
7. Never blame her without any strong evidence.
8. Never break her trust not even in joke.

How to Stop Believing in Horoscopes

Do you constantly check out the horoscopes in magazines or on the internet? Do you ever base your week's plans around what your horoscope says? Do you discriminate against those who you date based on their sign compatibility? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this is the article for you!

Steps

1. Convince yourself that horoscopes are just for fun and do not mean anything. Do this by following these steps:
   
   
   • Check your horoscope (hopefully for the last time!)
   • Look at what your horoscope says. Then look at a different sign's horoscope. Can they both be applied to you? Then try looking at all the different signs. See how general they are? At least a few can be applied to anyone- which proves that they are not legitimate at all.
2. Think about your friend's signs. Do their personalities REALLY match the personalities that the horscope claims them to have? Do the people born in the same month as you act exactly like you? You will see that this is not the case - everyone has some stonger personality traits, but they don't necessarily correspond to what a "Leo" or "Taurus" is said to have.
3. Look up the history of horoscopes, and see how they are just a pseudo-science. One of the dilemnas that horoscopes have always had is in the case of twins. Twins seldom have the same fortune and many have different styles and personality. If horosopes were real, they'd act exactly the same and have the same love life and fortune. This is simply not true!
4. Think about any previous loves, and the people that you get along with very well. Do they all have the same sign (that is compatible with yours?) Not likely. Horoscopes cannot predict people's personality, and in turn, cannot predict people's compatibility with eachother. Chemistry is alot more complicated than the month when you were born!
5. Think of how silly the concept really is whenever you read a horoscope. People born of the same month do not have the same personality, and you don't always see sparks with people who have a compatible sign. You will not have good fortune on a certain day because a magazine tells you so. Those magazines are just there to be fun and sell papers to people like you.
6. Hopefully you have been convinced that horoscopes are not accurate. It will help if you just stop looking at them, and live your life on your own terms. Have fun, and don't worry about what a magazine column says!
   
   

Tips

• The majority of people do not believe in horoscopes. This may be an incentive to think of how silly you look to other people when they find out that you truly believe in them.
  
  
• Basing your life around horoscopes is destructuve to your life. If, after reading this article you just can't shake the belief in them, it may help to go to a therapist.

How to Find the Qibla for Prayer

We often find ourselves in nature or in another place where we don't know the geographical orientations. For Muslims, this can be a source of distress because when you don't know the appropriate orientation for Al Qibla, one feels uncomfortable to perform their prayers to an arbitrary orientation. The "Qiblah" is the direction towards which the Muslim prays. This direction is towards the Kabaa in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. We will explain here how to find the right orientation.

Steps

1. Locate where you are in regards to Makkah, Saudi Arabia
2. Turn towards that direction.

Using The Sun

Instead of using a compass, you may wish to use the sun, taking into account the time of day and year, and location, and that the sun rises in the east and sets towards the west.

1. You need an accurate watch with arms. If you don't have one you can imagine yourself wearing one.
2. Make the shorter arm of your watch oriented to the sun:
   • The median between the shorter arm of your watch and the 12 sign is the orientation of the south.
   • If you find the south then you can find your orientation and thus the one of the Qibla in the location you are in. Look at the south, the north is behind you, the east is on your left and the west is on the right.
3. Keep in mind that the sun moves from the east (at the sun rise) to the south (at noon) to the west (at sunset).

Tips

• If you know that you'll go in a picnic or that you'll need to know an orientation, be sure to watch the sun and remember how to find you orientation.
• QiblaDirection.com will use GoogleMaps to draw a line between your location and Makkah. You can then use your local surroundings to know which direction to pray in. What is more, is that this site is mobile phone friendly.
• If you have a PDA, there are some free Islamic softwares that can show you Al Qibla during day light or night based on your location and the location of the sun and the moon!
• You may wish to use a compass to find the correct direction after finding which direction to face (ex. from Detroit, MI you face NE)
• You can use a service such as Islamic Finder to locate where the qiblah is from different places around the world
• Mosques face towards the Qiblah, or have lines on the ground showing you where to stand
• You may ask someone which way it is
• Prayer mats are sold which contains a compass pointing towards the Qiblah
• In the UK all Sky Satellite dishes point towards Qibla, so just point and pray if you're really stuck!

Warnings

• The sun rises and sets in different places depending on the time of year(summer vs. winter) you may not have that problem if you live somewhere with no seasons
• to use a compass on a prayer mat, you need to know your city or metropolitan area's code.

How to Be a Muslim

Being a good Muslim may be hard, doing things like keeping up with prayers and all the rules you have to follow. One article is nowhere near enough to learn all about Islam, but here are a few tips and steps to get you started.

STEPS:

1. Learn about the most important parts of Islam, things like the five daily prayers: Fajr, Zuhr/Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. Learn about the other five pillars, too. Remember to persevere with these prayers! It always seems a little like too much at first, but when you think about it, you're only putting aside a few minutes every time you pray.
2. You can learn a lot from translations of the Qur'an, the most accurate guide to being a Muslim that there is.
3. Some of these translations may be harder to understand than others, however Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Pickthall are the two most common.
4. Learn about certain things such as how to fast in the holy month of Ramadan. You can even get help from other Muslims who have more experience than you. Fasting is always difficult at first, but after a week you'll be completely used to it.
5. Say the declaration of faith: There is only One God, and Muhammad (Peace be Upon him) is His messenger (Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa-Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasulallah).
6. Learn to live as a Muslim. Remember, a religion is not a part-time thing...it is for all the time. Islam is a way of life. You can look at chapters of the Qur'an and Hadiths of the Prophet to help you with certain things.
7. There are books with detailed step-by-step guides on how to complete your five daily prayers. This may also seem like a lot to remember if you are praying for the first time, but you can start by learning about the easier prayers at first, like Fajr.
8. There are specific things to do with hygiene and cleanliness, how to act around others, etc. You can look for books on these topics.

TIPS:

• Remember Allah (God) is always with you.

• There are lots of small books to advise new Muslims about how to behave, talk, etc. Islam isn't just about reading the Qur'an or whatever, it's the way you live your life.
• Your religion should show through in your behavior. Muslims are not permitted to lie, gossip or badmouth others. A Non-Muslim deserves your respect just as much as a Muslim does.
• Search online. You can find many islamic websites that tell you rules of Islam.
• There are two main sects in Islam, the Sunnis and Shias. Follow the one which you think is the right one after research. Avoid other sects such as the Wahabbis/Salafis (puritan fundamentalists) and Sufis (not true monotheists). Make sure you are guided to the right group.

WARNINGS

• Remember to read the Qur'an correctly.
• Not everything you hear or read about Islam is true.
• Islam is usually negatively portrayed in the media, and the majority of people are not given the main idea of the peaceful nature of this religion. Do not try to force your opinions on others.
• If you really want to learn about Islam, then you should listen to Muslims that you trust because not any one with a huge beard is Muslim and not any one wearing anything else is not.
• Don't forget about your family members--how will they react when you tell them you are becoming a muslim? They might not be too happy about it, but don't let them change your choice to become a muslim. Be ready to explain, firmly and calmy, why you chose to be a muslim. Say things like, "It's my choice to what religion I want to follow." Remember, being a muslim might change a few things in your life that you were used to!

How to Act According to the Five Pillars of Islam

Islam is a complete way of life which contains guidance on all aspects of life in great detail. From managing your finances, to family law, to inheritance, and even the smaller topics like keeping clean and washing your vegetable. However, there are five basic "pillars" of Islam which "hold up" your faith. These duties are incumbent on every Muslim. Read on to find out how to live according to them.

STEPS:

1. Believe in the Unity and Oneness of Allah Belief in Tauhid, or the Oneness of Allah is the basic tenet of Islam on which all other practices are based
   
   
   • Recite the Shahadah, which reads "'ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh", or "I testify that there is no God (ilah) but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah". It is remarkable how much a simple recitation of the shahadah can help prepare you for the challenges of life. A reminder that Allah is Almighty, All-Powerful can be very encouraging and comforting.
   • Watch out for shirk!. Shirk is the sin of associating partners with Allah and the only unpardonable sin in Islam. There are many categories and sub-categories of shirk. Watch out for them.
     • Shirk in Lordship is of two types. Shirk by association and shirk by negation. Shirk by association comes from believing anyone other than Allah to be God. The belief that the souls of saints and other righteous humans can affect the affairs of this world is shirk. Bear in mind that even a prophet can not get a person's sins forgiven - not even his close relatives'. Shirk by negation comes from denying the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. That is, in some cases God's non-existence is stated (Atheism), while in other cases His existence is claimed, but the way in which He is conceived actually denies His existence (e.g. Pantheism)
     • Shirk in attributes is, again, of two types. Humanization is the act of attributing human or animal attributes to God, while Deification is the act of giving Allah's attributes to his creation, or claiming them. The former happens when God is portrayed like one of his creations (usually a human being), for example in paintings and idols, or he is said to possess human attributes like reproduction or the need of bodily organs etc. Deification occurs when a creation is said to have, or claims to have, Allah's attributes, for example during the era of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) there was a man in a region of Arabia called Yamamah, who claimed to be a prophet and took the name Rahman which, in Islam, belongs only to God.
     • Shirk in worship arises from worship directed towards someone other than God, or from seeking reward from the Creation rather than the created. This includes making dua, salaat, some other form of worship, or asking for help, from someone besides Allah. Beautifying or prolonging prayer because someone else is watching is also shirk and comes under this category.
2. Establish Prayer. Prayer, or Salaat is an obligation on all Muslims. Start by praying the zuhr, asr, and maghrib prayers, as the fajr prayer might be too early and the ishaa prayer too long. Make a habit of performing all the compulsory as well as the optional rakaats. After one week, start waking up early and incorporate the fajr prayer into your schedule. Then move on to the ishaa prayer. Try to keep up the habit of performing all five daily prayers. Remember that missing prayer is excused only under certain special circumstances and is otherwise unacceptable.
3. Start fasting in Ramadan. Sawm is the Arabic word for fasting, and becomes obligatory on every Muslim after puberty. Of course, as different people experience puberty at different ages, it becomes obligatory at a different time for everybody. You can leave a fast if you are traveling, sick such that you need medication or that a lack of food will worsen your condition, or, if you are a woman, while menstruating. You can make it up later by fasting when Ramadan is over.
   • Fasting starts at fajr. The fajr adhaan signals the start of the day's fast. It is preferable to eat a small meal before fajr. Eating a few dates and drinking water provides enough energy for the day.
   • During the day, you are to abstain from eating food, drinking water, using foul language, and engaging in sexual activity. If you eat or drink by mistake i.e. you forget that you are fasting, your fast is not broken. In case that happens, throw out whatever is in your mouth and rinse your mouth with water, and continue fasting as usual. If you break a fast intentionally by drinking, eating, or having sex, you either fast for 60 consecutive days, feed and clothe 60 needy people, 'or' free a wrongfully accused Muslim, and there are many nowadays.
   • You "open" your fast at the time of the Maghreb prayer. This time is signaled by the Maghreb azaan. Most Muslims would eat a few dates and drink some water, following the sunnah of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), and follow it with a meal after the Maghreb prayers.
4. Pay Zakaat if you are self sufficient. Muslims with savings above the nisaab are considered to be self-sufficient. 2.5% of your savings are to be paid annually to poor people, freed prisoners, those heavily indebted, or new converts to Islam, in certain cases. It is also good to use Zakaat to help out needy family members. However, Zakaat can not be paid to some family members i.e the wife, children, parents, and grandparents, because their financial needs are already your responsibility. Please seek help from a religious expert for details on nisaab and zakaat to be paid on gold and silver (e.g. jewelery) and land e.t.c. Zakaat is paid on the money that you have had for a whole year.
5. Perform Hajj. This is the pilgrimage to Mekkah that every able Muslim must perform once in his lifetime. Able is defined in terms of finances as well as physical health, so it is advisable to perform the Hajj when young, if able to.