A Clear Guide to Islam
This page is dedicated to Allah Almighty & my wife Betty, without whom I wouldn't be doing this now, and our parents, brothers, sisters and family in Bogor, Indonesia and in the UK...
Please visit Betty's Homepage!
Having followed Islam for over years now, I have had first hand experience of how daunting it can seem to someone who has decided to change the path that their life was leading. So many new concepts to grasp, new words and languages to learn, a new daily routine, a new diet, a new understanding of the world around us... where do you begin?!?
That is why I have decided to create this page. Here, I shall try to hand out advice on how best to adjust to your new life as a Muslim, and the first basic things you should learn. This page is also useful for those non-Muslims who wish to learn more about That is why I have decided to create this page. Here, I shall try to hand out advice on how best to adjust to your new life as a Muslim, and the first basic things you should learn. This page is also useful for those non-Muslims who wish to learn more about the basic practices, beliefs and customs of Islam. In short, this site is a guide to Islam written in clear, layman's terms wherever possible.
The main topics have been categorised as follows:
- What is Islam?
- A brief explanation of Islam.
- Tawhid & Shirk
- Tawhid is THE fundamental part of Islam, and must be followed at all times. Shirk is it's opposite and must be avoided, although it can be difficult to do so. Find out more here.
- The Islamic Calendar
- A brief guide to the Islamic calendar - its history, length, months, and special dates which occur within the year.
- Prayer
- This section is divided into three pages; the first page explains how to prepare to pray, the second page explains when to pray, and the third page explains how to pray.
- The Mosque
- Where to pray, and what to do when you get there!
- Reading
- A few hints on how to make reading, learning and reciting the Qur'an a little easier, plus some suggestions about which other texts and publications to read, and which ones to A few hints on how to make reading, learning and reciting the Qur'an a little easier, plus some suggestions about which other texts and publications to read, and which ones to avoid.
- Basic Arabic
- A beginner's guide to the Arabic alphabet.
- Food & Drink
- What we can and can't eat. Simple really. Or is it?
- Fasting
- Some do's and do-not's of fasting, plus one or two hints to help you cope.
- Appearance
- Islamic dress is often a controversial subject, especially for those who don't understand Islam. I hope this sets the record straight! This section is split into two parts - one for women, one for men.
- Home & Leisure
- How to ensure your home and leisure time conform to Islamic standards.
- Customs & Etiquette
- A few pointers to help you mix with your fellow Muslims, and avoid offending them accidentally.
- Glossary
- A brief explanation of the most commonly used Arabic terms that you're likely to come across.
- Links
- Contains links to Islamic sites relevant to this page.
- Resources & Downloads
- A collection of Islamic resources and downloads for your reference and information. In future, this will include this entire site in a single PDF file.
- Readers' Letters
- See what previous visitors have had to say.
I should point out that everything written on these pages are merely suggestions, opinions or observations drawn from my experiences as a new Muslim, not Fatwas, commandments or judgements! After all, I have only been following this religion for a few years, so I cannot claim to know everything there is to know about Islam. If you have any doubts or queries, ask your local imam.
Also take note of the hadith quoted below. It is very important that a new Muslim doesn't attempt to bite off more than he/she can chew! This could easily lead to confusion, and may even discourage you from following Islam altogether - unfortunately, I have seen this happen before.
One feature you may notice is that some Arabic words and statements on this site are displayed as a green italic link - clicking on this link will take you to a footnote containing a short definition of the word, or an ayat or hadith supporting that statement. To return to the point that you were reading, simply click on the 'return' link.
If you have any comments or suggestions, or any general questions about Islam that I may be able to answer, then please feel free to contact me by using my Feedback Form, or trying asking at my new forum. Or, if you just want to leave a short message, use my Guestbook.
"Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near perfection, and receive the good tidings that you shall be rewarded"
(Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, narrated by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him)
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