Help for New Muslims

All praises are truly due to Allah alone. It is He who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between and it is He who knows every leaf that falls from every tree.

It is Allah alone who calls people to Islam. When we fall into the trap of thinking that our words or our ideas called people, we have really missed the point and "lost the plot."

Our job is just to tell people about Islam in a sweet way, with "wise words and beautiful teaching," and leave the rest to Allah. It is always very emotional for me when someone declares Shahadah (testimony of faith in Islam) after one of my talks, because it reminds me when I did the same. It should remind us all how blessed we are to have been called to be Muslim, either from birth or later on in life. As for helping those new to Islam, this is where the real work begins.

Too many people spend so much time and energy on dawah stalls and writing books and leaflets, and then forget all about the new Muslims when they embrace Islam. It is hardly any wonder that so many of them fall away, when we give them no help at all. Without making too much fuss, we need to be available for our new Muslim brothers and sisters. They should know that there is someone to call on. Maybe we could even set up a "buddy" system and allocate a specific person to look after a specific new Muslim. This needs to be done wisely, though. Many have good intentions but do not have the necessary experience or wisdom to know how to treat those new to Islam. Above all, be patient with our new brothers and sisters, making them feel welcome and secure.