AboutHayat Anne Collins Osman Expertise I can answer questions about Islamic belief and practice, accepting Islam, fiqh and fatwa, women`s issues, and marriage and family matters. I will not address questions regarding political issues.
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I have answered questions about Islam at allexperts.com and elsewhere on the World Wide Web for eight years.
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Question a friend of mine who is 19 is a hindu who is married and goes to university in portsmouth (uk)
He met some orthodox muslims before going to university who now study in manchester whom are giving him dawa to which he agrees and they are really pressureing him to become muslim. He says he is not ready yet as he needs to find the right oppurtunity to speak to his wife. He has told her indirectly but she disagrees with him.
He is hesitating to become muslim as he is married, he has hindu friends who know his family in coventry, he is studying for his degree and there are no practising muslims in portsmouth on his course. Instead they encourage him to go out to pubs and clubs, and cinemas etc. Which he does keep to a limit as he is married.
The brothers in manchester very rarely contact him and it is he who goes to visit them and not the other way round.
They are continously pressuring him to say shahadah, but he does not truely feel ready from within, and feels he will only be saying it because of the pressure.
Are they right to do so.
I have had some contact with them, and they seem the sort that are generally using him for his car, and money. They have made no effort themselves to visit him whatsoever, and i can see that they won't if and when he says shahadah.
Obviously becoming muslim is a great blessing but as he seems hesitant and there is no guidance for him at university i fear that he may apostate.
Saying shahadah is the important, but maintenance is even more important, particularly at the beginning, and in his case i know that he will be all on his own, in a foreign town.
He will have to divorce his wife who is on the same course and helping him, and leave his friends, and keep quite as he does not want his family to know whilst he is not able to support himself.
The biggest problem her is that there are no Muslims in Portsmouth who can give him the help he needs, and with all the pressures on him i don't feel that he is personally ready.
The prophet (saaw) was 40 when Islam was revealed not 19 as this is a age where you are still learning about life and different peolpe.
Obviously the sooner one says shahadah the better but his case seems a little difficult and i do really fear that he will not be strong enough on his own, and may apostate. If there were other good brothers in portsmouth then it would be good for him
Any advise please
Answer Asalamu aleykum
If he believes that Allah is One and Muhammad (s.a.w.) was Allah's messenger, then he is Muslim. He should say the shahadah immediately. None of us knows whether he will be alive tomorrow (or even ten minutes from now) and he should not let any consideration come before his relationship with Allah or prevent him from going to heaven.
Most adults who accept Islam have family and work issues, but these do not have to be addressed all at once. The most important thing is for him to make his definite decision.
As you must know, there are all kinds of Muslims, good ones and bad ones, those practicing and those who are not. All, though, will go to heaven eventually, if they believe.
It may also be that his wife will accept Islam when she learns what it is actually about. I have several Muslim friends who are former Hindus; Hindus revert to Islam every day. If not, then Allah most likely has chosen a Muslim wife for him. A Muslim wife will support him in Islam and raise his children Muslim—he certainly would not want them to be Hindu.
There are huge Muslim communities in Manchester and London. The brother should go to an imam of a large masjid or Islamic center, in Manchester, in London, or elsewhere, and explain exactly what his concerns are. Such a leader will have had extensive experience in counseling all kinds of people about Islam, and in helping new Muslims to adjust to their new lives.
