One must assume that anyone wishing to change his religion from what he was born into means that he finds the set of beliefs or practices inadequate for his spiritual development or for what he feels is the real meaning of living a religion.
While accepting Islam is simple the convert or revert should have more than a superficial understanding of the religion he has chosen and its obligations. Islam means to surrender one's will to God.If one declares, particularly in public and usually in Arabic, although it is not a legal necessity, with sincerity that there is no other god to be worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger, he would be considered to have accepted Islam. It is a contract between the individual and God and with the community of believers. He may also be asked to repeat certain statements to affirm his acceptance of the fundamental beliefs and practices and his willingness to abide by them to the best of his ability. As faith is so important one should not delay accepting Islam if one has spent some time considering this act. Today, considering the atmosphere, to become a Muslim will put the individual in some difficulties in certain societies and it should not be entered into lightly without having done some research. The punishment for giving up Islam after accepting it, that is apostasy, in an Islamic state has been considered to be death because although it is not mentioned in the Qur’an, therefore one should not enter into it lightly. Islam teaches that there is no compulsion in religion but those who enter into it and then give it up with the intention of creating doubt and as a means of attacking Islam must understand that it is considered an act of treason. Those unbelievers at the time of the birth of Islam used this method to cause confusion and were not sincere and it was considered an act of war. Some scholars are reassessing this punishment, which can only be carried out by an Islamic court, especially for those who have been born into Islam without ever having examined its teachings and practices and find that they can no longer adhere to its beliefs and practices in good faith. Obviously, such a person would be advised to keep private his loss of belief, unwillingness to accept all of the Islamic laws or his acceptance of another belief as preferable to Islam, especially in traditional Muslim societies. Today, in pluralistic, modern and democratic societies, family, neighbors and the general public may adopt measures that are no longer violent but clearly demonstrate their dislike of those who adopt Islam. He must understand that some of the beliefs of the faith he has chosen may contradict his previous beliefs and he must be ready to reject them in addition to fully understanding the basic beliefs and obligations of his new faith. In Islam, scholars have enumerated the Pillars of Faith and the Pillars of Islam and he should understand that while faith is the essential part of belief, there are actions that confirm this belief as well as acts of omission or commission that can negate or compromise this faith. They may be classified as small or big sins. Not to observe the obligatory acts would not take you out of Islam but to state that these acts are not obligatory or no longer suitable or to hold certain beliefs which go against the essence of Faith may put that individual automatically outside of Islam whether he expresses it publicly or holds it privately. Excommunication has been carried it by the Catholic Church as well as in Judaism and in Islam if a person has publicly expressed a belief or has acted in a way that insults Islam he may be treated as a heretic and may risk execution in a state governed by Islamic law. In addition, in such a state certain acts which may be considered in a secular state as in the personal area and may not even be considered even sins such as fornication and adultery have whipping and stoning as a punishment. Theft is punishable by amputation and murder by capital punishment or if accepted by the victims relatives by blood money. In order to carry out such punishments, it is generally understood that such a state has done everything necessary to prevent such crimes by providing an environment that discourages such activities. Islam is a religion of belief and practice as well as a system that deals with social, political and economic spheres of life. A Muslim can live under secular rule and is not obligated to carry out these punishments as they are only applicable in an Islamic state but he must not reject their obligatory nature. Some, who identify themselves as Muslims, reject these punishments and others as no longer being applicable in modern times. Other practices such as drinking alcohol and gambling are forbidden but have no Qur’anic punishment prescribed but the government may choose a suitable one according to the circumstances.In short, it is not simply a matter of uttering a phrase or changing one’s name or even putting on a special dress but how one acts. Of course, Islam has certain standards of dress and behavior that are required and reflect the desire of the believer to conform to Islam. Our object is to please our Creator in every aspect of life and to uphold justice and mercy for everyone whether Muslim or not.I have written the above, not as a scholar, but to try to help anyone wishing to accept Islam to be aware of the importance of carefully weighing this decision and to study the many books including available sources on the Internet and contact knowledgeable Muslims so as to enter Islam wholeheartedly.
Converts infuse new blood but they must continue to learn more about their faith and be an inspiration to those who have been born Muslims but may not be living up the best that is expected.
I hope I have not gone into too much detail, but it is information that I believe anyone planning on accepting Islam to be aware of.
I am a born Muslim from converted parents. In a sense, we are converting ourselves every day to properly represent Islam and not distort it by fanaticism and extremism. Those who use Islam to justify actions of violence that go against the clear Islamic injunctions will someday have to answer for their distortions and misrepresentations. There are those who have their own agenda who also attack Islam in order to demonize Muslims for partisan political purposes or for simple missionary propaganda.
Let us compete in the marketplace with mutual tolerance, respect and love.
