Muslim Revert Survival Skills: Part 1 Take it Slow

First of all, this word 'revert' is a pain in the rump.  In my opinion, it is a separatist word, making it as if new Muslims are different somehow to those who were born and raised in Islam.  I have never liked being called a 'revert' or a 'new Muslim' because it seemed somehow demeaning by those who said it.  Like my status in Islam was somehow less significant than those who were born into Islam. Like I was a plague or disease to be avoided, like I would somehow cause problems in the Ummah or steal away all the good Muslim men.

I have been a Muslim for five years now, give or take a few months.  Though I feel like I have been a Muslim my entire life.  My beliefs have never once changed, instead, I was amazed to find that Islam matched my beliefs completely.

When I took shahada I felt a weight lifted off my soul, I found that I had no one to please but God.  I found my own way and saw that there were difficult roads ahead.   The truth is, for a person who converts to Islam the road is not easy at first, especially for those growing up in Western Culture.  It is no secret that Western Culture often clashes with the obligations sent down in Hadith and Quran. Adjusting to life as a Muslim takes time, patience, and a lot of prayer.

I am hoping that this guide will help alleviate some of the pressure on those who are new to Islam, help them to have the strength to continue on, and serve as map along those bumpy roads. Inshallah.

1. Take it slow!  I cannot stress this enough.  Becoming a Muslim is much different than a Catholic becoming a Lutheran.  It involves an entire life-style change.  But Islam is not supposed to be difficult.  Even in Quran, God sent down messages in stages to encourage change slowly.  An excellent example of this is the prohibition of alcohol.  In the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ people drank a lot of alcohol.  As we know, alcohol is now prohibited by Muslims - so did God command people just give it up all at once?  No, he sent down three different messages in stages to command people to give up alcohol.  The purpose, I would imagine, was to avoid making it too difficult on people that they decided to leave Islam. I have seen this happen to enough people in five years.  They jump in head first, trying to go from newborn Muslim to sheikh (or sheikha) in a day.  The result is people become burned out, stressed, and lose interest in Islam.  They find conflicts, bumps in the road, and even u-turns. It's like they've literally tried to cram an entire lifetime of learning into a tiny period of time. This is dangerous for the psyche.  My advice? Take your time and take it one step at a time. If you are a woman, start by dressing more modestly.  You don't have to jump strait into hijab and abaya.  Take your time to adjust yourself and when you're comfortable with hijab, that's when it will be easiest for you to wear it - and that time is different for everyone.  Remember, you should be doing this to please God and no one else. Do your best to keep halal, that's what matters.  That you're trying.  It is between you and God.