Oh Allah! Grant me pardon, have mercy on me,
guide me and grant me livelihood!

Having followed Islam for almost five 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. The main points have been categorised on the left as follows:

What is Islam?	A brief explanation of Islam.
Prayer	This section is divided into 3 pages; page 1 explains how to prepare to pray, page 2 explains when to pray, and page 3 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 to avoid.
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. I hope this sets the record straight! This section is split into two parts - one for women, one for men.
The Home	How to make your home islamically acceptable.
Customs	A few pointers to help you mix with your fellow muslims, and avoid offending them accidently.
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.

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 judgments! After all, I have only been following this religion for five 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 from following Islam altogether - unfortunately, I have seen this happen before.

If you have any comments or suggestions (i.e. you don't like the colours, or you've spotted a spelling mistake - it wouldn't be the first time!), then please feel free to Email me, or leave a message on the New Muslims Forum.