Hello, i'am a 25yr old female and I live in the UK. I am not a muslim but i have been learning about Islam for the past year or so. I truely believe that there is one god (Allah) and I believe in the prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. I want to convert and I know I should not hesitate in doing so but i am hesitating. My main problem is that I worry what others will think. I know I should be happy because i have found Islam, and i am but at the same time i am so sad, really sad.
I'm sad because my parents are athiests and they will not understand and might be angry. I'm sad because i want them to believe in Islam. I'm sad because although i want to follow Islam, i don't know how strong i am at giving up the things i enjoy (alcohol, smoking). I know this may be easy for some people but going out on a weekend with the girls for a few drinks has always been normal for me. I am worried about my friends reactions and i am sad because I feel like i'm leaving behind my old life. Eventually i might feel like i can't be around my friends because i may feel pressured to drink alcohol or smoke and i am scared at the thought of loosing my friends. I just worry and feel stressed about everything. All these thoughts are in my head and it's driving me crazy.
Anyway.. Is there anyone out there who worried about any of the things i'm worried about? I am glad I found this site. Thank you.
Salaam Aleykom sister, I know exactly what you going through and I had the same thoughts going through my mind at one point before I reverted. You are already a Muslim when you state you believe in God and his messenger. As our brother AK has beautifully explained, the Quran did not come over night but it was revealed in stages and the revelations took 23 years.
The first thing the Prophet(saaws) did was not preach against alcohol, fornication, adultery, etc but he started with Allah, the concept of God, tawheed(pure monotheism), and about the most important things. After the people understood the general message and knew their purpose in life, the rest followed naturally. The prophet's wife, Aisha(ra) reported that had the prophet started preaching about fornication, adultery, alcohol, etc, no one would have followed him, but he started with God, hereafter and people followed him in masses. This is no different for the rest of us. as you stated, for some people it easy to give up bad habits almost immediately and for others it takes time. Islam is all about sincere effort and striving for God. Allah is the most merciful, forgiving and appreciative. He knows us better than ourselves but He desires sincere effort and submission to His will.
In my case I started with learning more and more, the more I read, the more I loved it. I accepted Islam on my own by making shadah with Allah as my witness and somethings I stopped over night while it took me longer on other things. For example, I didn't start doing my 5 daily prayers right away even though I should have and I regret it now since it is so helpful and makes life better. So my advise to you would be make shadah, embrace Islam and work on the rest step by step. As for your friends and family, I know all about that and I come from a very prejudice community but I couldn't let it stop me. I kept a secret for a little while until one day I made it public online on one of their forums and I was met with the worse hostility and foul language ever experienced but it didn't stop me. I remembered that God is my Creator and he also created everyone and everything else. Who should I fear, my parents or God who created me and them? The answer is simple and it is a small price to pay compared to having truth, being on the right way and enjoying the good of the hereafter.
This life is short and has good and bad but the hereafter is not so. If you embrace Islam and start practicing it, others will see the good in you and perhaps they'll find the truth in Islam too, inshaAllah(God willing). I hope all works out and may Allah wa Ta'ala make your journey easy for you ameen.