wa alaykum salam,
Welcome Brother!!
may Allah bless you!! MashaAllah.
I have a 2 questions, however:
You asked 3, but we dont mind
ask as many as you wish.
1) I have ordered a Qur'an, but it hasn't reached my house yet. So can I say my own Du'a until it comes (like asking God for forgiveness, more fiath, etc.)?
You can make Dua as much as you want. You can ask Allah for help whenever you wish.
The Quran is Allah's revealed book to all mankind. It is a mercy and guidance for everyone. It does have verses which can be read as Dua (prayers).
Reading the Quran is beneficial and important for all Muslims and it gives the reader uncountable and immense rewards.
The Prophet
said:
"There is no envy (acceptable) except in two (cases): a person whom Allah has given the Qur'an and recites it throughout the night and throughout the day. And a person whom Allah has given wealth, that he gives out throughout the night and throghout the day." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
However, actual praying and asking help from God are seperate from the reading of the noble Quran.
Before our obligatory daily prayers, you must learn how to do the ablution (Wudhu), which is the ritual cleansing. After that, you do the 5 obligatory prayers.
Article: How To Perform Wudhu
Description of the Wudhu (ablution)
We have 5 obligatory prayers which are said in Arabic. This is in keeping to the exact same words our blessed Prophet read them in. These prayers must be done in Arabic. You can read and learn the meanings of what you say. It is not too difficult, Allah will forgive any shortfall in memory or inability to speak Arabic for he is the most merciful. And Islam is easy! so dont worry, we your Muslim brothers and sisters will help you.
Step By Step Guide to the Prayer
Apart from these prayers we also have something called Dua. Which is when we put our hands together, palms facing up. We can ask Allah for anything in that prayer. We can do these prayers in any language that we want. Whether you do your prayer in English, Arabic, Urdu, Hebrew, it matters not. What matters is that you are asking Allah for help and guidance. May Allah bless you!
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
Allah the Almighty said:
O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it. It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Its chain of authorities is sound.
Allah listens to all his Ibaad (Slaves). We pray and ask for forgiveness, guidance, mercy and help from Allah alone. No other can aid us except him. May Allah accept your prayers my dear beloved brother! and all of our prayers too. I ask Allah to make it easy for you and to bring us all close to Islam and bring us as Muslims close.
2) My family isn't Muslim but Christian. My mother saw me praying and keeps telling me to "stop, you're not a Muslim". Do I have to tell her? If not, how can I hide myself when I pray? If so, how can I tell her?
If you have said your shahada and believe in it with your heart, you have said it upon your tongue, your actions must also follow from that. To live like a Muslim. That is to show your Islam, to pray, to fast and do the actions ordained by God.
However, Islam is the religion of ease and it is not essential that your family or other people know, particularly if this is a cause for trouble or harm. May Allah make it easy for you to let your family know about your decisions.
Your becoming Muslim does not effect your relationship with your mother or the rest of your family. It strengthens it. For the respect and love to the mother and the father is mentioned in the Quran. The mother has a very high status in Islam. You must always be kind to her, you must listen and obey your parents in everything they demand from you
except when it comes to our beautiful Deen (Religion). We can never obey any human in disobeying our Lord. We can not listen to our parents if they tell us to do something against Islam.
3) Is it true that I can't eat pork? If so, what other foods can I not eat?
All pork is forbidden. It is mentioned in the Quran that it is forbidden.
Our Lord, Allah the most high, the most merciful mentions in Surah Baqarah:
(2: 173)
He has forbidden you only the Maytatah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allâh (or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., on which Allâh's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
So, Pork is forbidden (the Bible also mentions that Pork is forbidden, but Christians do not follow it anymore!).
All meat that is not sacrificed with the name of Allah is forbidden. So lamb, beef, chicken is forbidden if it is not Halal. Halal meat is meat which is sacrificed by a Muslim butcher who says the name of Allah when he sacrifices it.
Fish is allowed, the things from the sea such as fish, crab meat etc is allowed. There is no need to sacrifice fish and you can buy from ordinary supermarket.
If you wish to buy chicken, lamb or beef. You can find
halal (allowed) meat in specialised Halal meat shops. these can be found in Muslim neighbourhoods of most major cities. You can ask at a Mosque inshaAllah, and they can tell you.
Any other questions my dear brother? we are here to help
Argus said:
I can't answer yet for the first one (honestly I need that answer too, since I am not good with memorization I am struggling with the Qur'an recitation in arabic after reciting the first Sura.
Brother Argus. Assalamu Alaykum.
The Prophet
said:
"Such a person as recites the Quran and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward." [Al-Bukhari]
If you find difficulty in reading or memorising the Quran, Allah will give you two rewards. Islam is easy dear brother,
"Allah intends for you ease, and does not want to make things difficult for you" [2:185];
"Verily there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves, it grieves him that you should suffer any difficulty, he is anxious for you, for the believers he is full of pity and merciful" [10:128]
Such easiness is well explained in the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah, radiya Allahu 'anhu, that the Prophet, salla Allaahu 'alaihe wasallam, said,
"Religion is easy..." [Bukhari], he also said;
"The best of your religion, is the easiest." [Ahmad]
InshaAllah with time and practise your ability to learn the prayers and Islam will get better and will flowwww. There is no need to worry, we do the best we can. We do not overburden ourselves, because we must remember that Islam is a religion of ease. Allah will bless you and reward you for your struggle in learning. We are always learning, there is not one person on this earth who is not learning!! From the day we are born to the day we are laid to rest.
May Allah give us all guidance and increase our knowledge of Islam, keep us sincere, humble and make us among the most kind and noble of his creation. Ameen!
Assalam alaykum to you both.
