Become a Strong Muslim

If you are looking to affirm and live up to your Muslim identity, you can do so by focusing on your faith expression. Show pride in your identity, and seek a greater understanding of your faith. Fulfill the five pillars, and do so mindfully, devoting attention to planning your actions and completing them with attention. Convene with other Muslims, and share in efforts of fard al-kifaya at your mosque and with other groups within your community.

Steps

Strengthening Your Faith

  1. Fulfill the five pillars of Islam. Islam's Five Pillars are required for all Muslims. You must comply with them to practice Islam. To be a strong Muslim, do not waver from your observance of the pillars. Fulfill your daily obligations mindfully, and plan your occasional obligations with care. The Five Pillars are:
    • Testimony of Faith (Shahada). When you become a Muslim, you make a testimony of faith. Say aloud: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger."
    • Performance of the five daily prayers (Salah). Pray five times daily in the direction of the holy city of Mecca.
    • Make-the-Most-out-of-Ramadhan during the month of Ramadan (Sawm). Ramadan is a holy month. Observe it by praying, fasting, and performing acts of charity.
    • Almsgiving. Donate 2.5% of your savings to the poor (Zakat).
    • Making a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). If you are able, you must travel to Mecca at least once in your lifetime.
  2. Read scripture. Read the Qur'ran as often as you can. Seek an understanding of Islam directly from the source. You will strengthen your personal faith if you know the language your faith is based on. Make a practice of reading for a few minutes daily, as well as moments when you feel your faith waver or your focus on Allah falter.[1]
    • Every time you read, recite at least one verse aloud.
  3. Pray above and beyond the requirements. While you must pray five times a day, a strong Muslim may also pray at additional times when moved to do so. You may pray alone, but to strengthen your faith, head to your mosque at prayer times. Collective worship has special merit.[2]
    • While prayer must last at least five minutes, you may lengthen your time praying.
    • Vary your routine so that you feel conscious of the act of praying, and are not merely going through the motions.
  4. Donate time and money to the needy. While almsgiving is required of all Muslims, it is up the individual to determine what they can give beyond the required 2.5% of their income. If you are a high-earner, donate more than 2.5% of your income to good causes represented by trustworthy organizations. If you have extra time, volunteer at charity organizations. If you have special skills that can be helpful for others, such as TESOL training or knowledge of the law, consider donating your skills to non-profits and volunteer organizations that cannot afford to hire professionals.[3]
  5. Contribute to your community's fulfillment of fard al-kifaya. Fard al-kifaya are community obligations. Some of your community must fulfill fard al-kifaya for the benefit of the rest. For instance, if a Muslim dies, some of the Muslims in the community must get together to say funeral prayers. It's not required for every individual Muslims to say the prayers. However, if no one says the funeral prayers, the whole community is at fault.[4]
    • Step forward to fill in gaps when your community is failing to fulfill fard al-kifaya.
    • Think about the larger meaning of fard al-kifaya for your community. Could the Muslims in your community take on responsibilities toward feeding the hungry, repairing civic infrastructure, or participating in local politics?

Affirm Your Identity

  1. Stand up for yourself and other Muslims. Muslims are often portrayed negatively by various political groups to further their own ends. You don't have to engage whenever you hear an Islamaphobic statement, but you should say something if you feel safe and have the energy to do so.[5]
    • If you hear someone conflating Islam with violent extremism, you might say, "I am a Muslim, and I don't appreciate you assuming all Muslims condone violent actions. That's not based on fact, and saying it as if it were could have dangerous consequences for me and people I love."
    • Stand up for other Muslims if you see them being targeted. For instance, if you see a woman in a hijab being harassed, stand between her and her harasser and engage her in friendly conversation to take the power away from the person harassing her.
  2. Dress to express your faith. Most Muslims dress modestly, but the style of dress varies greatly by school of thought and by region. Consider your circumstances and dress in a way that expresses your religious belief.[6]
    • Even if your family does not dress in this way, you may choose to wear long sleeves or a hijab to more clearly express your identity.
    • If you do not wear any easily-recognizable symbols of Islam, consider wearing a button or using a bumper sticker with a pro-Islam message.
    • Take care of yourself. If you live somewhere where you are at physical risk for showing (or failing to show) your faith, make the compromises you need to stay safe.
  3. Join or start an affinity group. Consider joining a youth group, a volunteer collective, or a meet-up group for other Muslims. Check your Mosque to see if there are groups you can join. If you are in school, there are often affinity groups for Muslim students, or inter-faith groups other Muslim students have joined.
    • Observe holidays together, go to meetings, and organize protests, celebrations, and other events in your community.
    • Form letter-writing committees to contact your local politicians about legislation that would affect other Muslims, such as refugees from Muslim-majority countries.

Related Articles

  1. ↑ http://productivemuslim.com/recharge-your-iman/
  2. ↑ https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/9/second-pillar-of-islam/
  3. ↑ https://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-16.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e625
  5. ↑ http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow-264-3195.htm
  6. ↑ http://arabsinamerica.unc.edu/identity/veiling/hijab/
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