Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

[Jlk9]

Salam

Okay so I have reverted to Islam (said shahadah in front of friends), but my family don't want me to change my beliefs (they want me to keep believing in Hinduism), yet I have converted to Islam and pray salah in my room.
I get worried when praying because my family might walk in or call me and I won't be able to answer. I also can't live an Islamic life because of this and what my family think.
I'm not sure on what I should do about all this :confused:

Help / tips would be very much appreciated :D

[neelu]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

Mashallah congratulations on your conversion to Islam. May Allah (swt) make you steadfast and guide your family towards the deen as well- ameen.

It's hard for me to offer advice without knowing much about your home and family situation as each conversion situation is different. Some people still manage to live with their non Muslim families for a while if the family can show tolerance towards their beliefs whereas others face so much abuse that they are forced to leave and I don't know which category applies to you. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Are you male or female? I ask because what I'm about to say might not be practical to implement if you're still in your early or mid teens.

I ask because to be on the safe side, I often think that if the convert is old enough, then it's often prudent to try and become as independant as possible, find a job or something. I say that just in case one way or the other (ie your family kick you out of the house or else show so much hostility towards Islam that your stay at their house becomes untenable) you have to leave home and need some way to stand on your own two feet inshallah. Sorry the purpose of my post wasn't to scare you but I hear things and want to make sure you stay safe regardless of how everyone else reacts.

[Rouz]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

Salam

Okay so I have reverted to Islam (said shahadah in front of friends), but my family don't want me to change my beliefs (they want me to keep believing in Hinduism), yet I have converted to Islam and pray salah in my room.
I get worried when praying because my family might walk in or call me and I won't be able to answer. I also can't live an Islamic life because of this and what my family think.
I'm not sure on what I should do about all this :confused:

Help / tips would be very much appreciated :D

Wa alaykum assalaam,

congrats on your conversion and may Allah swt keep you firm upon the religion and guide your family, ameen.

Nobody can force you to have a certain belief, as that is something internal in your heart. If your family are generally not hostile or anything maybe this is just how they will be in the initial early phasses of your conversion, they might still think you will change your mind because you are just new to islam. I say just keep at it and theyll get used to it inshaAllah once they realise you are serious

Can you lock your room while you pray? I dont see anything wrong with not replying, just say you are praying or if you dont feel like saying that just yet just say sorry you were busy, as thats the truth but indirect.

What other aspects are you having difficulty with? Cos other things from islam, e.g. being good to parents, neighbours, staying away form forbidden things such as alcohol, fornication are all quite easy to stay away from.

[Jlk9]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

Mashallah congratulations on your conversion to Islam. May Allah (swt) make you steadfast and guide your family towards the deen as well- ameen.

It's hard for me to offer advice without knowing much about your home and family situation as each conversion situation is different. Some people still manage to live with their non Muslim families for a while if the family can show tolerance towards their beliefs whereas others face so much abuse that they are forced to leave and I don't know which category applies to you. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Are you male or female? I ask because what I'm about to say might not be practical to implement if you're still in your early or mid teens.

I ask because to be on the safe side, I often think that if the convert is old enough, then it's often prudent to try and become as independant as possible, find a job or something. I say that just in case one way or the other (ie your family kick you out of the house or else show so much hostility towards Islam that your stay at their house becomes untenable) you have to leave home and need some way to stand on your own two feet inshallah. Sorry the purpose of my post wasn't to scare you but I hear things and want to make sure you stay safe regardless of how everyone else reacts.

In reply to your questions, I'm 14, (nearly 15) and male, and even at this age, most of my family would disown me if they found out about my conversion.
I am in my mid teens so it didn't really apply to me, thank you anyway :)

[W-Amatullah]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

MashaAllah, thats truly amazing and brave of you. This could be a test from Allah, so be patient and don't give up easily! Yes, the idea of family disowning you is scary, but be strong and pray to Allah as much as you can. Make lots of supplications so that He may make it easy for you and guide your family.

Hope this helps.

On the authority of Abdullah bin Abbas, who said : One day I was behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he said to me:

"Young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice) : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

[Tirmidhi]
:)

[Jlk9]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

Can you lock your room while you pray? I dont see anything wrong with not replying, just say you are praying or if you dont feel like saying that just yet just say sorry you were busy, as thats the truth but indirect.

What other aspects are you having difficulty with? Cos other things from islam, e.g. being good to parents, neighbours, staying away form forbidden things such as alcohol, fornication are all quite easy to stay away from.

Unfortunately, I cannot lock my room door at all. Knowing my family, if I tell them I was busy, they would want to know what I was specifically doing!

Other issues I am facing aren't too bad. As I replied with, I'm 14 so I just find the learning quite difficult, eg learning surahs by heart for salaah, adjusting my life with following Islamic rules and teachings in general.. etc
I actually find trying not to eat pork quite difficult because I did eat it a lot!
I will be able to manage all this soon though inshallah.

[loonietoonie]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

:wswrwb:

Two of my best friends reverted from Hinduism and they had a really tamil/gujrati families so I have a lot of second hand experience from their reversion. They were very young too...15/16 years old.

Keep your Islam on the down low. If they call you ... then answer them....neutralize whatever the situation is..and go back and start your prayer. Make your prayers short to minimize the chances of being called in between.

What is your relationship like with your parents?

[Jlk9]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

:wswrwb:

Two of my best friends reverted from Hinduism and they had a really tamil/gujrati families so I have a lot of second hand experience from their reversion. They were very young too...15/16 years old.

What is your relationship like with your parents?

(i just finished praying Isha before replying to this :) )
I am also Gujarati so it happens a lot with the family!

Me and my parents are quite close. My mum and dad are divorced, I live with my mum and my dad lives somewhere else now. Me and my dad aren't too close, but he doesn't live with me so thats a different story. My mother and I are closer though than my dad.

[Jlk9]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

MashaAllah, thats truly amazing and brave of you. This could be a test from Allah, so be patient and don't give up easily! Yes, the idea of family disowning you is scary, but be strong and pray to Allah as much as you can. Make lots of supplications so that He may make it easy for you and guide your family.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, that did help. I have just asked Allah for help in this situation and hope it gets better :)

[~hoor~]

Re: Issues with praying and becoming Muslim

MashaAllah congrats bro on your conversion..May ALlah keep you steadfast on deen and give hidaya to your family.Make lots of dua to Allah swt and have hope and trust in him.InshaAllah he will make things easier for you.Start implementing islam in your life as much as you can..