What Should I Learn After Becoming Muslim?

A curriculum that introduces the religion of Islam

Osoul Center offers this course, which introduces the true religion — Islam — and explains its necessities at the level of knowledge and practice, to help you understand your religion and practice its teachings. This course offers you:

1. 01A brief explanation of Islam and its major topics.
2. 02An overview of the Holy Quran, along with the interpretation of some short Quranic surahs.
3. 03A brief explanation of the rulings relating to the obligatory acts of worship.
4. 04A brief explanation of the most prominent Islamic rulings on transactions, customs, and moral character in Islam.

A clear educational plan

The course units are divided according to an educational plan in which the lessons of each unit are distributed over six days, and the duration of each lesson is specified. The course has been designed in an educational way that includes a number of activities and exercises that help new Muslims memorize and understand new information, in addition to assessment questions at the end of each unit so that learners can assess their level of understanding.

The four units

The curriculum plan is distributed across four educational units studied over six days, in two sessions per day, with a short surah memorized and understood each day:

1. 01Unit 1 — The religion of Islam: Islam and the great questions of human existence; What is Islam?; How to become Muslim?; Faith.
2. 02Unit 2 — The Holy Quran: Learn about the Holy Quran; interpretation of the short surahs.
3. 03Unit 3 — Acts of worship: worship, purification, ablution, the ritual bath, rulings specific to Muslim women, prayer, zakah, fasting, and hajj.
4. 04Unit 4 — Dealings and moral character: clothing, food and drink, financial transactions, and moral character.

The six-day plan

In the course's educational plan, day one begins with introductory remarks and the existential questions — who are we? where are we going? — and the blessing of guidance, followed by the lesson on Islam, its pillars, and how to embrace it, plus practical ablution and prayer and memorizing Soorat Al-Faatihah. On day two the learner studies faith, its pillars, and its benefits, learns about the Quran, memorizes Soorat Al-Ikhlaas, and studies the meaning of worship and purification. On day three the learner studies how to perform ablution in theory and memorizes Soorat Al-Falaq, then studies the ritual bath and the rulings on menstruation and postnatal bleeding, and memorizes Soorat An-Naas. On day four, the learner memorizes Soorat Al-Kaafiroon and studies how to pray in theory, then completes the prayer description together with the Friday prayer. On day five, the learner memorizes Soorat Al-Kawthar and Soorat Al-'Asr and studies zakah, fasting, and hajj, then clothing and food and drink. On day six, the learner studies financial transactions and moral character, and reviews the memorized surahs and the manner of ablution and prayer.

Concluding advice for the new Muslim

In conclusion, the source recommends that a new Muslim do the following:

1. 01Be keen to learn what he needs of his religion, trying his best to refer to reliable sources — be they scholars and preachers, reference books, or audio or visual materials.
2. 02Translate the knowledge he acquires into practice; a Muslim is required to practice whatever useful knowledge he gains.
3. 03Progress gradually in knowledge and practice; a person cannot possibly acquire knowledge, cultivate good morals, and perform acts of worship all at once — he can only do so step by step.
4. 04Stay away from everything that negatively affects one's faith, be they whims and desires or dubious opinions and destructive doubts.
5. 05Persistently seek Allah Almighty's guidance to the truth and help to distinguish truth from falsehood.
6. 06Know that Islamic rulings are dependent upon one's ability to act on them; therefore a Muslim does whatever he can possibly do without burdening himself beyond what he can bear.
7. 07Be keen to seek good company and associate with righteous, practicing Muslims who will increase one's faith and righteousness, and stay away from bad company and those who follow whims and desires and dubious opinions.

Continue your learning journey

This curriculum is a first step on a long road of learning and practice. The sections of this site are ready to help you continue in the order the source recommends: your beliefs first, then the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet, then his biography and life, then your daily worship and rites. Use the links below to move on to each section.