How to Become a Strong Muslim

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 20, 2022 References Approved

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 and gratitude in your identity and seek a greater understanding of your faith. Fulfill the five pillars, and do so mindfully, planning your intentions and actions, then 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.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Strengthening Your Faith

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Fulfill the Five Pillars of Islam. Observing the Five Pillars is mandatory for all Muslims. You must comply with them to practice Islam correctly. A strong Muslim will not waver from his observance of the pillars. Fulfill your daily obligations with focus, 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.
- Fasting 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 the Qur'an as much as you can. Seek an understanding of Islam directly from it's authentic source. You will strengthen your personal faith if you understand Arabic, the language your faith is based upon. Make a practice of reading the Qur'an every day for at least a few minutes, or longer if you are able, as well as moments when you feel your faith waver or your focus on Allah falter.^{[1]
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- Every time you read, recite at least one verse aloud and try to perfect its pronunciation.
- Study an explanation of its meaning and contemplate how it applies to your own life.
- Try to be mindful of Allah throughout your day as you go about your business or chores. Keeping your lips moist with dhikr helps develop an awareness of Allah's might and majesty.
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3
Pray above and beyond the mandatory requirements. While you must pray five times a day under Islamic law, a strong Muslim may also pray at additional times when moved to do so. You may pray alone, but to strengthen your faith, males should head to the mosque at prayer times. Collective worship has special merit.^{[2]
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- While the obligatory prayers typically last only a few minutes each, you may extend your time in prayer by including additional voluntary prayers in your schedule as the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encourages us to do.
- Tahajjud is a very rewarding Sunnah prayer offered during the dead of night, a peaceful time when Allah descends to the lowest heaven.
- Add your own personal prayers (dua) after the formal prayers or at any time during the day - ask Allah for help, guidance and protection, thank Him for his bounties and praise Him for His wisdom and generosity.
- Repentance is an important part of every Muslims' daily worship. Acknowledge your sins, however small, promise not to repeat them and ask Allah for His forgiveness. Allah is always inclined to forgive us, but only when we ask and only when we repent with deep sincerity.
- Crying during prayer is desirable as it signifies fear of Allah's punishment and helps lead to submission to His will.
- Vary your routine so that you concentrate and feel close to Allah during the act of praying, and are not merely going through the motions. If your mind wanders you make mistakes, your prayer becomes invalidated and is not accepted.
- Always heed the warnings contained in the Qur'an and the narrations of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) concerning the consequences for not completing the fardh salah.
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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]
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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]
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- 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?

Part 2

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Affirm Your Identity

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Stand up for yourself, your religion 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 Islamophobic statement, but you should say something if you feel safe and have the energy to do so.^{[5]
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- 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.
- Follow the laws of Allah, as set out in the Quran and Sunnah, in your own homes and encourage your family and other Muslims to do likewise.
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Dress to express your faith and identify yourself as a Muslim. Most Muslims dress modestly, but the style of dress varies greatly by school of thought and by region. Whatever your circumstances, dress in a way that expresses your religious belief and fulfills the requirements for hijab.^{[6]
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- Even if your family does not dress in this way, Allah will appreciate it if you choose to wear long sleeves, a hijab or niqab to more clearly express your identity.
- Study the minimum requirements of hijab and ensure that they are reflected in your choice.
- Take care of yourself. If you live somewhere where you are at physical risk for showing (or failing to show) your faith, keep a self defense alarm and rely on Allah. Do not make compromises in showing your faith through intimidation. To consolidate this thought in your mind, remember the difficulties Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Companions persevered.
- If you have children, encourage them to dress according to the Islamic dress code from a young age, as this will help them to develop a sense of belonging to the Muslim community.
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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.
- Encourage each other to extend and deepen your knowledge of Islam, so that you can better understand how Allah wishes to be worshiped.
- Remember that seeking religious knowledge is a life-long obligation upon Muslims of all ages and will help you strengthen your faith.
- If you are a parent, consider enrolling your children in an evening or weekend madrassa, so that they develop their attachment to the Qur'an and become used to being with other Muslim children in an Islamic environment.
- Observe Islamic holidays (the two Eids) together, go to meetings and organize protests whenever it is necessary to defend Islam, support local celebrations and other worthwhile events in your community.
- Form letter-writing committees to contact your local politicians about legislation that would affect other Muslims, such as helping refugees from Muslim-majority countries or making it easier for Muslims to practice their religion.
- Inviting people to embrace Islam (dawah) is incumbent upon all Muslims, so think how you can best help to spread Islam in your community and encourage Muslims to practice their religion more deeply.

Community Q&A

Question

What if I commit a sin over and over and can't stop?

Community Answer

Then, ask Allah for His Help and seek His forgiveness. Pray and read the Qur'an a lot. Also, make sure that you understand the meaning of the Qur'an. Inshallah, you will stop commit the sin and become a good Muslim.
Question

What if I'm the only Muslim in my family? What should I do?

Community Answer

Be a role model for all of your family. Be generous and kind. This will lead your family to think that you are much better as a Muslim. Bring a change in yourself, a good change. Always seek help from Allah. Sharing your belief may lead to someone converting, but don't pressure them to convert.
Question

How can I have faith?

Community Answer

Read the Tafseer for inspiration, study the life of Muhammad and connect with other Muslims to hear their testimonies. Pray to Allah each day to strengthen your faith.