To convert to Islam, do you actually have to believe?

Question

I mean, I could do all the "Pillars of Islam" requirements, say the things that need to be said, and externally live an Islamic life, but it is impossible that I could actually believe Allah exists. I mean, it's just not possible to believe without realistic evidence. So is it possible for me to convert to Islam? If not, it seems likely I'd be the target of jihad (actually as an American I already am), and so must I struggle against Islam for the sake of my own survival?

Is it possible to "surrender your will to Allah" without actually believing Allah exists? Suppose I agree in principle that Allah might exist, but consider that possibility to be unlikely. The existence of the Universe is, at best, evidence for a Deist God, one who created the Universe but is not concerned with our day-to-day lives. It seems unlikely that our daily lives are influenced by Allah.

Why do I ask this question? Well, there are those who suggest that unless we convert, we will be the target of attack. If true conversion is impossible, then that option is not reasonable---it's not really an alternative. I'm perfectly happy to let people believe whatever they like, but no one is going to make me believe anything under threat, it's just not possible.

Answer 1

As salaamau 'alaikym, my misinformed friend.

INsha'allah, you are not the target of jihad. Jihad is the internal struggle within ones soul of the good against the evil that is within each one of us.

NO, if you do not believe in Allah, Subhanna wa Ta'ala, it would be impossible for you to convert to Islam.

Insha'allah, look at the universe, at this planet and at your own flesh and blood. Think of each breathe you take and each beat of your heart. All of these are miraculous gifts to you from Allah, Subhanna wa Ta'ala.

May Allah, Subhanna wa Ta'ala, guide you to the truth.

Ma'a salaam.

Answer 2

You aren't fulfilling the Pillars of Islam if you don't believe in Allah, as belief is one of those Pillars. I am not sure why you would think about converting if you don't believe in the very basics of Islam. I am truly NOT trying to be mean here, I am just trying to figure out your thinking on this...

I agree with Fez on this... learn more, live a Muslim life, and you may find you really do believe. Best wishes.

Answer 3

You are not the target of some Jihad like you think. The only jihad (struggle) you are the target of is the one with your own soul.

You could try to pretend and become Muslim but God swt knows the truth so on the day of judgement it wouldn't count.

Why don't you try it out (not converting) but living like a Muslim, keep studying Islam and you may be surprised as to what actually happens to you. You may just become a true Muslim of your own free will.

Good luck with your journey and peace be with you.

Answer 4

I'm not 100% sure but I think you have to believe.

Answer 5

Converts to Islam

"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching." - Quran 16:125
http://www.islamfortoday.com/converts.htm#Links

Converts Around the World
http://www.themodernreligion.com/convert/convert_websites.htm

ISLAM

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The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word Islam itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person, or a place, a tribe, a mountain or a river. Nor is the name just another –ism among the many that exist in the world today. The Arabic word Islam means the submission or surrender of one's will to the only true god worthy of worship, Allah (God in Arabic). A Muslim is the one who submits or surrenders his will to Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of God re-expressed in its final form.

Basic pillars of faith in Islam
http://islam.thetruecall.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=16


The fundamental teachings of Moses, Jesus and Mohammed (pbut) are the same. The first commandment given to Moses (pbuh) was the Shama or Kalima, as Muslims would have it.

That Shama is:

De 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is One LORD”



Same thing was repeated by Jesus (pbuh), when a scribe came to him and asks him which is the first commandment of all? Jesus replied:

MARK 12:29 And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is One Lord:

In the Medina some Christians came to Mohammed (pbuh) and asked him, what is your concept of God? At this moment God sent a revelation:

112:1 Say: He, God, is One.

If we read these verses in Hebrew or Arabic, the root word ‘One’ in Hebrew is “Ikhad” and in Arabic it is “Ahad”. Aramaic, Arabic and Hebrew are sister languages. Therefore, Moses said “Ikhad”, Jesus said “Ikhad” and Mohammed said “Ahad”. Meaning “One”.

If we are to believe in “ONE” God, than why God sent Moses (pbuh) with ‘Judaism’, Jesus (pbuh) with ‘Christianity’ and Mohammed (pbuh) with ‘Islam’?

Judaism:
If we are to follow the religion known as “Judaism” than this religion is not mentioned anywhere in the Law (Torah) (Old Testament) or Talmud or any other scriptures claimed by Jews to be the word of God. Nor did Moses (pbuh) in their sacred scriptures told his followers that their religion is “Judaism”. Where does this word “Judaism” comes from? Palestine was divided into tribes, one of them known as “Judea”. Therefore, the religion followed by the children of Juda in the land of Judea is known as “Judaism”.

Christianity:
If we are to follow the religion known as “Christianity” than this religion is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Nor did Jesus (pbuh) told his followers that your religion is known as “Christianity”. There are 73 books in the Catholic Bible and 66 Books in the Protestant Bible, But no word such as Christianity is found in them. The word “Christianity” is actually a derivation of people who after the ascension of Jesus (pbuh), accepted him as their Messiah. It was first used in Antioch.
Acts 11: 25-26 “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
If Christians believe that Jesus (pbuh) was their Messiah and the Bible is the word of God, than they must realize that no where does God says in the Bible to be Christians or no where does Jesus say in the Bible to be Christians.

Islam:

The Arabic word Islam is derived from the root word Salam or Shalom in Hebrew, meaning peace. The word “Islam” means Submission to God. Therefore, Muslims are those who submit themselves to God. This word is not only found in the sacred scripture of Muslims known as Koran, It is also found there in the Bible.

JAMES 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

PSALMS 66:3 Say unto God, How terrible [art thou in] thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. {(The Pagan Arabs were also enemies of God, but later on they submitted themselves to God (Became Muslims)}

Of course, the word Islam or Muslim is mentioned many times in the Koran. Like in this verse:

3:20 But if they dispute with you, say: I have submitted myself entirely to God and (so) every one who follows me; and say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: Do you submit yourselves? So if they submit then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message and God sees the servants.
Therefore if we had the chance of meeting Moses (pbuh) and would ask him, what is your religion (way of life)? He would say my religion is Submission to God (Islam). If we would be alive till the second coming of Jesus (pbuh) and would ask him, what is your religion? He would say my religion is Submission to God (Islam).
MATTHEW 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
If he would say I am a Christian, we will ask him, which church do you belong to? Or do you accept the extra 7 books in Roman Catholic Bible or not?

Now the difference between Torah, Gospel and Quran is of Law. God gives Laws according to the situation. For example:

Mathew 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Now the disciples of Jesus (pbuh) couldn’t follow An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth because they were very few and weak in force. Not even faithful as Jesus (pbuh) use to say:

MATTHEW 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

But still Jesus (pbuh) said:

MATTHEW 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

If we ask a man of any religion that How many Gods do you believe in? His answer will be that God is One. For example a Hindu will also answer that God is One, but on the other hand he believes in God Incarnation! That God came to earth as Rama, Krishna, Seeva etc. The Christians would also say that we believe in One God, but they’ll say that God came on earth only as Jesus (pbuh) to live among us and understand us better. If that is so, why don’t you ask yourself a question? If God became a man to understand us better, why He didn’t became a Tree or a plant to understand it better? Why He didn’t became Sun to understand the Sun better? Why He didn’t became a Rabbit, to understand it better?


If we create a camera, to understand camera do we have to become camera ourselves! Or do we as camera’s creators would already know how to make the camera work better. Just like that God is the Creator of everything that exists. To understand us, God doesn’t have to come in a form of human, But he sends a man, a Prophet to His people, so that they may believe in him with their God gifted brains and would live a life as God wants them to live.


JOHN 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.

Let us discuss the 2 major parts of Christianity:
http://islam.thetruecall.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=270