Do you really think it is important to say "revert" instead of "convert"?

Question

It seems that a lot of people seem to think it is SOO important to say revert instead of convert when it comes to islam...i dont really think it is, even tho i know why it is said...if you DO think it is important, please explain.

Answer 1

I always say I converted....why make a mountain out of a mole hill, there are bigger concerns in the world right now. Salam.

Answer 2

I think the meaning behind it is important. We are all born Muslim but out families change us. I hate it when someone say oh such and such is a born Muslims and such and such is a convert. That is wrong, some were raised Muslims others are reverts. But when talking to non Muslims they don't understand that and using the word revert may mean something different to them. So I think it depends on when and why you use it. Sometimes it is important and other times it is not.

Answer 3

Salaam Alaykum, In Islam Allah SWT created all mankind and everything in it. Conversion is more an appropriate term for Judaism because
they believe you have to become what you were not before.
Allah SWT created you....if Masha Allah you become a believer you were one of the blessed whom found their way to the straight path of Islam. As an innocent baby you were a Creation of the One True God. So you don't convert for what you were destined to be. In conversions people have to go to classes example Catholicism and Judaism. This process does not exist in Islam. Knowledge is important in Islam but the Only requirements is to start with Shahada your testimony that Allah is the One True Creator and Muhammad was his Messenger and then it's up to you to learn and grow knowledge and the five pillars. If you are seeking to revert to Islam it is important that you learn with your head what we believe and number one take no other above Allah SWT. There is no ceremony just two witnesses and your Iman or faith. I have only heard of the importance not to confuse the two because a revert is someone special in Islam and since Allah SWT knows best this person was created by Him and "came back" to the one True Lord Allah SWT and the term revert is to announce the special significance that we are all born Muslim's but few have choose the right path or of those who have gone astray..When someone embraces Islam the whole Ummah should prostrate to Allah SWT sorry cannot remember the Surah. It might not sound like a big deal revert convert but revert is given special recognition as a term as opposed to convert since again We are all Allah'sSWT creation and in that sense those with sense realize this and come back to or "revert" to what AllahSWT created them to be. Muslims.
Wasalaam

Answer 4

I second From the Lebanon. Batman got it way wrong. Fitrah shouldn't be equated with Islam, they are 2 different issues. Rasulullah s.a.w.s. never said that all people are born in Islam, he said they are born in fitrah, which is the natural belief in one God. But fitrah doesn't include obligations of Islam, which a Muslim must know, while ahl al-fitrah don't. Ahl al-fitrah don't know prayer, they don't know about Mohammad a.s.w.s., so they CANNOT be called Muslims. But whoever dies in fitrah will be tried later and his account is on Allah s.w.t., thus they might or might not end up in Paradise.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revert
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/convert

Linguistic difference show that those who are using word 'revert' to describe new Muslims are wrong, because Islam had never been their religion before the conversion. A revert to Islam is someone who was a Muslim, then he converted out of islam to another religion, and then back to Islam. If you got this definition right you should not call yourself a 'revert'.

Thus, I would call myself a 'convert' because I had never apostatised.

Answer 5

The agreement now is to use the term "REVERT". It is better term than CONVERT which has an under tone of COERCION.
Revert implies coming to the origin and u were seeking something and u found it.
Convert is kind of rude. U r not converting iron to steel for example.
So REVERT is the term the Moslems will use and it is a blessing.

Answer 6

I don't think it's important to say "revert". Words mean what you make of them, and "convert" only has a negative meaning if you intend it to.

"Revert" is probably more appropriate when you're talking with other Muslims because they'll understand what you're talking about. But if you use "revert" in front of a non-Muslim they might be confused, so I think it's better to use "convert" in that case.

In much the same way, I think it's better to use "God" instead of "Allah" SWT around non-Muslims because it's less confusing for them. Some non-Muslims have gotten the idea that Muslims don't actually worship God because they hear Muslims calling Him a different name!

Answer 7

Semantics, merely semantics.

Some say revert to imply, as the Holy Qur'an teaches that the souls of all persons were created as Muslim originally and forgot the same once they were in this world.

Some say convert as they once practiced other faiths before being consciously aware and guided to Islam by Allah, Subhanna wa Ta'ala.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

Ma'a salaam

Answer 8

so many get it wrong

Your born muslim everyone in the entire world is born in submission to Allah SWT that means your muslim first. Then you convert out.. then if you come back or you come into Islam you are revert! That must be made aware to every single person on earth, I just seen a caucasion women talking about coming into Islam and saying Convert! Surely she is in error to say that word, no one coverts into Islam, you revert back to where you where born to reborn is to revert that is ISLAM!

Salam - TEA PARTY ANYONE!


O LORD, give me to enjoy moderation,
make me into one of the people of
right behaviour, the proofs of right
conduct, and the servants of
righteousness, and provide me with
triumph at the place of Return and
safety from the Ambush!
Amen

Answer 9

i DON'T think it is but I will explain why by anyway, ok?
well, the point is that when a person becomesa Muslim from his own will he most of the times has no idea that he is reverting so he thinks he is converting. so in this minute he is actually converting (for his own thoughts) but for Muslims he is reverting.

Answer 10

Well, actually its not that important..but then most people agree that revert is the correct term as all newborn babies are borned pure and free from sin..and thier souls before entering the bodies have pledged their faith to Allah....so, technically it is revert as they are reverting back to Islam as what their souls were before being born.

Answer 11

It's always better to use the more accurate word.
You will actually save more time by writing revert instead of convert.

Edit AQ الطامح
You confuse the word fitra with the word fatra .. the people of fatra are those who will be tried on the day of judgment.

The word "Islam" has a general meaning and a specific meaning:

General: submission to Allah in the way he desires: this is the religion of all prophets and their true followers since Adam until Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

Specific: the form of religion and the sets of laws with which the prophet (sas) was sent to mankind.

Actually all humanity accepted Islam at the time of Adam (pbuh) according to verse 7:172

And all were born Muslims according to verse 30:30

The prophet (sas) said: Allah said: I created my servants Hunafa, then the Shayatin misled them from their religion.

The above hadeeth in sahih Muslim implies that people are born with a religion which is Al Hanafia = Islam in its general meaning.