For brothers and sisters who are new to Islam, or finding their way back
You’ve found Islam. Now find your brothers and sisters.
Answers, support and community in one place. Start with whatever you need today.
What do you need right now?
I want to become Muslim. Shahada I want to learn how to pray. Learn I want to understand what I’ve said yes to. Learn I have a question. Ask I need someone to talk to. Ask I’m looking for people near me. Find a hub Things are getting hard. When it gets hard I want to help someone else. Get involvedWhy this exists
Becoming Muslim is celebrated. What comes after is too often missed.
2011
A national study of converts in the UK found that support for new Muslims in mosques is “poor at best and non-existent at worst”.
A minority within a minority: a report on converts to Islam in the UK
Centre of Islamic Studies
Research with male converts in Britain captured isolation and dislocation, and made the case for organisations that focus on converts, because there is not enough support as things stand.
Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain: Male Perspectives
The brothers and sisters we have sat with say the same. Welcomed warmly on the day, then left to work it out alone.
Taking your shahada
Becoming Muslim is simple and free, and you can do it anywhere. You do not need to know everything first. If you have questions, ask them before you decide. Nobody will rush you.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah
I bear witness that there is no Deity worthy of Worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The first part says that Allah alone is God, and that worship belongs to Him alone. The second says that Muhammad ﷺ is the messenger He sent, and that we follow his guidance. Say it because you mean it. It is between you and Allah.
How people do it
At a masjid, with someone beside you
Many people choose this, so there is a witness, a welcome, and someone to answer questions. A masjid can often give you a certificate too, which can help later with things like marriage or Hajj paperwork. Find a hub near you.
With us
Email us and we will try to connect you with someone who can sit with you. We are based in Manchester. hubrevert@gmail.com
On your own
You can say it by yourself, anywhere, in your own time. If you do, please tell someone afterwards, so you are not left alone with it.
Common questions
Do I need a witness, or a special person?
You do not need a ceremony or a special person. Many people choose to say it with someone beside them, because it helps to have a witness and a welcome.
Do I have to go to a masjid?
No, but it helps. A masjid gives you people, answers, and somewhere to start learning to pray.
Do I need to know Arabic?
No. Many people repeat the Arabic after someone and then say the meaning in their own language. If you have a particular concern, ask a scholar.
Do I need to know how to pray first?
No. Prayer and everything else are learned afterwards, step by step.
Does it cost anything?
No. Nobody should ever charge you to become Muslim.
What about a bath, called ghusl?
Many scholars recommend a full wash, called ghusl, when you become Muslim. It is a good thing to ask a scholar about when you take your shahada.
Do I have to tell my family straight away?
No. There is no fixed rule. See the guide on telling your family under When it gets hard.
What if I am not sure yet?
That is fine. Take your time, ask your questions first, and talk to someone you trust. We are happy to talk.
After you say it
Learn how to pray
Find your people
Ask anything, any time
Take it one step at a time
Want to read first?
The free New Muslims course starts with what the testimony of faith means. You can also read the Quran in English.
This is general guidance. For anything specific to your situation, please ask a scholar.
Learn the basics
You don’t have to learn it all at once. Pick a topic, then pick one question inside it.
Core belief
Where it all starts. What the shahadah means, what submission to Allah really is, and what Muslims believe at the root.
What does the shahadah actually mean?
What do Muslims believe? The six pillars of faith
Who is Allah?
The 99 names of Allah
What is tawheed, in plain language?
Prayer
Purification comes first, then the prayer itself. Everything about how to prepare and how to pray, in order.
How do I make wudu?
What is ghusl, and when is it needed?
How do I pray?
What do I say, and what does it mean?
The five prayers, and when to pray them
What if I miss a prayer?
Enjoy Your Prayer
A 21 episode podcast series by Ali Hammuda, for when prayer feels dry or like a chore.
Zakat
Zakat is the yearly giving of a set portion of your wealth, and one of the five pillars. Guides on how it works are on the way.
What is zakat, and who gives it?
Zakat, sadaqah and voluntary giving
Fasting and Ramadan
Fasting (sawm) is a pillar too. Your first Ramadan is a big moment, so we want you to go in prepared.
Your first Ramadan
How fasting works, suhoor and iftar
Hajj
The pilgrimage to Makkah. It comes much later for most people, but it helps to know what it is.
What is Hajj, and what is Umrah?
Quran
You can start reading in English today and learn Arabic step by step.
Read and listen, with translation
The Clear Quran, a modern English translation
By Dr Mustafa Khattab, grouped by theme and written in clear modern English. Read it online, free. Some extras on that site need a subscription.
How do I start reading the Quran?
Learning to read Arabic from the letters
The Prophet
Get to know the life of the Prophet ﷺ, the best example to follow and to love.
The life of the Prophet ﷺ
The Seerah podcast series by Yasir Qadhi.
What do all these Arabic words mean?
Dua
Dua is simply speaking to Allah. You can do it in any language, in your own words, at any time. Here are a few short ones to begin with.
Before eating
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillah
In the name of Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim
After eating
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at’amani hadha wa razaqanihi min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah
All praise is for Allah, who fed me this and provided it for me, with no power or strength from myself.
Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi
When you wake up
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilayhin-nushur
All praise is for Allah, who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the return.
Sahih al-Bukhari
Before you sleep
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya
In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.
Sahih al-Bukhari
Leaving the house
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Bismillah, tawakkaltu ‘alallah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no power or strength except with Allah.
Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi
Entering the masjid
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Allahummaftah li abwaba rahmatik
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Sahih Muslim
For steadfastness
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
Ya muqallibal-qulub, thabbit qalbi ‘ala dinik
O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm on Your religion.
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi
For knowledge
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Rabbi zidni ‘ilma
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
Quran 20:114
When things are hard
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal-wakil
Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.
Quran 3:173
More duas are being added. Learn one at a time, and use them in your own words too. For hundreds more, with audio, many people use the free Dhikr & Dua app, listed under Apps and tools.
Glossary
The Arabic words you will hear every day, in plain English. Type a word to find it.
No matching word yet. Email us and we will add it.
Belief
Prayer
Quran and knowledge
Giving, fasting and pilgrimage
Everyday words
Apps and tools
A short list of things people in our community have used. This is not an endorsement, and we will keep adding to it and filtering it. Please read the note at the bottom.
Dhikr & Dua
500+ duas and dhikr, each with translation, transliteration and audio. Free, and from the Life With Allah initiative of Ummah Welfare Trust. iPhone link here, or search the name on Android.
Namaz App: Learn Salah Prayer
Listen to the prayer in Arabic, with transliteration and illustrations, and slow it down to learn. Free, with optional purchases. Its own page says it is a companion, not enough on its own, and that its content follows the Hanafi school. Learning with a teacher is best.
Arabic Unlocked: Learn Arabic
Step-by-step lessons from the letters up, with Quranic words. Free to start, with paid premium plans.
Quran.com
Read and listen to the Quran, with translation, in your browser.
New Muslims eLearning
A free course that works through the basics step by step.
A few things to keep in mind. Check religious content against reliable sources, and ask a scholar if something seems off. Confirm prayer times with your local masjid. Some apps have adverts or paid upgrades, and some ask for your location, so look at the settings before you agree. If you know a good tool, or a book or resource that helped you, email us and we will consider adding it.
Free books
Many good starter books are already free, from the people who publish them. We link to the publishers directly, so you always get the real copy.
The Clear Quran
A modern English translation by Dr Mustafa Khattab. Read it online for free.
Fortress of the Muslim
A small book of duas from the Quran and Sunnah, for every part of the day, by Sa’id al-Qahtani. Free PDF from IslamHouse.
Life After Life?
A short booklet from IERA about life’s purpose and what comes after. Free, and you can order a printed copy.
Making Sense of God
Another free IERA booklet. You can find it on their site alongside Life After Life?
My First Prayer Book, My Wudu Book and My Du’a Book
Simple illustrated guides from Darussalam, which we keep on the shelf at the masjid.
40 Hadith on Ramadhan
A short collection, from the Islamic Dawah Center International.
Books on our shelf at Al Furqan are free to take. We are still checking which books to recommend with our scholars, so this list will change. If a book helped you, tell us and we will consider adding it.
Want it all in one free course?
New Muslims eLearning works through the basics step by step, at your own pace.
Ask us anything
No question is too small. Tell us where you are and what you need, and we’ll point you to the right person.
Tell us where you’re at
A name, an email, and whatever is on your mind. A real person will get back to you.
SendThis opens your email app with your message ready to send. If you prefer, email us directly at hubrevert@gmail.com.
Common questions
Short, honest answers. For anything about your own situation, please ask a scholar.
Do I have to change everything straight away?
No. Change comes gradually, and belief comes first. The Quran itself was revealed in stages. Nobody expects your whole life to flip overnight, and pressure usually works against you.
Do I need to learn Arabic first?
No. Many Muslims pray for years while still learning Arabic. Start with what you can, use a transliteration guide, and build up slowly.
Do I need to know how to pray before I take my shahadah?
No. The shahadah comes first, and prayer and the rest are learned along the way. Nobody is expected to arrive knowing everything.
Do I have to cut off my old friends?
Not automatically. Your friends are still your friends. Over time you will work out what to keep and what to change, with guidance, at your own pace.
When should I tell my family?
There is no fixed rule. It depends on your situation, including whether you can stand on your own feet. Talk it through with someone you trust before deciding. There is a guide on this under “When it gets hard”.
Is this only for people who have just reverted?
No. It is for anyone new to Islam, exploring it, or finding their way back, and for anyone who wants to support them.
Find a hub near you
Revert support is scattered across masjids and communities. We are gathering it in one place. We are starting in Manchester, and building connections across the UK.
Al Furqan
Revert Hub at Al Furqan Islamic Centre
Brothers: Friday evenings from 8pm
Gatherings, weekly classes on the basics, a buddy system and activities. A sisters’ space is being shaped with sisters’ feedback.
42 Great Southern Street, Manchester, M14 4EZ
Revert group
Fridays, 7 to 9pm
Revert group
Thursday evenings
Revert group
Sundays at 3pm
College Road, M16 8BP
Essentials: a six week course
Tuesdays, 7:15 to 8:30pm. Started 15 September 2026.
Delivered by Ustadh Shafiq Siddiq, for new Muslims and anyone strengthening their foundations. Salah, wudu, the five pillars, the six pillars of iman, and core beliefs. Open to all. Registration fee £5, limited places. It has already begun, so check with BMHC whether you can still join, and ask about the next course.
Quran classes, all levels
Mondays and Thursdays, around 8pm
Not only for reverts. Open to all levels.
Times are as shared with us by people who attend. Please confirm with the group before you travel. Some reverts like to join everything that is going on, so we are working with groups to avoid clashes and, in time, to connect them.
Know of a revert initiative?
Tell us and we’ll add it, so the next person doesn’t have to search.
Nothing near you?
Help us start a Revert Hub where you live. We’ll share what we’ve learned.
When things get hard
Short guides on handling real situations with wisdom, one step at a time. These are first drafts, and we are having them reviewed with scholars. For anything about your own situation, please ask someone you trust.
Eid and Christmas on your own
If you are spending Eid or Christmas alone, you are far from the only one. It is one of the most common and least talked about parts of coming to Islam. Eid is a day built around family and gathering. Christmas may be the one time your old family traditions feel loudest. Both can leave you feeling you have lost something and not yet found what replaces it. That feeling is normal. It is not a sign you made a mistake.
Plan early, not on the day. A day with a shape is far easier than an empty one.
For Eid. Go to the Eid prayer and arrive early. Say salaam to one person and introduce yourself, most people are glad to be asked. Message a mentor, buddy or the hub a week before and ask who you can spend the afternoon with. Eid meals are often open to anyone, and a quick message makes all the difference. Have something small planned either way: a meal, a walk, a call.
For Christmas. You may be invited to family gatherings. Scholars give different answers on particular things such as gifts, cards or attending a meal, so ask someone you trust instead of guessing. What nearly everyone agrees on is that you keep family ties and stay kind. Allah says He does not forbid you from being kind and fair to those who have not fought you over your religion (Quran 60:8). You can be warm, grateful and present without making the day a debate. If you will be on your own anyway, arrange to spend part of the day with other Muslims.
If it still hurts, say so to someone. Feeling lonely at these times is not weakness. We are building a plan so no one in our hub is left alone on these days.
Telling your family
There is no fixed rule for when or how. Anyone who gives you one is guessing. It depends on you and on your family.
Ask yourself honestly before you decide. Could I stand on my own feet if the reaction is hard, with housing, money and support? Do I know what I believe and why, well enough to answer simple questions calmly? Is there one person I can lean on whatever happens? Which family member is most likely to listen first?
When you are ready. Choose a calm moment, not an argument and not a big family day. Start with who you are, not with what they should change. Saying that you have found something that has made you calmer and kinder lands very differently from a list of new rules. Expect questions and some hurt. The first reaction is often not the last, so do not argue to win.
Over time, your character does most of the talking. If parents push you away from your belief, the Quran says not to obey them in that, but to keep them company in this world with kindness (Quran 31:15). Kindness and firmness can sit together.
If you cannot pray openly at home yet, ask a scholar about your situation, rather than guess. And you do not have to carry any of this by yourself. Talk to your buddy or the hub before and after.
Friends who don’t understand
Your friends are still your friends. Becoming Muslim does not mean cutting everyone off, and it should not happen overnight.
Some friends will be curious, some will be awkward, and some will drift. All of that is normal. Tell them simply, something like “I’ve started praying, and it matters to me.” No lecture needed.
Start with small, steady things, like your prayer times and what you eat and drink. Some settings will get harder, especially ones centred on alcohol. Work out step by step, with guidance, what you can stay in and what you cannot, and offer alternatives: a football match, a meal, a walk.
Expect that a few will drift, and that it will hurt. Build new friendships alongside the old ones so there is no gap: a class, a sport, the hub. And do not look down on friends who are where you used to be. When you are unsure about a particular situation, ask one trusted brother or sister.
Culture and religion, and telling them apart
One of the most confusing parts of joining the Muslim community is working out which things are Islam and which are the habits of the people around you. Many Muslims were born into a culture and mix the two without noticing.
Food, dress, wedding customs, how families treat each other, who marries whom, what is seen as shameful. Some of it is harmless tradition. Some of it conflicts with Islam. Much of it is neutral. You do not have to guess.
A useful question to ask. Where does this come from, the Quran and the Sunnah, or from where someone grew up? Ask a scholar, not just whoever is closest. And Islam does not ask you to erase your background. Whatever does not conflict with it can stay.
Do not judge Islam by people. People will disappoint you, and Allah does not. If someone treats you as lesser because of where you come from, that is not Islam. The Quran puts the measure in one place: “The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13).
More guides on the way:
- Coming to Islam young in progress
- Losing someone you love in progress
- Marriage, and being accepted in progress
- Work, money and halal living in progress
Revert stories
Real journeys, in people’s own words. Hearing someone who has been where you are is often what helps most.
The first stories are on their way.
If you’d like to share yours, with your name or without, we’d be honoured to hear it.
Reads
Longer pieces on what reverts go through, and what the rest of us can do about it.
After the shahada: why we built the Revert Hub
A man takes his shahadah on a Friday evening. The room is warm. Brothers embrace him, someone records a video, someone else cries. For a moment, he is the most celebrated person in the building.
Then everyone goes home.
What happens on the Tuesday after is the real story, and almost nobody tells it. No camera is rolling when he is trying to work out how to pray without anyone watching him get it wrong. No one is clapping when he sits at his family’s dinner table, deciding whether tonight is the night he says something, or whether it can wait. The warmth of the room does not travel home with him.
That gap, between the celebration of a shahadah and the quiet work of living a new life, is why this hub exists.
Two layers, not one
Most support for new Muslims covers one layer: the practical one. How to make wudu. How to pray. What the five pillars are. It matters, but beneath it sits a harder layer, the emotional and relational one, where a person learns to navigate people, not just rituals.
How do you tell your mother? How do you sit at a table where everyone is drinking and you are not, without making it a scene? How do you build a new circle of friends when the old one does not disappear, and should not have to?
Belief has to be grounded first. Once someone is grounded in what he believes and why, everything after it, the difficult conversations, the friends who drift, the family who do not understand, becomes part of the test rather than a reason to abandon the path.
What we learned from someone who has done this before
Early on we sat with a guest who has thought hard about how spaces like this should be built. He told us to build in levels, not one room for everyone, because a revert three weeks in and a revert three years in are not having the same experience. He told us mentors grow from within: reverts who have sat in class for a long time, watching the questions go back and forth, become mentors almost without noticing.
He also said the shahadah is not a finished stamp. A person can say the words and still not know what they mean by heart. And he said something harder: as reverts, we have to take our own Islam into our own hands. Blaming other people or the environment is not always fair, so we push for knowledge and stay involved in the deen.
One practical gap he named has stayed with us as a commitment: Christmas and Eid. Reverts spending those days alone is common, and it should not be. Food, people, somewhere to be.
You are still on your own
We can build structure, mentors and a real community, and all of it matters. But underneath, a person is still on his own. That is not a failure of the system, it is simply true for everyone. It means decisions are made with wisdom, not outsourced. When to tell family is not a fixed rule. It depends on whether you can stand on your own two feet. Support should inform that wisdom, never replace it.
Everyone was a revert once
Every companion of the Prophet ﷺ was, at some point, a revert. The idea of the heritage Muslim, raised entirely inside the culture of Islam, is in a real sense the newer one. Being born Muslim does not automatically mean more grounding or knowledge. A revert of twenty years, studying and striving the whole time, can be far more grounded than someone who has never had to work for any of it.
Islam is built on effort, not inheritance. The Prophet ﷺ said the one who recites the Quran with ease is with the noble angels, and the one who struggles through it has two rewards (Sahih al-Bukhari 4937, Sahih Muslim 798).
Two journeys, two lenses
A revert’s journey tends to be a search. He is in pursuit, looking inward for purpose. A heritage Muslim’s test often runs the other way, less an inward search than an outward resistance, an environment pulling against what he already has. Neither is easier. Recognising which lens someone is looking through is what makes empathy real instead of performed.
And different communities carry different pain points. A Black revert, a South Asian revert, an Arab revert and a white British revert are not having the same experience.
Allah said, “The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13). The Prophet ﷺ repeated it in his final sermon: no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, or of the red over the dark, except by taqwa (Musnad Ahmad 23489).
People will disappoint you. If you build your understanding of this religion on anyone’s example, you will eventually be let down, because everyone involved is human. Allah does not disappoint. That is the anchor under everything we are building.
Not a tick box for one evening of celebration, but something sturdy enough to still be standing on the Tuesday after, and the Tuesday after that, for as long as it takes.
From what were you created? Race, arrogance and the measure of taqwa
On where racial pride began, how the Quran and the Prophet ﷺ dismantle it, and how Muslim communities can live up to the standard of taqwa. Publishing here soon.
Join our community
Separate spaces for brothers and for sisters, so you hear about classes, meetups and activities near you.
Inside the brothers’ community there are smaller groups, such as Fajr accountability groups and local hubs, and a space for your questions. We are working to bring scholars in for Q&A.
Been on this road a while? Give back.
If you have been a revert for a long time, you have studied and have solid grounding, or you are a teacher or professional who simply wants to give back, there is a real need for you. Mentor a brother or sister, teach a class, or share a skill.
Help build this
We would rather have a few people who are consistent than a long list of names. There is a place for you.
Volunteer or mentor
Walk alongside someone new. A short, honest screening comes first, because this takes patience.
Teach
Muallims and teachers, we are building a network so no one carries everything. Tell us which days you teach.
Start a Revert Hub where you live
Nothing near you? We will share what we have learned, and help you start.
For masajid and communities
Already running something for reverts? We would like to align, not duplicate. Starting from scratch? We can share what has worked.
What we can share
Our proof of concept from Manchester, a template you can adapt, our curriculum map, and what we have learned about spaces, timings and what reverts actually ask for.
What we would like to learn
What you already offer, which days you teach and meet, and where reverts in your area fall through the gaps, so we can signpost people properly.
Support the work
Many reverts carry a financial burden that nobody sees: help with housing, work, or family support that falls away after taking their shahadah. Good advice does not help when the rent is due. Our aim is that giving, once it opens, goes to helping reverts through hardship and to helping new hubs open where there are none.
Giving is not open yet
We are working out the right way to handle donations, openly and properly, before we ask for anything. How funds are held and used, including what scholars say about zakat, will be decided in the open and with scholars first. If you would like to hear when it opens, or talk about supporting a specific part of the work, email us.
The Revert Starter Kit
Planned, not available yet. A simple bundle for someone’s first weeks as a Muslim.
A prayer mat
A Quran with English translation beside the Arabic
Prayer beads
A short book on the life of the Prophet ﷺ and a first salah guide
Free books and resources, and a welcome note from the hub
We are speaking to suppliers about better prices. The hope is that people who can afford a kit help fund kits for those who cannot. We will say plainly when it is ready, what it costs, and where the money goes.
In the meantime, the biggest help is simple: tell a revert about us, and give an hour.