Page 99 - MY GREAT LOVE FOR JESUS LED ME TO TROUTH

fundamental teachings and gets closer and closer to Allah and to one's brothers and
sisters in faith. Many of those who attend my lectures ask these questions: (1) Do I have
to speak Arabic in order to be a Muslim? (2) Is it necessary to be an Arab if I want to be
a Muslim? And (3) Should I stop believing in Jesus and the Virgin Mary to be a Muslim?

The answer to all these questions is, of course, a definitive "no". Islam is a universal
religion, its followers come from all over the world, and so language should not be a
barrier at all. To be a Muslim, it is necessary to believe in Jesus as one of God's greatest
prophets and in the Virgin Mary as Jesus' mother, whom Allah exalted above all the
women of her time.

Many people hesitate take the final decision to embrace Islam, thinking that they may
not fulfil certain requirements but not aware that that the first step to become a Muslim
is very simple indeed and does not involve any complexities whatsoever. There are no
special requirements one must meet in order to become a Muslim, nor are there are any
special ceremonies, intermediaries or anything beyond one's capacity. All one needs to
do is to believe sincerely that Allah is the only true God, who is the Creator, the Sustainer
of the universe, and the Disposer of all affairs; that He alone is worthy of worship; that
He has the most beautiful names and the most glorious attributes, that He has no partners
whatsoever, that He neither begets, nor was He begotten; and that nothing is comparable
to Him. One must also abandon all forms of paganism.

After the declaration of faith, testifying that no one is worthy of worship except Allah and
that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, everything else can be learned gradually with
patience and dedication. If anyone dies in this state, he or she is considered a Muslim
and will, by Allah's grace, be admitted into Paradise in the hereafter. By the way, when
a person testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, this does not mean that he
is the only prophet of Allah. This simply means that he is the last prophet and messenger
of Allah and the last in the line of prophets going back to Adam.