Assalamu Alaykum. My friend just became a Muslim, what should I do to help? Please explain.
Thank you for your question and for contacting Sunna Files Website.
Helping our brothers and sisters who accept Islam is something that we all should be keen on doing.
However, we need to understand when and how to help, and when to give our brothers and sisters the space they need to avoid pushing or overwhelming them
Each person has his/her individual needs, so one should be smart and wise enough to know how to ask and when to ask if the brother/sister needs help.
Allah Almighty says what means: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction” [Quran: Chapter 16, Verse 125]
There are a few common aspects that we can consider:
1- Many organizations online and offline provide free Quran and free New Muslim Guides.
Try to get these resources in the language that your friend needs and give it to them.
2- Ask your friend if he/she needs help with understanding how to pray, and try to practice together.
Be a Good Friend!
3- Be a good companion and try to be available whenever they need you.
4- Introduce your friend to other converts– if you do know some in your area- or to other fellow Muslims who could assist, befriend and provide any support or help needed.
5- Some of our brothers and sisters end up having tense relations with their family members.
Try to open your home for them and be part of their family until they restore relations with their own family.
Also make dua that Allah softens their families’ hearts and that they accept our brothers/sisters decisions and won’t cut relations with them.
Offer Her Hijabs
6- If it’s a sister, try to share some of your hijabs and/or dresses and abayas with her if and when she needs them.
Many sisters who convert wish to wear hijabs and dresses, but they don’t know where to get them from.
So, either share items from your own wardrobe or go shopping with her.
Spend and share what you love with your brother/sister. Allah Almighty say what means: “Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” [Quran: Chapter 3, Verse 92]
Help Them Find Reliable Sources of Learning
7- You can recommend useful online resources on praying, knowing Allah and His Names and Attributes, the blessed seerah of the Messenger and all the beautiful, inspirational and useful Islamic resources available online.
Ask your friend when and where to send the materials on so that you won’t flood their personal emails/phone messages with many notifications.
8- If you do know a scholar, a learned person, an ustadh/ustadha directly, try to introduce them to the brother/sisters so that they would be in touch with a knowledgeable person who can answer any fiqhi (legislative) question they may have.
Make Things Easy
9- Most importantly, like the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, give glad tidings, make things easy and don’t make matters hard on others…
Also remember that when you do help, you’re not doing anyone any favor.
This is our job as Muslims, to help one another and be in each other’s aid.
This is the core of our mission and belief.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Salam and please keep in touch.
