السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah
If you have recently become Muslim — welcome. You are in the right place, and you do not need to know everything today.
Becoming Muslim can bring enormous joy — and then a very practical question: What do I do now?
You may hear words you have never heard before. You may be trying to learn how to pray, how to make wudu, what Muslims believe, how to read the Qur'an, what changes in everyday life, and which things need your attention first.
New To Islam gives you a path to follow. The core learning journey contains 48 lessons arranged in a deliberate order, with additional resources available when you need them.
But 48 lessons does not mean 48 things you need to learn today.
Islam is now your whole life, but you do not need to learn your whole religion today. Start with the next lesson in front of you. Learn. Practise. Return when you are ready.
Begin your journey
The first part begins with the words that brought you into Islam: the Shahadah. From there, you will build the foundations one lesson at a time.
Start here Part 1 — Beginning Your Journey Begin with the Shahadah, learn who Allah is and why He created us, meet the foundations of belief and worship, and prepare for your first visit to a masjid.You can stop whenever you need to and return later. There is no deadline.
Or if you need something right now
Sometimes you arrive here because you need to do something practical before you are ready to work through the lessons in order. These shortcuts are here for that reason.
If you need to pray and cannot yet remember all the words, see the Prayer Memorization Guide. It is designed to help you build the words of Salah gradually rather than expecting instant memorization.
What this journey will teach you
The goal is not simply to give you information. It is to help you gradually understand and practise the foundations of Muslim life.
- understand the Shahadah and the foundations of what Muslims believe;
- know who Allah is and why we worship Him alone;
- understand the role of the Prophets عليهم السلام, the revealed Books and the Qur'an;
- prepare for and make your first visits to a masjid with more confidence;
- learn ghusl, wudu and tayammum;
- learn the five obligatory daily prayers step by step;
- begin learning the Qur'an and become oriented to its surahs and structure;
- learn the foundations of fasting, zakat and other acts of worship;
- understand important parts of everyday Muslim life;
- and continue building your relationship with Allah throughout the journey.
Your learning path
The numbered lessons form one continuous core journey. Each Part groups lessons that belong together. Additional support pages may appear within a Part, but they do not add to the 48 core lessons.
You do not have to study this whole map now. It is here so you can see that there is a plan. When you are learning, concentrate on the lesson you are actually on.
My Journey — your place in the path
New To Islam is also building My Journey, a navigation and progress system for the 48 numbered lessons. Its purpose is simple: help you see where you are, what you have completed, and what comes next without turning learning Islam into a race.
The additional guides and resources you may use along the way are there to help you, but they do not increase the 48-lesson progress total.
Three things to remember
Learn in a useful order. The sequence is deliberate, but real life does not always wait for the next lesson. Follow the learning path when you can, and use the practical shortcuts when an immediate need arises.
Go slowly and consistently. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that the deeds most beloved to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are small. You are building worship and knowledge that, in sha' Allah, will remain with you for the rest of your life.
Find trustworthy people. A website can explain and demonstrate, but Muslim community matters too. A knowledgeable teacher can listen to your recitation, help you correct prayer movements and answer questions that depend on your circumstances. Lesson 11 — Your First Visit to a Masjid will help you know what to expect.
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ
Yuridu-llahu bikumu-l-yusra wa la yuridu bikumu-l-'usr.
Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.
When Muslims teach something differently
As you learn, you may sometimes hear trustworthy Muslims explain a detail differently. Islamic scholarship includes recognised schools of law and legitimate scholarly differences on some questions.
New To Islam does not want to overwhelm a beginner with every scholarly opinion, but it also should not present a disputed detail as though no recognised difference exists.
Our approach is to research the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah, consult recognised qualified scholarship, identify genuine differences where they matter, and develop beginner-safe teaching. Material requiring qualified confirmation remains marked for scholar review before it is treated as final.
Not Muslim, but reading?
You are welcome here. Much of New To Islam is written for someone who has already become Muslim, so some instructions may not apply to you. But nothing is hidden from you. You are welcome to read, learn and explore.
If you have reached the point where you believe Islam is true and are wondering what to do next, we have a page written especially for that moment.
You have somewhere to begin.
Take the next step in front of you. You do not need to carry the entire journey at once.