Revert Mentoring Check List

1. Revert Mentoring Check List By Imam Jawad Ahmed Revert Coordinator, 877-whyislam

2. Phases of Mentoring

3. INTRODUCTION • Dear Mentor, please tick each item which you have explained to the Revert and they start practicing it. It is recommended to follow the sequence over here, however you may use your own discretion based on revert circumstance. There is no time limit as to when all of these should be finished with revert, but within 3 months is recommended.

4. Phase 1: Aqeedah / Beliefs • 7 Conditions of Shahadah must be met to be a “confirmed” Muslim, which are: • Knowledge (Al-Ilm); Certainty (Yaqeen); Acceptance (Qabool); Submission (Inqiyaad); Truth (Sidq); Sincerity (Ikhlaas); Love (Mahabba) • What invalidates my shahadah? Things to beware of? • Belief in Tawheed: Islamic Montheism, The Oneness of Allah & no partners. • Belief in the Prophets of Allah • Belief in the Books of Allah • Belief in the Angels • Belief in Life after Death (Akhirah) • Belief in Fate/Predestination (Qadr) both good & bad

5. Phase 2: Taharah / Purification • Learn to make Wudhu (ablution). • Take “GHUSL” (purification bath) immediately after saying shahadah. • Personal hygiene: Cut off nails, hair grooming, using musk (fragrance) • Remove pubic hair, and hair under armpits [should be done before every 40 days] • What are Taharah and Najasah? What are the major and minor types of each? • How to cleanse from urine and feces using left hand while sitting down when in toilet {No Standing urination or defecation} • Etiquettes of entering and exiting the toilet. Right foot? • Duaa (supplication) to be recited when entering/exiting toilet, & relieving oneself.

6. Taharah / Purification • Purification from all sorts of major and minor Impurities (Najasah) • {Females} How to cleanse after menstruation? • Etiquettes to observe while in menstruation • What can females do/don’t in terms of worship during this time? • Other taharah issues in menstruation: can I touch Quran, go to masjid? • How does husband-wife relationship affect during this time period? • What is allowed and not allowed between spouses during this time period? • {Males} Circumcision is recommended if possible • Male fluid secretion (Janabah) and how to purify? [Wet dreams]

7. Phase 3: Ibadaat / Worship • Etiquettes of Prayer: What is Qiblah? How to find the Qiblah? Websites? • How many types of Prayers? Obligatory (Fard); Recommended (Sunnah); Optional (Nafil). Rewards of each? • Times of daily prayer every day and how to find it? Websites? • How to pray? Prayer steps and video. • Place of prayer? Where can I pray? Where can I not pray? • Individual/Congregational prayers: Jamaah, Jummah, Eid. • How to find a Masjid (Mosque)? Importance

8. Ibadaat / Worship • What if I miss prayer? How to make up missed prayer? • Not to miss prayers in any circumstance: travelling, sickness, etc. • Prayers shortened during travelling for ease: How Qasr and Jama’? • Praying during sickness: while sitting, while lying down, or eye movement. • Janazah (funeral) prayer and how to pray it? • Process of janazah and what to do when a Muslim dies? • Fasting etiquettes: what are suhoor and iftaar and their timings? • What to eat during these meals? Sunnah recommendations

9. Ibadaat / Worship • What are things forbidden during fasting? • What is allowed while fasting? • What are the things that break our fasting? • Taraweeh, night prayers at the masjid. • Other extra worship during the month of Ramadan • I’tikaaf or confining oneself in masjid to worship Allah. • Rules of I’tikaaf for men and women. • Searching for Laylatul Qadr (night of power) during last odd nights. • Eid ul-Fitr and the Sunnah on the day of Eid. • How to pray Eid-ul Fitr prayer? Where to pray it? • Eid Al-Adha prayer same as Eid ul-Fitr prayer.

10. Ibadaat / Worship • What to do on the day of Eid to celebrate? • Exchanging gifts with friends and relatives. Its benefit • Eid ul-Adha celebration and its Sunnah. • Sacrificing an animal in this Eid holiday. • Who should do it? • Rules & regulations regarding the animal sacrifice. Why? • Similarities and differences between the two Eid holidays. Zakat and who should give it? • When do you qualify to give zakat? How much to give? • Sadaqah: how much to give and when? • Difference between Zakat and Sadaqah: zakat once a year, while sadaqah anytime

11. Ibadaat / Worship • Umraa journey to Makkah and its requirements. • What to do at the Kaaba? Safa and Marwah, cutting of the hair. • When can Umraa be done? Mahrem issue for females. • Visit to Madina, city of Prophet (saw), and its etiquettes. • Hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah in specific days, and its etiquettes. • When is Hajj obligatory on a Muslim? What to do in Hajj? • How to prepare for the journey of Hajj? • What to do after Hajj?

12. Phase 4: Mua’amalat / Interactions • Etiquettes of Sleeping: Sunnah way of sleeping on bed • What to recite before going to sleep: Duaa, Ayatul-Kursi, 4 Surahs with Qul • What to recite once we wake up? • Gender etiquettes: what is not allowed for males/females? Dating? • Shaking hands of the opposite gender and hugging or touching them? • Conduct: how should I behave as a Muslim in front of others? • Modesty/Chastity parameters in gender: what is appropriate/inappropriate?

13. Mua’amalat / Interactions • What is Mahrem? Who are the Mahrem for a male and female? • What is allowed in front of Mahrem? What is not allowed? • Dress Code for Females: what can I wear? What is not allowed? • Dress Code for Men: what is permissible and forbidden? • Dress code in front of the same gender. What is “Satr”? • Sunnah way of putting on clothes and duaa to be recited.

14. Mua’amalat / Interactions • Etiquettes of eating and drinking: Standing/sitting; Saying Bismillah. • Eating/drinking using the right hand. [NO LEFT HAND] • What to recite after finishing food? Duaa • Dietary regulations for Muslim: What is Zabihaa/Halal? Permissible items? • What is forbidden (Haram) in eating and drinking? • How to find Muslim Halal restaurants? • How to check ingredients of products I buy at the grocery store? What to look for • Etiquettes of entering/exiting our household: What to say when we leave? • What to recite when we enter the house? Sunnah way of putting foot into house. • Etiquettes of travelling: Duaa recited when riding any vehicle: car, bus, train, etc.

15. Phase 5: Sulook / Character • Family ties: rights of parents upon us: respect, servitude, obedience. • Taking care of parents in old age, not retaliating to them at all for anything. • Treating them with love, affection, politeness, humility. • Rights of children: financial care-taking, moral upbringing, character education. • Raising them to be God-fearing slaves of Allah who abide by all rules of Islam. • Spousal Rights: Love, affection, respect, humility, and dignity for one another. • Treating spouse with honor and not ridiculing or abusing one another. • Husbands/Fathers are obligated by Allah to provide for the family financially.

16. Sulook / Character • Rights of Relatives: keeping ties with them on a regular basis by visiting them, calling them and exchanging gifts with them on occasions/celebrations. • Rights of Neighbors: taking care of them, being there for them in happiness and sadness. • Providing them with any kind of assistance when needed. Exchanging gifts. • Good Manners: visiting the sick in community to get Allah’s Blessing. • Good Manners: visiting family members of deceased people for condolences. • Social Welfare: helping the poor and needy in the community monetarily, physically, emotionally, socially, etc.

17. Sulook / Character • Social Welfare: building ties of brotherhood/sisterhood amongst local community members of the masjid/Islamic center. • Dawah: inviting people of other faith to Islam; presenting the real true image of Islam as a system of life and how to live it in America? • Dawah: Attending conventions/seminars as ambassadors of Islam, and becoming an active daee (caller to Islam).