Becoming a Muslim

larryone

From anything I have read, becoming a Muslim involves stating "There is no god but Allah Almighty, and Allah's messenger is Muhammad." and (obviously) have belief in the statement.
Does this need to be done under witness? If so what kind of witness is appropriate? Is another Muslim sufficient?
This is of course follored by the aspiration to practice the religion as Sunni or Shi'a or whatever, but is the statement itself sufficient to declare oneself a Muslim?

Suff

I would think it is fine for a person to declare it within their heart at first followed by declaring it infront of a witness, like another muslim.

the term "Declare" means to publicly anounce it. so i would guess a person would need to do it infront of people. so it is known.

that's my own thought but you better ask the Imam in the mosque.

Hobbes

Suff wrote:

that's my own thought but you better ask the Imam in the mosque.

If you do please post an update here. thanks.

larryone

Well the mosque in Clonskeagh isnt far from where I'm living, so I suppose I could wander in sometime soon and ask - when I find the time...

FriarMo

Suff wrote:

I would think it is fine for a person to declare it within their heart at first followed by declaring it infront of a witness, like another muslim.

the term "Declare" means to publicly anounce it. so i would guess a person would need to do it infront of people. so it is known.

that's my own thought but you better ask the Imam in the mosque.

I would disagree that the first word in the proclamation "Ash-had" specifically means to declare publicly. A closer translation to Ash-had I think would be “I bear witness” –as the word is commonly use in an Arabic court of law- and in the context I would say its a way of emphasising the point by not just saying you believe in it but going as far as defending the truth of the statement against any external, and more importantly, internal doubts.