What is the first step for a Muslim?

In Islam the basic foundations are the Five Pillars of Islam, which also represent good principles for life.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the Salaah (prayer), paying the Zakah (obligatory charity), making the Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The first of the pillars is a declaration of faith, that one be open with one’s faith.  Not to hide it, to pretend, but to be real, this is what I believe, this is who I am.  That is the first step for the Muslim, for a person to be a Muslim he or she should openly declare their faith.

Faith that there is only one God, which virtually all societies in the world agree that there really is only one God.  But how that God is perceived is where we find differences of understandings etc. but the idea that there’s ultimately one Supreme Being Who governs all, this is shared by all societies around the world and for the believing people we are the majority; those who claim that there is no Supreme Being they are in fact a small, strange, abnormal minority.  This is reality.

Atheists might say, “Well why would you want to say that?” Well, this is what history shows us.  Wherever we go in the world, whatever age, whatever society, whatever civilisation, backwards, developed, underdeveloped, people believe in God.  A minority, you find around the world, who say, “There is no God”. So as believers, this is a common ground that we should share and help those who have lost their way where they don’t recognise that there is a God, we should help them to find their way back.

And of course for Muslims, the Messenger of God known as Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, who was born in the 6th Century CE, conveyed this basic declaration of faith, that there is only one God.  He conveyed this message not only in word but he also conveyed it in deed.

A Muslim, when he or she declares their faith, they not only recognise the unity of God, that there is one God, ultimate God, but also that the Messenger who brought this message is to be followed meaning he represents the guide in life.  He is the example of how we should live our lives.  That’s the first pillar of Islam and I’m sure all religions have probable guides.  People depend on; commit themselves to believing that they are the example for them.  So I’m sure any person who believes in God would say “Yes, that is a reasonable principle,” we should have guides; we should have somebody to show us how to live a good righteous, pious life.