Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quraan; "And they shall say! 'Praise be to God, who has guided us to this (fecility) never could we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of God: indeed it was the truth, that the messengers of our Lord brought to us. And they shall hear the cry:' Behold! The garden before you! You have been made its inheritors, for your deeds (of righteousness)." Surah: 7: : 43.

In the Ayat above, Allah informs us who is the true guide towards Imaan and Deen (Al Islam), and as mentioned above, the dwellers of paradise will praise the Almighty for guiding them towards the Deen. In numerous verses of the Holy Quraan Allah informs us that he guides who he so-ever wishes towards his Deen.

People who have not embarked the Deen often wonder how does someone become a Muslim. Some even think that you have to go through a special ritual to revert to this beautiful Deen. But the absolute truth is that it is very simple and easy to revert to the Deen.

Firstly we have to understand in brief the meaning of Islam. As an Arabic word, Islam is derived from the root word "slm" which means peace. This "peace" can be categorised in three sections:

1. Peace between you and your creator ( achieved through the obedience of Allah and his most beloved Messenger Muhammad SAW).

2. Peace between you and Allah's creations.

3. Peace between you and your ownself (achieved through control of your own Nafs by leaving all the harmful things and all the forbidden (haraam).

As a religious word, Islam means, total submission to the will of Allah by testifying that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad SAW is the most beloved Prophet. In the Hadeeth narrated by Ibn Umar (RA), our beloved Rasool SAW said; "Islam is based upon five things testifying that there is no God but Allah SWT and that Muhammad SAW is his most beloved Prophet, performing salaah (five obligatory prayers), paying zakaat (charity for the poor), performing Hajj (pilgrimage to the Holy Ka'aba) and fasting during the Holy month of Ramadaan (ninth month of the Islamic calendar). Bukhari, muslim, mishkat.

To become a Muslim one must have Imaan (faith), this is a state when a person's voice and heart are united, in testifying to the unity of Allah (SWT) and to the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW. This is the foundation of Islam.The statement : 1. La-illaha-illal-lah 2. Muhammad-dur-Rasoolullah (SAW) incorporates both of these beliefs. The first states the belief in Tauheed (monotheism) and the second part states the belief in Risalah. As the Holy Prophet (SAW) is the only source for obtaining Allah's (SWT) commands, the scholars have said that the definition of Imaan is to accept with your heart and to declare openly, as the absolute truth, all the commands which our beloved noble Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) brought with him. Thus to become a Muslim one firstly takes a ghusal (full Shari bath) then he or she recites the Kalimah Thayabah and Kalimah Shahadat with his or her voice linking with the heart, meaning whatever he is reciting must be believed whole heartedly, with full understanding of the meaning and significance of what he or she is reciting. We must take note that declaring the faith and fulfilling it is essential for complying with the requirements of the remaining four pillars of Islam. This first pillar faith (Imaaan) is the most important and fundermental Islamic principle. Our Beloved Habeeb (SAW), says "Allah Ta'aala, will never put that person into the fire who firmly believes in his heart, declares that there is nothing worth of worship except Allah Ta'aala and that Muhammad (SAW) is his Prophet.