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From: mmdh@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (Mamdouh Maher)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: What makes one a Muslim?
Message-ID: <1991May21.182526.27833@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 21 May 91 18:25:26 GMT
References: <1991May14.112213.16715@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1991May16.170038.24414@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1991May17.135919.10966@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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Ian writes:
>Khaled Soufi writes:
>> As far as I know, the *minimal* property for someone to be muslim is the
>> following:
>> 
>>     MUSLIM <==> believe that there is only ONE GOD and Muhammad is his
>>                 messenger 
>
>Would other people on this section say that this is generally accepted by all
>Muslims, or is it just for Khaled's particular branch of Islam?
>
>On a related note, is it true that someone converts to Islam by declaring in
>front of two Muslim witnesses "There is One God Allah and Muhammad is his
>prophet"?

  To be precise, you become Muslim as Khaled described. You are considered 
Muslim, (and hence other Muslims owe you to consider you and treat you as a 
Muslim) by _CLAIMING_ to bear witness that there is no deity but Allah (God) 
and that Muhammad is His messenger, while not contradicting your claim with 
an act or speech such as by praying to other than Allah.

  The witnesses are not necessary to become a Muslim, but an acceptance of 
Islam is preferably done in public. The declaration of the acceptance has to 
be done in public by definition.
  
  Mamdouh Maher