When someone enters Islam, the first thing they usually learn is to declare:
There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.
But before learning how to pray, how to fast, or any of the practices, there is a question that matters even more: who is Allah?
The word “Allah” does not mean the god of one particular people, nor one deity among many. Allah is the Creator of all things — the One who created the universe, life, time, nature, and every human being.
He is not a part of the universe, because He is the One who created the universe. He has no form and no limitation like the things He created, and there is nothing that can be compared to Him.
Everything depends on Allah, but Allah depends on nothing.
Knowing Allah begins with knowing that we are not God
Human beings can learn, plan, create, and decide — but we cannot control everything in life.
We can choose to look after our health, yet we cannot guarantee we will never fall ill. We can plan for the future, yet we do not know for certain what tomorrow will bring. We can love someone, yet we cannot fully control their heart and their choices.
Faith in Allah therefore begins with accepting a simple truth: we are human beings, not the controllers of all things.
Accepting this does not make a person weak. On the contrary, it lifts from the heart a burden heavier than we can carry. We do not have to know every answer, we do not have to please everyone, and we do not have to control every outcome.
Our part is to learn, to choose what is right, to act responsibly, and to return to Allah for whatever is beyond our ability.
Allah knows us better than we know ourselves
Before a person can even put their feelings into words, Allah already knows what is within the heart.
He knows the fear we dare not tell anyone, the questions we cannot yet form into words, and the small efforts that perhaps no one else sees.
At times the people around us may judge us by outward appearances, but our relationship with Allah is not built on image. Allah knows what we do, why we do it, the ability we have, and the limitations we are facing.
For a new Muslim, this matters a great deal, because someone who has just entered Islam may not yet be able to read Arabic, may not yet remember all the words of the prayer, or may not be able to change their whole way of life at once.
Allah knows where we stand, knows that we are learning, and knows that each change may take time.
Drawing near to Allah, then, does not have to wait until we are perfect — because human beings do not draw near to Him through perfection, but through sincerity.
Allah is Merciful, but mercy does not mean a life without trials
Some people first turn to Islam when life is calm, while others come to Allah when they are grieving, confused, or unsure how to carry on.
Having faith in Allah does not mean that from now on life will be free of pain, that every problem will disappear, or that every request will be answered exactly as we want it, at once.
Allah’s mercy does not appear only in what comforts us. It may appear in guidance that keeps us from losing our way, in the strength that carries us through hard times, or in protection from things we do not yet understand.
Sometimes what we want is not what is best for us, and sometimes what we did not want becomes a door to growth.
A Muslim, then, does not believe because life goes entirely their way, but believes that even when we do not understand every event, Allah has not abandoned us.
We can speak to Allah directly
The relationship between a person and Allah does not have to pass through any special intermediary. We can call upon Him, ask for help, seek forgiveness, and pour out our troubles to Him directly.
We do not need beautiful words, and we do not need to speak Arabic every time. Allah understands every language — including the feelings that no words can yet describe.
Making duʿāʾ (supplication), then, is not informing Allah of something He does not already know. It is admitting that we need Him, laying the heart down before the Creator, and training ourselves not to carry everything alone.
We can speak to Allah plainly, for example:
“Guide me.”
“Help me to understand.”
“I am still afraid and confused — make my heart firm.”
“I have done wrong — forgive me and help me begin again.”
Sincerity matters more than the beauty of the words.
Faith in Allah changes the way we see ourselves
When a person does not know where they came from, they may measure their worth by money, looks, status, praise, or the approval of others.
But once we know that Allah is the Creator, we begin to understand that a human being’s worth does not depend on whether we have more than others.
We do not need to raise ourselves up by pushing others down, and we do not need to do wrong just so that someone will accept us.
Being a servant of Allah frees a person from being a slave to the eyes of others.
This does not mean we ignore advice or stop caring about our effect on society. It means we do not let people’s approval become the highest thing that decides what is right or wrong.
When no one sees, Allah still sees. When no one praises, Allah still knows. And when people misunderstand us, Allah knows the whole truth.
Loving Allah is not merely a feeling
Love for Allah does not mean feeling calm or moved all the time, because the human heart rises and falls. Some days we feel close to our faith; other days we are tired, confused, or feel empty.
Love for Allah is therefore shown through our choices as well.
When we try to be honest even though we could lie, when we hold ourselves back from harming others, when we admit our fault and ask forgiveness, or when we return to prayer after having neglected it — that is one form of turning back to Allah.
Faith is not meaningful only on the days when the heart is strong. It is deeply meaningful on the days when we are weak and still choose not to turn our back on Him.
You do not have to know everything before you begin to know Allah
A new Muslim may encounter so many terms, rules, and pieces of information that they feel they must rush to learn everything and catch up with others.
But knowing Allah is not a competition.
We do not have to understand everything in a single day, and we do not have to compare our starting point with those who have studied the religion for many years.
It is always possible to begin with what is simple.
Learn that Allah is our Creator, practise speaking to Him sincerely, gradually learn how to pray, read the meaning of the Qur’an, and ask questions when you do not understand.
Having questions does not make us bad Muslims. A sincere question may be the beginning of a deeper understanding.
What matters is not to let not-knowing turn into shame that keeps us from asking for help, and not to let mistakes make us think we have no right to return to Allah.
The starting point of a Muslim’s life
Being a Muslim does not begin with knowing every rule or doing everything perfectly. It begins with knowing who the Lord is, and what kind of relationship we are in with Him.
Allah is the Creator; we are the created.
Allah is All-Knowing; our knowledge has limits.
Allah depends on nothing; we depend on Him with every breath.
Allah is Merciful, and the door of returning to Him is always open.
So the starting point of knowing Allah is not trying to make ourselves look perfect before Him, but standing before Him as we truly are — with our hope, our fear, our questions, our mistakes, and our intention to learn.
A Muslim is not someone who has every answer, but someone who has begun to know that when there is no answer, they know who to turn to.