This document provides guidance for new Muslims on basic Islamic beliefs and practices. It covers the 13 essential attributes of Allah, the prophets, purification rituals like ghusl and wudu, basic prayer requirements, and important cases regarding prayer. The document aims to equip new Muslims with the immediate religious knowledge needed to properly worship Allah, such as knowing about Allah, performing purification, and praying on time. It emphasizes conveying the essential information as concisely as possible.

1. SUBMISSION
PRODUCTIONS
PRESENTS:
‫الم‬
‫هد‬
‫ي ل‬
‫للقرب ا عه‬
‫د‬
THE CRADLE
for the new Muslim

2. THE CRADLE
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3. THE CRADLE
INTRODUCTION 4
SESSION ONE: BASIC CREED 5
THE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH 6
Important pointers about some of the attributes 9
THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH 11
PURIFICATION 12
Ghusl 12
Wudu’ 13
Cleaning after Urination and Defecation (Istinja’) 14
Removing Filth 15
BASIC PRAYER 16
Important cases 18
QUESTIONS 21
SECOND SESSION 23
JUDGMENT 24
BASICS OF BLASPHEMY (KUFR) 26
THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE HEART AND SOME OF THE
SINS OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS 28
LAST ISSUES 30
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4. THE CRADLE
INTRODUCTION
Part of the obligatory knowledge is what is called the ‚immediate
knowledge (^ilmul-hal)‛. It is more specific than the all of the necessary
religious knowledge contained in the Summary. It is the knowledge one
needs for the immediate obedience to Allah. In this brief document, we
shall address the needs of a person who just embraced Islam within the
hour, for instance. Such a person must immediately learn certain matters
of belief, and learn about matters of purification and prayer, so to pray
before the exiting of the prayer time. They must also learn about some of
the sins because it is obligatory to refrain from them immediately.
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5. THE CRADLE
SESSION ONE: BASIC CREED
The most important knowledge is that of the Creed. One must
immediately know about Allah and His Messenger.
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6. THE CRADLE
THE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH
It is obligatory to know 13 attributes among the countless attributes of
Allah. They are
1) Existence: Allah is a self attributed with attributes. His self is His
reality and not a body. The selves of the creations are their bodies.
Allah’s existence is uncreated and hence is not physical. He exists
without place, space, directions or time. The existence of the
world is proof for the existence of its creator, for every doing
must have a doer.
2) Eternity: Allah exists without a beginning, because had He been
created, He would need a creator, and hence godhood would be
invalid for Him. But since the creations’ occurrence is confirmed
by senses and natural disposition (badihah), the Creator’s
existence, and more specifically, His beginningless existence, is
confirmed.
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7. THE CRADLE
3) Everlastingness: Allah exists without a beginning, and hence
must exist without end, for whatever comes to an end must have a
beginning. Whatever has a beginning or end is bound by time,
and whatever is bound by time is an occurrence; a creation.
4) Independence: Allah is free of need, for whoever is in need is not
God.
5) Oneness: One God is sufficient for the management of the
creation, thus another creator is not needed, and whoever is
needless and useless is not God.
6) Dissimilarity: Allah does not resemble the creation. He does not
resemble the dense, tangible entities like the rocks, trees, people,
etc., nor does He resemble the subtle, intangible entities like light,
darkness, etc. He does not have the characteristics of created
things, like motion, stillness, contact or separation.
7) Life: Allah must be alive, as proven by the existence of the
creation, for the one who creates must have power, will and
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8. THE CRADLE
knowledge, and whoever has power, will and knowledge must be
alive. However, Allah is alive without a body or soul, and Allah
does not die, so His life is absolutely different.
8) Power: Allah makes things come into existence and go out of
existence. He is exclusively the one who can make entities exist.
He can make something from nothing; without tools or effort, and
make those things vanish.
9) Will: Allah specifies His creations with His will; He gives them
some traits that they could have instead of other traits that they
could have. Also, Allah is not forced. He creates by His choice,
which is His will.
10) Knowledge: Allah knows what exists and what does not exist; He
knows what was, is, and shall be, and what shall not be, and every
detail of how it would be had it been. He knows His own reality
and the reality of His attributes. No one knows that but Him.
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9. THE CRADLE
11) Hearing: Allah hears everything that exists, but without ears,
because He is not an entity. Deafness is deficiency, and
deficiency is impossible to be an attribute of the Creator.
12) Sight: Allah sees everything that exists, but without eyes because
He is not an entity. Blindness is deficiency, and deficiency is
impossible to be an attribute of the Creator.
13) Speech: Allah speaks without letters, sounds or language, because
He is not an entity. He orders, forbids, promises, threatens,
informs and questions by this attribute.
Important pointers about some of the
attributes
1) All of His attributes have no beginning or end.
2) In reference to His dissimilarity to the creation, one must be
warned about the ‚Likeners‛ (the Mushabbihah), and informed
briefly about the ambiguous (mutashabih) verses, out of fear
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10. THE CRADLE
of him meeting a Wahhabiyy or reading a mistranslation. It must
also be clarified that Allah exists without a place or direction.
3) In reference to His hearing and sight, it must be clarified that
they are not eyes or ears. Allah does not have a body or any
bodily attributes.
4) In reference to His will and power, it must be clarified that Allah
is the creator of everything, including the evil and the deeds of
the slaves.
5) In reference to His speech, several points need to be clarified:
a. Among them is that His speech is not letters, sounds or
languages.
b. Our reason for quoting Arabic verses after saying, ‚Allah
said‛, should be clarified.
c. Lastly, it must also be clarified that He orders, forbids,
promises and threatens (questions and informs).
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11. THE CRADLE
THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH
Throughout history, Allah sent prophets; men who receive revelation
from Him. They are the greatest creation of Allah. The first of them was
Adam. The last and greatest was Muhammad. They all have certain
necessary qualities so that they could successfully fulfill their mission.
Among those qualities is that they are beautiful, courageous, intelligent,
truthful and trustworthy. They are impeccable; protected from ever
committing blasphemy, major and small abject sins, they never
worshipped anyone other than Allah. They perform miracles, which are
extraordinary, supernatural matters created by Allah and performed by he
who claims to be a prophet. They prove his truthfulness, comply with his
claim, and they cannot be outdone. Some of the Prophets were
Messengers; they came with a new law. We follow the laws revealed to
Prophet Muhammad, and believe in what was revealed to all of the
Prophets.
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12. THE CRADLE
PURIFICATION
The accountable Muslim must pray all prayers on time, and thus must
immediately learn not only the prayer, but also some of its conditions,
namely four matters of purification, which is, according to a definition,
that which permits the prayer:
Ghusl
The first is the full ‚shower (ghusl)‛. It is defined as making the water run
over the entire body with an intention (of worship). There are five reasons
for being obligated to perform this shower before praying. The first two
are for men and women: sexual intercourse and ejaculation. The last three
are only for women: childbirth and the termination of both menstrual and
postpartum bleeding. It is performed by making an intention when the
water touches the body, and then washing the entire body with mere
water.
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13. THE CRADLE
NOTE: It is not an obligation that the ghusl be in the form of what is
commonly known as a shower. It is only a condition that the entire body
be washed with flowing water, and not wiped with something wet.
Wudu’
The second is the ablution (wudu’). It is defined as the washing of certain
organs with an intention (of worship). There are four things that break the
wudu’:
1) Anything that exits the private parts, except for ejaculated
fluid of men and women1
2) Touching the skin of a marriageable woman who reached an
stage at which she is normally desired,
3) Touching the penis, anus or vagina of a human with the
inner part of the bare hand,
1
Sometimes the ejaculation may invalidate the wudu’. Specifying that has details: If that
happens without physical contact, such as by mere thought or glance, or seeing a wet
dream while firmly seated on the buttocks, the wudu’ is preserved. If it takes place by
contact, it is broken.
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14. THE CRADLE
4) Losing consciousness, except if one slept with his buttocks
firmly planted.
One performs wudu’ by doing six things:
1) Making the proper intention when the water touches the
face,
2) Washing the face,
3) Washing the hands, forearms and elbows,
4) Wiping the hair,
5) Washing the feet and the ankles,
6) And keeping the order.
Cleaning after Urination and Defecation
(Istinja’)
The third matter is istinja’, which is the obligatory cleaning after anything
wet comes from the private parts, except ejaculated fluid, for all wet
material that exits those organs is filthy, except for ejaculated fluid; it is
pure. It can be performed in two ways:
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15. THE CRADLE
1) The first is by water. It is recommended to pour the water with
the right hand, and to wipe with the left hand until there is no
trace of filth left.
2) The second is by wiping three times with something pure, dry,
uprooting, and unrespectable. Each wipe must be with a different
side of whatever is used for wiping.
Removing Filth
The fourth matter of purification needed for the validity of Prayer is the
removal of other types of unexcused filth from the body, clothing, place
of prayer, and what one carries. One must use water to remove filth. If it
is undetectable, it is enough to pour water over it once. If it is detectable,
it is enough to remove the bulk and then pour water over it until its traces
are removed. If the water were plenty, one could then place the filth in the
water without contaminating the water, unless it changes.
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16. THE CRADLE
BASIC PRAYER
If the new Muslim were accountable, he needs to pray the due prayer
before its time goes out. It is common that the prayer time would soon go
out after explaining the immediate matters of belief and purification as
swiftly and concisely as possible. Furthermore, one may want to consider
that the new Muslim is sometimes weak, not yet having the strength to be
patient with performing certain acts of worship or avoiding some sins.
Our most important goal is to help this Muslim perform a valid prayer
after having learned the belief and some of the conditions of prayer. For
the immediate obedience to Allah, we first teach him the obligatory
matters, and delay the optional matters that take time away from
explaining the obligatory conditions and integrals. So, while praying the
obligatory prayer, one must:
1) Cover the unlawful nakedness, face the Qiblah, stand if able
and,
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17. THE CRADLE
2) Say Allahu Akbar in Arabic if able, while simultaneously
intending to perform the obligatory prayer,
3) Recite the Fatihah properly, which can only be done in Arabic,
or recite a replacement (properly).
4) Bow with tranquility2 (being still long enough to say
Subhanallah),
5) Stand upright with tranquility,
6) Prostrate twice, each with tranquility
7) Sit with tranquility between the two prostrations,
8) From there, a person would do one of two things:
A. Stand up after that to complete the rest of his prayer, which
would be by repeating everything already mentioned, except
saying Allahu Akbar with an intention,
B. Or if one has completed all the cycles of his prayer, he must
sit to end the prayer,
2
This is called in Arabic “tuma’ninah”
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18. THE CRADLE
9) Recite the Tashahhud while sitting to end the prayer,
10) After that, make Salah on the Prophet while sitting to end the
prayer,
11) Then say, ‚As Salamu ^alaykum‛ to end the prayer.
12) One must observe the order of the Prayer’s integrals.
Important cases
1) Whoever does not know the Fatihah by heart- which is
obligatory-, must learn it before the prayer time exits. If he
cannot, he may read it from a page while praying, or he may
repeat after someone who prompts him while he is praying. It is
not permissible to abandon these issues; i.e., saying the Fatihah,
unless he has an excuse.
If one is unable, either because the time will exit before being
able to learn, or because his intellect is slow, he may replace it
with seven other properly recited verses of the Qur’an, whether
they were in order or not. One absolutely must not translate the
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19. THE CRADLE
Fatihah for the prayer in any case, nor would he replace it with
other than Qur’an when able to recite the Qur’an. If unable, he
may replace it with words of remembrance, like saying ‚Allahu
Akbar‛ 20 times. Twenty times is sufficient because the
condition of whatever one uses to replace the Fatihah is that it
would not have fewer letters than the Fatihah itself. This
replacement is valid only for a time that one needs to be able to
learn how to recite. After that time passes, the replacement is no
longer valid, because the person fell short of his obligation. If
one is unable to do any of the aforementioned, then he stands for
the duration of the Fatihah without saying anything.
2) Whoever is able to say the Tashahhud and the Salah on the
Prophet in Arabic is not permitted to translate them. If he is
unable, he may translate them, as Shaykh Taqiyyud-Din AlHusniyy said in his explanation of Abu Shuja^:
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20. THE CRADLE
ِ
ِ
‫من عرف التَّش ُّد والصَلة على النَِّب صلى هللا علَيه وسلم بِالْعربِيَّة َل جيوز لَهُ أَن‬
َ ِ ََ
َ َّ َ ‫َ ه‬
َ َْ
‫يعدل إَِل ترمجتها كتكبرية اْلحرام فَِإن عجز ترمجها‬
َ
َ ْ ِْ
‚It is not permitted for whoever knows the Tashahhud and the Salah on
the Prophet in Arabic to resort to their translations, like the formula
‘Allahu Akbar’ that initiates the prayer. If unable, he translates them.‛
3) It is important to help the New Muslim recite the letters
properly. If he is an English speaker, pay special attention to his
pronunciation of the (‫[ ح‬ha’]), the (‫^[ع‬ayn]), the (‫[ س‬sin]), the
(‫[ض‬dad]), the (‫[ غ‬ghayn]), and especially the (‫[ ص‬sad]). There
is another recitation of the Fatihah in which the (‫[ ص‬sad]) is
replaced by the (‫[ س‬sin]). That recitation may be easier for him.
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21. THE CRADLE
QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
What is the immediate knowledge?
What is included in the immediate knowledge?
What is the most important knowledge?
What are the attributes of Allah that are obligatory on every
accountable person to know?
List three important pointers about the attributes. List all five for
extra credit.
Who are the Prophets?
What are the qualities of the Prophets mentioned in this
document?
What are miracles?
What are the signs of ejaculation?
What are the types of bleeding from the vagina?
What is a ghusl?
What necessitates a ghusl?
What is specific to women in a ghusl?
What is wudu’?
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22. THE CRADLE
15. What does not break the wudu’ although it comes from the
private part?
16. When would a person sleep without losing wudu’?
17. In reference to the validity or invalidity of the prayer, mention
the categories of filth.
18. Mention the amounts (quantities) of water.
19. What are the qualities of filth?
20. When is water contaminated by filth?
21. What does it mean to say that some filth is undetectable?
22. List the conditions for the intention in the prayer.
23. What must one do while saying the first ‚Allahu Akbar‛?
24. List the steps for the one who does not know the Fatihah.
25. What can be translated in the Prayer, why, and what cannot?
26. What letters should one pay attention to when reciting the
Fatihah.
27. When is the tattoo not excused?
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23. THE CRADLE
SECOND SESSION
After learning the correct belief and praying on time, one can inform
the new Muslim about other immediate information, such as the
Islamic belief about the Afterlife, and the reality of blasphemy.
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24. THE CRADLE
JUDGMENT
All Muslims believe that this life is a trial and time for working towards
the Afterlife. There is no doubt that the accountable person has his deeds
of this present life recorded by two Angels, that he will die, and except for
those whom Allah spared, will be questioned in his grave by the Angels
of Questioning. Death is the complete separation of the soul from the
body. If his body were amongst those that decayed, he will be recreated
on Judgment Day and judged for the deeds of his life. If it is not of that
type, his soul and body will be rejoined without his body being
reconstructed, and he will be judged.
If there were no Afterlife in which the people would be judged for their
deeds, this life would be meaningless, and all who did crimes and fulfilled
their desires would have been the winners, while those who refrained
from allowing their pleasures to control them would be the losers. The
Qur’an confirms that the believer will be rewarded/punished for the good
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25. THE CRADLE
and bad deeds- although Allah may forgive him despite his deserving
torture, and that the blasphemer would not have any good deeds on That
Day. He will only be punished for his bad deeds. The good deeds he did
in this life will not be in his favor on That Day, for Allah will endow upon
him in this life for his good deeds. Whoever doubts about or denies the
Day of Judgment is refuted by his own existence and created being, for
the one who created him in the first place would definitely have the power
to create him again.
One’s book of deeds will be presented to him, and he shall remember all
that he had forgotten of his deeds. His deeds will be weighed in a scale,
and he will enter Paradise or Hell. The one who dies as a Muslim is
guaranteed to enter Paradise, and he will never leave it, even if he enters
Hell first, and the blasphemer will never exit Hell. Paradise, Hell, and the
Afterlife are all real and physical, not just spiritual or allegorical. Paradise
is everlasting, as well as Hell, and there is no death or sleep in the
Afterlife.
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26. THE CRADLE
1. What are the names of the Angels who record the deeds?
2. How is this life a test?
3. What is death?
4. What are the names of the Angels of Questioning?
5. Who is spared from their questioning?
BASICS OF BLASPHEMY (KUFR)
The new Muslim needs to know that blasphemy could take place by
beliefs, sayings, or doings, and it does not require intent. Some examples
of blasphemous beliefs are:
 Likening Allah to the creation,
 Denying His Attributes,
 Ascribing to the Prophets what does not befit them,
 Doubting about Judgment Day, Paradise, Hell, or other basic
creedal matters after knowing that they are confirmed in the
Religion,
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27. THE CRADLE
 Believing that a Religion other than Islam is valid,
 Knowing that Muslims deem something unlawful while
believing that it is lawful, and vice versa,
 Knowing that Muslims deem something obligatory while
believing that it is not obligatory, and vice versa,
 Doubting about whether Islam is valid or not.
 And other matters that one will learn when acquiring the
Personal Obligatory Knowledge with detail.
Some examples of blasphemous sayings are:
 Uttering any of the aforementioned issues,
 Literally calling a Muslim a blasphemer without any confusion
or fallacy,
 Anything that belittles the religious matters, like to say,
‚Paradise is for the babies‛, or ‚the prescribed Prayer is a waste
of time‛.
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28. THE CRADLE
Some examples of blasphemous doings are:
 Prostrating to a creation other than a human with or without the
intention of worship. As for prostrating to a human with the
intent of honor and not as worship, it is not blasphemy, but still
a sin,
 Knowingly throwing respectable religious material in the trash,
 Standing, sitting or spitting on religiously, respectable material
while realizing what one is doing.
THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE HEART AND SOME
OF THE SINS OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS
It is obligatory on the Muslim to believe in Allah and in what He
revealed, and to believe in the Messenger of Allah and what he conveyed.
He must also do his good deeds sincerely, regret disobeying His Lord, and
fear Him to the extent that it stops him from sinning. He must refrain from
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29. THE CRADLE
objecting to Allah with his heart or tongue, use his endowments in
obedience only, practice the obligatory patience, hate the devil, and hate
the sins. He must not practice the forbidden envy, not think highly of
himself because of his good deeds, not be arrogant, nor be happy with
sins. He must avoid the forbidden food and drink, the forbidden look, the
forbidden touch, gossip, slander, lying and stealing. He must not abandon
the obligations, interrupt them after initiating them and before completing
them, nor is he permitted to do them incorrectly. He must bid the good
and forbid the evil whenever able, and avoid all other sins that will be
learned from the summary of Obligatory Knowledge.
Repentance from the sin is by ceasing the sinful act, intending to never
return to something like it, and regretting that one disobeyed Allah, which
is the greatest integral of repentance. Repenting from the sin is an
immediate obligation.
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30. THE CRADLE
LAST ISSUES
It is beneficial to review the issues of likening Allah to the creation, and
in a wise way, to warn from reading translations, as the new Muslim may
be eager to read translations of the Qur’an and Hadith. The new Muslim
must be informed of the correct way of acquiring the knowledge. He must
also be taught the Fatihah immediately. Let that Muslim also know of the
obligations mentioned in the hadith:
‫بُنِي اإلسالَم علَى خمس، شهادَة أَن الَ إلَهَ إالَّ اَّللُ وأَنَّ مَحُمًََُّا رسىل‬
ُ ُ َ
ٍ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ِ َ
َ َّ ِ ِ ْ ِ َ َ
‫هللاِ، وإقام الصالَة، وإيتَاء الزكَاة، وصىم رمضَانَ ، وحجِ البَيت‬
ِ ْ ّ َ َ
َ َ ِ ْ َ َ ِ َّ ِ ِ َ ِ َّ
ِ ََِ
“Islam is built upon five things: the testimony that no
one is God except Allah and that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah, establishing the Prayer, paying the
Zakah, fasting Ramadan, and seeking the House (the
Ka^bah).”
One needs to be clever when teaching the new Muslim the obligations and
sins, because if his heart is still weak in Islam, it is possible that telling
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31. THE CRADLE
him about certain matters would repel him from the Religion. For
example, one should not rush to tell the new Muslim that wind and string
instruments are forbidden, nor stop him from eating some forbidden meat
if that will break him and make him deaf towards hearing more important
and vital things. This is why Imam ^Aliyy said:
ِّ
ِ
ُ‫حدثُوا النَّاس ِِبَا يَعرفُون أَُتبُّون أَن يُكذب اَّللُ ورسولُه‬
َ
ُ َ َ َّ َ َّ َ ْ َ ُ َ ِ ْ
َ
‚Address the people with what is familiar to them. Do you like for
Allah and His Messenger to be contradicted?‛
One can then inform the new Muslim of the obligatory knowledge and
order him to be diligent in acquiring it,
AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST
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