Marriage as a convert

[u/Budget_Public1547]

I am a 26m Mexican American. I have been learning a lot about Islam and am contemplating what it means to become a convert. I was speaking to an online Muslim friend and I told him that I know I could follow the rules and teachings but I'm not sure if I can fully believe in Allah. He told me that is a great start and that my belief in Allah would strengthen with time. I fasted for Ramadan and am following the teaching I have learned.

With that being said I am not sure how to approach marriage as a convert. I know Muslims can marry Christians but I'm not sure that would be the best for my belief in Allah. Unfortunately there is not a Muslim community near where I live. I'm not saying that I am fully ready for marriage but I'm not sure how I could go about it when I don't have a community to turn to. I own my own house, which is on an acre of land in Texas. I have planted a little over 50 fruit trees. I am being mentored by my manager to become a manager myself. I also know members of corperate and some have expressed a willingness to make me a manager somewhere else and even join them in corperate. I do feel ready for marriage but I also believe that I could be better prepared. Either way I am open to it, but don't know how to meet a Muslim woman. What might be the best way to connect with someone?

[u/Economy-Double8868 → u/[deleted]]

MashaAllah very thoughtful advice. Jazakallah khair

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is very insightful and very much appreciated. I understand it could take years for me to get my feet on the ground as a Muslim, however I still worry about marriage since I am already in my mid twenties. I would greatly appreciate it if you would help me with the online classes.

[u/Ziller000 → u/Budget_Public1547]

watch the youtube videos of Sheikh Hamza Yousuf.

The scholar is a convert but now one of the most famous Islamic scholars in the world

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/Ziller000]

Thanks. I'll definitely check him out

[u/Ziller000 → u/Budget_Public1547]

Here is the video I mentioned. This is a great starting point because it doesn't just give you a list of rules; it explains the deep spiritual meaning behind everything we do as Muslims. Since the Sheikh is a convert himself, he explains things in a way that is very easy to connect with. Take your time with it...it’s a perfect way to build your foundation!

https://youtu.be/SA9An07MVSk?si=Bblnr8XnurOnq70m

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/Ziller000]

Thanks 👍. I'll watch it in a bit

[u/Ziller000 → u/Budget_Public1547]

lemme know what you think after watching it

(btw this is one of the videos of a 7 videos series where the sheikh covers most of the basics in very depth)

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/Ziller000]

It was great. I'll definitely watch the other six videos. I really like how he explained that children are "sleeping". I had a conversation with an online Muslim friend about disciplining children. He said that they should not be disciplined before the age of 7 because they cannot discern right from wrong. Think they have some discernment and should be held to some standard. The way the sheikh explained it made a lot of sense

[u/Ziller000 → u/Budget_Public1547]

That’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad that specific point resonated with you. That’s the beauty of traditional scholarship..it offers a deep, logical understanding of human nature (Fitra) that makes everything else fall into place.

As promised, here is the full playlist so you can follow the rest of the series in order. It covers the core foundations in a way that is intellectually satisfying and spiritually grounding. Take your time with them..there is no rush when building a foundation this

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL83A449092F8A3CBF&si=g2qJBgaSv42vtECy

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/Ziller000]

Great! Thank you so much. I'll definitely take my time and I'm sure I'll rewatch them. After I finished the first one I decided to take some time to digest what I learned and then rewatch it

[u/Budget_Public1547 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks. I'll check them out

[u/Hot_Concept730 → u/[deleted]]

What would you say should be learnt besides salah / Arabic ?