Every Muslim’s journey back to Allah is different, and the way we support people on that journey matters immensely. In this episode, Sheikh Mustafa Umar shares a deeply personal revelation — that even while attending raves in his younger days, he would stop and pray. That single act of remembrance, even in the worst of environments, became the thread that pulled him back to Islam. His experience carries a vital message for the entire ummah: instead of condemning struggling Muslims as hypocrites, we should encourage them to hold on to whatever good they are doing, because that may be the very thing that saves them.
The Prophetic Approach to Dealing with New and Returning Muslims
“If someone is not praying at all and they start praying once or twice a day, let them get consistent in that first, then build up from there. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said the most beloved actions to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are few in number.”
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never threw all the rules at new Muslims on day one. He understood people’s circumstances, backgrounds, and capacities. Today, however, many mosques fall into one of two extremes — either terrifying newcomers with threats of hellfire for missing a single prayer, or being so lenient that people remain stagnant for years. The balanced approach is to help people understand their priorities step by step:
- First, establish firm belief in Allah, the Quran as His word, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as His final messenger
- Begin praying — even if it starts with one or two prayers a day — and build consistency before increasing
- Understand the wisdom behind Islamic prohibitions (relationships outside marriage, alcohol, etc.) so the heart willingly submits, not just the body
- If someone has a girlfriend, encourage them to explore marriage or invite her to learn about Islam — work with the situation, not against the person
- Never make excuses for yourself, but always make excuses for others — you will only be accountable for your own deeds on the Day of Judgment
40,000 Americans Accept Islam in Prison Every Year
“Ask any prison warden — the best-behaved people in prison are the Muslims. The most organized, the most spiritual, the most reformed. That’s why people are attracted to Islam in prison. They see it makes real change.”
Muslims make up 15% of the entire US prison population — more than double their share of the general population — and approximately 40,000 inmates accept Islam every year. Yet these brothers and sisters are largely forgotten by the Muslim community. Sheikh Mustafa’s Link Outside program (linkoutside.com) receives handwritten letters daily from inmates requesting copies of the Quran, guidance on fasting times during Ramadan, and access to Islamic education. The program sends literature, offers university-level correspondence courses, and connects volunteers as pen pals. With a 75% recidivism rate in American prisons, Islamic education has proven to be one of the most powerful forces for genuine rehabilitation and reform — transforming lives just as it transformed Malcolm X and countless others. If you can volunteer, donate, or simply spread the word, you can be part of this effort that builds better human beings and safer communities, bi’ithnillah.
