Category: Da'wah

I have read the many pages of your web site that instructs a non-believer. I believe that there is only Allah (one God). Ibelieve that Muhammed is the seal of the prophets. History bears this out. My question is: How do I declare this (shahadah) if I do not speak arabic?  How do I perform the five daily prayers (salah) without understanding arabic? Finally would I have to change my name?

I have very difficult question and I think this is my only hope that you can help me to find the answer.
I am a Russian Jewish girl and I know this Muslim guy for over a year. The longer we know each other, the more problems and difficulties we face. Not in the religious or cultural ways. We love each other and there is an issue of whether he can marry me or not.
He is a very good Muslim and he comes from traditional family. I am very fond of his beliefs and beliefs of his family. I was born in a very agnostic country and couldn't be properly introduced into any religion. It was forbidden. When I came to the US I started my research on different religions and found out that my beliefs do not really match all Jewish sayings. I did a lot of research on Islam and by looking at him and a couple other Muslim boys and girls, and by reading Quaran, I have a very strong feeling that I could become a good Muslim. I want to go to school to learn the culture and religion more precisely, to learn the language. I contacted the mosque and was ready to go... but I faced the issue: would I be accepted as a Muslim sister like other people who came from different religions except Jewish? Jews and Muslims are in big contradictions and I know that friendship is almost impossible. I am praying to God (in my home language - Russian), to lead me the right way to achieve my beliefs.
Please, help me to find my answers

How can we prove to non-Muslims that Islam is a tolerant and easy religion?

A brother of ours has recently become Muslim. During his days of Jaahiliyyah (ignorance – i.e., before he became Muslim), he earned a lot of money by dealing in drugs. He brought this money with him and opened a big bookstore and got married using this money. Recently he has been told that it is not permissible for him to give this money in charity, because Allaah is Good and only accepts that which is good, Our question is, what should he do with this money, and how sound is what he has been told?.

If a man decides after a life of sinfulness to come to God and promise to reform his life, I understand that Islam says that he will be forgiven and therefore inherit the promises etc.
My question though is what has happened to the weight of this man's sin, as in sinning he has offended God and therefore this sin has to be atoned for; who is going to atone for his sin, if God is just going to forgive him on the promise of his being good and faithful? Surely as we saw with Adam there has to be a consequence for sin...