Anyone, who wishes to embrace Islam, is very welcome to visit Hiroshima Islamic Cultural Center (HICC). We are so pleased to give you a brief overview of the Islam and help you to be a Muslim.
The meaning of ‘Islam’ is ‘submission’, and is derived from a word meaning ‘peace’. That means a Muslim is a one who submits to the will of God (Allah). Becoming a Muslim is so simple and what you need to do is to say Shahada (Testimony of Faith) which is:
اشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و اشهد أن محمد رسول الله
Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna muhammadan rasululullah
That means “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of Allah.” However, the person should say it with conviction and understanding its meaning, then he/she has become a Muslim. Conversion to Islam can be done alone however we recommend you to pay a visit to the Islamic center to help you saying Shahada , and to strengthen your understanding.
At the Islamic center, we can issue you a Muslim Certificate upon request. While being a Muslim does not need a certificate, such a certificate is necessary for some issues such as performing Hajj (A pilgrimage to Mecca), getting marry from a Muslim, etc.