How Do I Encourage My Siblings to Become Muslim?
Answered by Dr. Bano Murtuja
Question: I was blessed to accept Islam, but my siblings still haven’t done so. How can I encourage them to become Muslim without being too aggressive or appearing wierd to my family. Also, how can I tell them to become Muslim when I sometimes have doubts in my faith. I feel hypocritical doing this.
Answer: Walaikum salam
I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.
In a well known aya of the Quran Allah (Exalted be He) speaks to the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and tells him “Verily, you (Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (Quran, al-Qasas, v. 56).
One of the most profound ways in which the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and the companions spread the message of islam was through their character and practice. InshaAllah you should seek to maintain the best of character and continue to struggle in your own path.
Openly practicing your faith in front of your siblings goes a long way towards offsetting the obligation to inform them of the duties associated with Islam.
As they become more comfortable seeing you practice, the more interested they are the more they may be willing to approach you, and thus create opportunities to discuss your own thoughts further inshaAllah.
In addition to this, communicating with your siblings will be easier through stories of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him), his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and about yourself.
To not look weird in front of your family, you first have to accept that your practice of Islam is not weird. It is simply a different choice than your siblings have chosen to make.
As for feeling hypocritical, one should not leave one good deed because another is not being observed. That said, dips in iman are natural, and provide us with an incentive to strive to attain the higher state we were once in. To perservere in practice despite struggling with ones iman is a very high state inshaAllah. To then talk of faith does not make you hypocritical.
Ultimately, know that Allah (Exalted be He) guides whom He wills, and as such, your greatest tool is dua.
May Allah (Exalted be He) make the path easy for you and your family bi’idhnillah.
Ma’salam
Bano
