The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Becoming a Muslim is a simple and easy process that requires no pre-requisites. One may convert alone in privacy, or he/she may do so in the presence of others.
If anyone has a real desire to be a Muslim and has full conviction and strong belief that Islam is the true religion of God, then, all one needs to do is pronounce the "Shahada", the testimony of faith, without further delay. The "Shahada" is the first and most important of the five pillars of Islam. With the pronunciation of this testimony, (There is no God but ALLAH, and Prophet Mohammed Sallalahu Alaihiwasallam (PBUH) as the messanger of ALLAH ) with sincere belief and conviction, one enters the fold if Islam.
Upon entering the fold of Islam purely for the Pleasure of God, all of one's previous sins are forgiven, and one starts a new life of piety and righteousness. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?"
When one accepts Islam, they in essence repent from the ways and beliefs of their previous life. One need not be overburdened by sins committed before their acceptance. The person's record after becoming Muslim is clean, and it is as if he was just born from his mother's womb. One should try as much as possible to keep his records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible. God has promised paradise for the people leaving this world with this testimony of faith.
The Shahada In Arabic reads: “أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدًا رسول الله” which translates to, “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
