He wants to enter Islam, but his family will not let him. Can he do the acts of worship in secret or in his heart?

We congratulate you, because Allah has opened your heart to Islam and willed good for you. This is the greatest of Allah’s blessings to you, that He has opened the greatest and widest gate of guidance to you. How many people are deprived of this blessing, and how many people there are for whom this great gate is never opened. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

{So whoever Allah wants to guide – He opens his heart to Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide – He closes and constricts his heart as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe} [al-An‘aam 6:125].

You should hasten to enter Islam immediately, by reciting the shahaadatayn (twin declaration of faith) and resolving to do whatever you can of the acts of worship, the most important of which is prayer.

Do not declare that openly or broadcast the fact that you have become Muslim; rather conceal it from those around you, until you find an opportunity when you will be able to bear the consequences of declaring it openly, such as moving out of the family home and being able to support yourself and to put up with whatever harm you may face from your family, or until you are able to leave them and go to a place where you will be safe and able to practice your religion.

Do not delay entering Islam, even for a moment, for no one knows when his time will come. What a great loss will be incurred by the one who dies having missed out on entering Islam, and how great will be the joy of the one whom Allah blessed by enabling him to become Muslim before he died.

Hasten and do not hesitate or consult anyone, and do not tell any of your family members. Do not even tell any Muslim, except one whom you trust to keep your secret and be sincere towards you.

The matter of the obligatory duties that you must do is simple. The first obligation is to affirm the oneness of Allah (Tawheed) and believe, and to give up disbelief and association of others with Allah (shirk). This is achieved when you utter the words of the shahaadatayn and disavow shirk and disbelief.

The second obligation is prayer, which is essential. It is not sufficient to intend it in your heart, but the matter is simple. You should do ghusl (full ablution) after saying the shahaadatayn and before praying, and pray in secret where no one can see you, and according to what you are able to do, even if you put Zuhr and ‘Asr together at the time of one of them, or you put Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together at the time of one of them. Please see the answers to questions no. 153572 and 100627 for important information about prayer for one who is in a situation like yours.

We would like to add two more issues:

1. Washing the feet when doing wudoo’ is not essential; rather it is permissible to wipe over your socks, on condition that you put them on after having done wudoo’ completely, including washing the feet.

Then if you do wudoo’ after that, you can wipe over the tops of the feet lightly with wet hands, for a period of twenty-four hours for one who is not travelling, and a period of seventy-two hours for one who is travelling.

2. If you become junub [impure] as a result of a wet dream and emission of semen, then you must do ghusl.

As for zakaah and Hajj, they are not obligatory for you so long as you do not have any money.

Fasting is only obligatory in the month of Ramadan, and you still have five months to go.

We are ready to answer any questions that you may have about this or any other matter, and we are eagerly waiting for a message from you with the glad tidings that you have entered Islam.

O Allah, Protector of Islam and its people, guide Your slave, help him, open his heart and illuminate his path, and protect him from any harm that anyone may intend towards him.

And Allah knows best.