Is it obligatory on the disbeliever who embraces Islam to perform Ghusl and pray two Rak‘ahs (units of prayer) immediately after his conversion to Islam?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It is sufficient for he who embraces Islam to declare the Two Testimonies of Faith and to have firm conviction, free from any doubt, in what he declares. Performing Ghusl and praying two Rak‘ahs after this verbal declaration of faith are not conditions for the validity of his conversion to Islam. Scholars have different opinions whether this is obligatory or merely recommended.

The predominant opinion is that it is merely recommended. This is the opinion of the Hanafi and Shaafi‘i scholars and has also been reported on the authority of Ahmad by a group of Hanbali scholars. In addition, it is the opinion chosen by Al-Mardaawi Al-Hanbali .

If Ghusl were a condition for adopting Islam, there would have been numerous reported citations about this, owing to the great number of people who embraced Islam. Moreover, when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was about to send Mu‘aath to Yemen, he ordered him to call the people of Yemen to testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is His Slave and Messenger. Had Ghusl been obligatory, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would have certainly mentioned that.

It should be known that there are many branches of faith and each is itself called faith. Prayer, Zakah (obligatory charity), Hajj and fasting, for instance, are all branches of faith. At the same time, internal acts that are related to the heart, like modesty and reliance on Allaah The Almighty are also branches of faith. Some of these branches result in apostasy if they are abandoned, like the Two Testimonies of Faith, whereas others do not, like the removal of harmful objects from the road. In between these two branches, there are others that vary greatly in their degree of importance. Some of them are closer in importance to the Two Testimonies of Faith and others are closer to the removal of harmful things from the way.

Therefore, leaving the voluntary and recommended acts and some of the obligatory acts, and committing the disliked acts and some of the grave major sins do not, in any way, result in apostasy.

The Muslim who does this will be considered a deficient believer. Nonetheless, it is the Muslim’s duty to improve himself and to seek perfection in faith in order to reach the ranks of the righteous, draw closer to Allaah The Almighty and attain eternity in Paradise.

And Allaah Knows best.