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Fatwa CenterWants to learn to be a good Muslim, but lacks Islamic resources or examples
Question
I am 23. Although both my parents are Muslim neither have practice for years on end. I respect and love them both, but as I grow older I am having trouble with what religion I am to practice. Growing up nothing was instilled yet in my heart I am Muslim and I do not believe in anything else. But I only know a little bit about Islam. I have moved around so much that I have never really gone to the Mosque save a few times with a friend. I am getting older and I would like to marry and have children and raise them properly. I don't know any Muslims save a few guys at work. I am at a lost. The Masjid that is close to me is far and well I don't know what to do?
Answer
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 
is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we thank you for visiting our site and we ask Allaah to facilitate your affairs in the right way.
The religion of Islam to which you belong, is the true religion and Allaah will not accept any other religion than Islam. Allaah says (what means): {Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allaah is Islam.}[Quran 3:19] Allaah further says (what means): {And whoever desires other than Islam as religion-never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.}[Quran 3:85]
Islam means submission to Allaah, believing that None has the right to be worshipped but Him, obeying Him and fulfilling His Commandments, and declaring oneself free from Shirk (associating partners with Allaah) and free from those who associate partners with Him. So the true Muslim is he who submits himself to Allaah, worshipping Him Alone and believing that None has the right to be worshipped but Him, obeying Him and fulfilling His Commandments, and declares himself free from associating partners with Allaah, and free from those who associate partners with Him.
Islam has five pillars; the Prophet said: "Islam is based on five pillars: To testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to establish the prayers, to pay the Zakat, to fast the month of Ramadan and to perform Hajj for whoever is able [financially and physically] to do so." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Also, there are six pillars of faith: Belief in Allaah, belief in the Angels, belief in Divinely-Revealed Books, belief in the Messengers, belief in the Last Day [Hereafter], and belief in the Divine Decree (Predestination) whether it is good or bad.
For more benefit about the religion of Islam and that it is the religion of all the Prophets, please refer to Fatwa 88906.
As regards your enquiry, being aged 23, wishing to marry but knowing only a few Muslims, and living far from the mosque, then our advice to you is as follows:
1) To supplicate Allaah earnestly and as much as possible, as He is the One Who controls everything. Allaah says (what means): {Call upon Me; I will respond to you.}[Quran 40:60]
2) To look for righteous female companions so that they can help you in remaining steadfast on righteousness and in holding fast to the Religion of Allaah.
3) It is permissible for a Muslim woman to propose herself for marriage to a religious Muslim man who has a good moral character. So if you know a Muslim man who is righteous and has a good moral character, then you are Islamically permitted to propose yourself to him through your father or your female friends so that he can marry you. You may also express your wish by writing to him while being careful not to establish any forbidden relationship with him or being in seclusion with him. Besides, it is confirmed in the Sunnah that a guardian of a woman is permitted to propose her for marriage to any eligible man.
4) To inform your female friends that you wish to marry. They might be able to help you marry a righteous man.
Finally, we advise you to be steadfast on the Religion of Allaah and to fear Him, as Allaah says (what means): {… And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine …}[Quran 65:2-3] Allaah further says (what means): {And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him.}[Quran 65:4]
Moreover, we advise you to call your parents to be steadfast on Islam, indeed life is very short and it is only a matter of days or months or less than that, and a person finds that he is leaving this world. Allaah Says (what means): {…that Day, man will remember, but how [i.e. what good] to him will be the remembrance? He will say, “Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life."}[Quran 89:23-24]
We ask Allaah to enable us to do what He Likes and what He is pleased with.
Allaah Knows best.
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