Every Muslim must have his/her children memorize the formula of faith that reads, “
Aamantu billahi wa malaaikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal-yawmil-aakhiri wa bil-qadari khayrihi wa sharrihi minallahi ta’ala wal-ba’thu ba’dal-mawti haqqun ashhadu an laa ilaaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh,” and teach its meaning to them well. If a child does not believe in these six fundamentals of faith, he/she is not considered a Muslim, but an apostate (
murtad), when he/she reaches puberty.
The prayer for renewal of faith (iman)
O my Rabb! I repent of all my wrong and false beliefs, which I have held from the moment I reached puberty up to now as a result of being taken in by the enemies of Islam and heretical people. I also repent of whatever I said, listened to, saw, and did of the religious innovations and sins. I have decided firmly and have fully intended that I will not do such misdeeds from now on. The first of prophets is Adam
‘alaihis-salam and the last of them is our Prophet, Muhammad
‘alaihis-salam. I believe in these two prophets as well as all the prophets that were sent between these two. All of them are
haqq (truth, reality), and whatever they said is true.
Aamantu billah wa bi-maa jaa-a min ‘indillah ‘ala muraadillah wa aamantu bi-rasoolillah wa bi-maa jaa-a min ‘indi rasulillah ‘ala muraad-i Rasoolullah. Aamantu billahi wa malaaikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi wal-yawmil-aakhiri wa bil-qadari khayrihi wa sharrihi minallahi ta’ala wal-ba’thu ba’dal-mawti haqqun ashhadu an laa ilaaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.
The prayer for renewal of faith and nikah
To renew
nikah (Islamic marriage contract) is very easy. After a man gets a verbal proxy from his wife first, he should say in the presence of two witnesses, “I have remarried my wife, who has been my wife before this renewal, acting by proxy on her behalf and in person on my behalf.”
Additionally, the following prayer is recommended to be recited:
Allahumma innee uridu an ujaddidal eemana wannikaaha tajdeedan bi-qawli laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.
