How does a person become a Muslim?

A person becomes a Muslim by sincerely believing in and pronouncing the shahādah: "Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūlullāh" — I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. No ceremony, clergy, or paperwork is required, though saying it before witnesses is recommended so that the person's Islam is known and the community can support them. The Prophet ﷺ instructed Muʿādh, when sending him to Yemen, to begin by calling people to this testimony before anything else, and then to the prayer and zakāh. It is recommended for the new Muslim to perform ghusl and to begin learning ṭahārah and ṣalāh, then the rest of the five pillars upon which Islam is built. Whatever came before is behind them: the Prophet ﷺ said, "Islam wipes out what came before it."

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