Hello. I write to you because I don't know what else to do. I come from a Christian family, in a very much Christian country where Islam is never regarded, not even discussed or insulted. Just ignored. Yes, people know about it but when I speak about my love for the Quran or my wishes to become a Muslim, they laugh it me. There aren't any mosques where I can pray. If there where I feel I would spent the better part of the day there. I don't care what people think of me. That's not the issue... the thing is I'm not sure how to practice Islam. I read what I can from the Quran online. But I don't feel close enough. What do you recommend? I have no one to guide me through it. But I can't help how I feel about Islam. I want to be close to Him and do as much as to serve Him well.
Hello,
I recommend reading a book intended for beginners to Islam, such as Being Muslim: A Practical Guide by Asad Tarsin (it is available on Amazon.com). All you need to do to start practicing Islam is to say the shahada (”I bear witness that there is no deity besides God and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger.”). That makes you officially a Muslim. Then you would have to start praying the five daily prayers and fast when it is Ramadan. The daily prayers have their own requirements which you can easily find out more about by searching online for “how to pray”, or by reading books for beginners to Islam.
To improve your knowledge of Islam you can also watch lectures on YouTube by respected English-speaking scholars like Yasir Qadhi, Hamza Yusuf and Abdal Hakim Murad.