From Doubt to Faith: Discovering Islam – Part 1
I begin in the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Although I believed in the existence of one God, I was once largely sceptical about religion, the Scriptures, and Islam as a whole. This is the first part of a multi-part series, where I’ll share some of my previous viewpoints and reflect on how reading the Quran and practicing Islam have changed my views.
Religion
I used to think that religion was created by people in power, to manipulate the beliefs and behaviours of the masses for their own agendas. In my eyes, a religious individual was a person with rigid personal convictions, reliant on external directives and guidelines to navigate life. I used to believe that religion limits life and human perspectives, while life experiences are so diverse, and thus, viewpoints and concepts of right and wrong can be very individual.
As a believer now, I observe that religious devotion is often seen as unusual, even odd, in today’s modern world – almost like an old tradition that no longer fits our times. In wealthier societies, where people often feel a greater sense of control over their lives, some even identify as atheists and reject the idea of a higher intelligence behind our existence. Yet, at a very basic level, many people around the world seem to affirm the existence of a higher divine power.
But… is simply acknowledging the existence of God enough? If we don’t seek to understand His nature and what this could mean for us, what shapes our thinking, actions, understanding of ourselves, and sense of life’s purpose? For many, it seems to be the societal norms and cultural trends of their time and place.
After reading the Quran – and I imagine this applies to other holy scriptures, like the Bible and Torah – one begins to appreciate how estrangement from God causes an inner loss within our souls. This disconnection also manifests in broader challenges we face today. Issues like the climate crisis, excessive materialism, consumerism, injustice rooted in self-interest, and ethical conflicts are natural outcomes of a world detached from divine principles and lacking a sense of accountability before the Creator.
We all have an innate godly instinct to distinguish right from wrong, but do we always manage to follow it? Don’t we sometimes let our egos and desires take over? If we rely solely on our own understanding, can we trust that our judgments align with God’s perspective and infinite Wisdom?
To close, I’ll leave you with a few Quranic verses that I found thought-provoking in this context:
He wishes to turn towards you, but those who follow their lusts want you to go far astray. God wishes to lighten your burden; man was created weak. (4:27-28)
As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have certainly made their evil deeds appealing to them… (27:4)
If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would lead you away from the path of God. They follow nothing but speculation; they are merely guessing. (6:116)
In the next part, I will talk about Revelations and Prophets, God willing. Until then, peace be upon you.
