How do you know that Islam is the truth?

Faith is believing what you cannot see.
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naidamar said:
I think he was explaining faith in general sense.
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That's the same explanation given by Christians, Hindus, Sikhs etc. They feel that because faith is believing in what you cannot see, they think they can believe whatever they like.

Christians would be justified in their faith that Jesus would be saving them on Judgement Day. The Hindus would be right in their faith that they will be reborn into this world. And atheists would be right in believing that nothing happens after death. They have great faith in their belief that there is no God.
 
Flame said:
That's the same explanation given by Christians, Hindus, Sikhs etc. They feel that because faith is believing in what you cannot see, they think they can believe whatever they like. Christians would be justified in their faith that Jesus would be saving them on Judgement Day. The Hindus would be right in their faith that they will be reborn into this world. And atheists would be right in believing that nothing happens after death. They have great faith in their belief that there is no God.
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The difference between our faith and theirs is that our faith are supported with evidence and signs. Allah repeatedly says in the Qur'an commanding us to see and internalize His ayats (meaning signs, evidence, logic, reasoning, the nature, situation around us, etc) to come to the conclusion of belief/faith.
using our logic and reasoning skill and indirect physical evidence we come to the conclusion that the creator/God exists, and using the method employed by prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) thousands of years ago we also come to the conclusion that creation cannot be God. Tell me what existing religion in the world that worship an absolute, non-creation God? The answer is Islam and maybe orthodox judaism. Other religions have remnants of oneness of God/tawheed, but definitely not the pure, absolute one.
So we investigate, between qur'an and torah, which one is more likely to have come 100% from the One God?
There you have the answer.

But if you are born in a muslim family, the reverse process would work, but it arrives with the same exact result: strong belief in Allah and Islam as the true religion.
When you are born in muslim family, your family alreadytaught you to have belief in Allah and His prophet SAW, but the more you learn about Islam and the Qur'an, the stronger your faith grow, and especially if you know about other religions then you realize that you have diamond in your hand compared the charcoals peddled by others.
 
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Flame said:
That's the same explanation given by Christians, Hindus, Sikhs etc. They feel that because faith is believing in what you cannot see, they think they can believe whatever they like.

Christians would be justified in their faith that Jesus would be saving them on Judgement Day. The Hindus would be right in their faith that they will be reborn into this world. And atheists would be right in believing that nothing happens after death. They have great faith in their belief that there is no God.
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You're confusing general faith with BLIND faith. Muslim's don't really believe in blind faith, and typically we will seek to first convince ourselves that Islam is actually from Allah, and therefore something we can trust. (through research, reflection, reading the Quran, etc...) Only then do we begin to have faith in the unseen...

Someone please correct me if I have misspoken.
 
I had asked brother ThisOldMan the following question:

Are you saying then that you know about the existence of God because He put that innate ability in you? You know it by instinct then? Or is there any other reason why you believe in God?
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Brother ThisOldMan's answer was:

ThisOldMan said:
Of course! When I relied on logical thinking, my conclusion was that there is no such thing as an almighty god.
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This was the reason why I had questioned his signature statement: Faith is believing what you cannot see.

It appears that his faith is not a result of logical thinking, going by his statement above.
 
Tyrion said:
Muslim's don't really believe in blind faith, and typically we will seek to first convince ourselves that Islam is actually from Allah, and therefore something we can trust. (through research, reflection, reading the Quran, etc...) Only then do we begin to have faith in the unseen...

Someone please correct me if I have misspoken.
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You have not at all misspoken. What you say is true. The Qur'an commands us to engage in research and reflection to know the truth. Allah does not expect us to accept anything that doesn't make sense. Allah was the One who gave us our power of reason. He expects us to make use of it, no doubt. After all, knowledge cannot be acquired unless one uses it.
 
naidamar said:
The difference between our faith and theirs is that our faith are supported with evidence and signs. Allah repeatedly says in the Qur'an commanding us to see and internalize His ayats (meaning signs, evidence, logic, reasoning, the nature, situation around us, etc) to come to the conclusion of belief/faith.
using our logic and reasoning skill and indirect physical evidence we come to the conclusion that the creator/God exists, and using the method employed by prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) thousands of years ago we also come to the conclusion that creation cannot be God. Tell me what existing religion in the world that worship an absolute, non-creation God? The answer is Islam and maybe orthodox judaism. Other religions have remnants of oneness of God/tawheed, but definitely not the pure, absolute one.
So we investigate, between qur'an and torah, which one is more likely to have come 100% from the One God?
There you have the answer.
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Good points!

Alhamdulillahir rabbil al ameen!
 
Flame said:
This was the reason why I had questioned his signature statement: Faith is believing what you cannot see. It appears that his faith is not a result of logical thinking, going by his statement above.
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It is true that faith is believing what you cannot see. that is the basic, but then we must elaborate.
As br. Tyrion has pointed out above, there is a difference between "faith" and "blind faith".
With blind faith, you dont care if what you believe has no evidence, or even has evidence stacked against it, has no rational basis, against common sense, violate all kinds of logic, discard every incriminating proofs.
example: christians belief that jesus is god, and god is 3 but 1 oh wait 3 but actually 1, that god dies.
NOW, that is blind faith.
another example: idol worship.

in Islam, this kind of faith is forbidden, because it will lead to shirk. In fact, the very first verse revealed was "iqra'", meaning "read, recite". As I have said, again and again in the Qur'an we are commanded to read the signs, etc. Faith in Islam is very much grounded in reality.
 
Flame said:
Does that mean you would believe anything anyone says? How would you know who is speaking the truth and who is not?
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:sl:

I am stating an obvious truth.

If, for example, you can already see nar, you don't need faith to believe it. You would already believe it instantly. It is when, as now, you cannot see nar that you need faith to believe that nar is waiting for you if you do not follow what Allah says. Same for jana. If you can already see jana, you don't need faith to believe it. You will be an instant believer. However, since you cannot see jana, you need faith to believe that Allah will reward you with jana when you follow what Allah tells you to do.

This does not mean that I believe anything that anyone says. I only believe what is in the Quran and the Ahadith. Then after I believe and I practice what I believe with full conviction, I will see the truth.

For example, the Quran and Ahadith say to perform solah five times a day. So I perform salah five times a day. Then I experience the truth about performing salah five times a day. I enjoy the peace of mind that comes with performing salah fives times a day. I enjoy good health from the calisthenics that I do when I perform salah five times a day. I would not have found out the truth if I did not have the faith to believe what I do not see. I believe, then practice what I believe and I see the truth. You should give it a try.

Regarding your earlier question about hidayah and iman:

Hidayah is totally and absolutely something that Allah and Allah alone can give. There is nothing at all that we can do about it.

Iman, in the final analysis, is also something which Allah has full control of. However, we are told to work on improving our iman. This is something which we can do. We are told what not to do so as not to weaken our iman. This is something we can avoid doing.

Therefor we must understand clearly that hidayah and iman are two totally different things. Some people may be confused and believe that by dissecting Islam and explaining it in objective terms, it is possible to get another person to accept Islam. This is impossible because to accept Islam requires hidayah which comes only from Allah. Even the Holy Prophet (saw), who is way, way a better daeen than any of us, could not get his beloved uncle, Abu Talib, to accept Islam.

Instead of trying to convince other people about the truth of Islam by scientific analysis, logical thinking and rational reasoning, we should concentrate on improving our iman so that we, ourselves, will bear witness to the truth of Islam. Other people, who do not know the truth of Islam, will only understand Islam from the way we live, from the way we speak, from the way we conduct ourselves, and so on and so forth.

To be able to live as a Muslim, especially in environments hostile to Islam, requires a lot of iman. So let's all keep on doing all the things that will strengthen our iman and avoid all the things which will weaken our iman. Also, remember iman is like something in a leaky bucket. We have to keep on topping up our iman, so to say. Otherwise, if we are lulled into thinking that our iman is strong enough and stop practicing Islam, we will find out, too late perhaps, that there is no iman left in our heart. How so? Well, if we have no iman or our iman is not strong enough, how do you think we will be able to utter the Kalimah Tayyibah with our dying breath?

Let's all pray to Allah that the last thing we say in this life will be "laila hailaLLah". Insha Allah. Ameen.
 
Greetings and peace be with you Flame;

That's the same explanation given by Christians, Hindus, Sikhs etc. They feel that because faith is believing in what you cannot see, they think they can believe whatever they like.
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I think you have to let Christians, Sikhs and Hindus find their own faith, there are enough troubles for all of us.

If Allah had wanted you to be a Christian or Hindu, that is what you would be, but he has placed Islam in your path, and Allah is asking you to respond.

Faith is very much how you respond to this call, despite all the proof, doubts and apparent contradictions. I say contradictions because it might be so much easier for all of us, if we all believed the same.

In the spirit of responding to God’s calling

Eric
 
ThisOldMan said:
Hidayah is totally and absolutely something that Allah and Allah alone can give. There is nothing at all that we can do about it.
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I heartily disagree. Hidayah means guidance. Allah guides those who seek His guidance. He guides those who are searching for answers. If a person already thinks that he is guided how likely do you think he would ask Allah to guide him?

You make it sound as though it is entirely up to Allah and that nothing is in our hands!

I'm sorry, but we're not puppets in the Hands of Allah. If we were, then it makes no sense to have a Day of Judgement. You might as well put the entire responsibility of one's actions on God. This sounds like the same sort of teaching of some Christians. Let Jesus take all the responsibility of the world's sin.

Au'dhu billahi mina shaytaanir rajeem!
 
ThisOldMan said:
Some people may be confused and believe that by dissecting Islam and explaining it in objective terms, it is possible to get another person to accept Islam. This is impossible because to accept Islam requires hidayah which comes only from Allah. Even the Holy Prophet (saw), who is way, way a better daeen than any of us, could not get his beloved uncle, Abu Talib, to accept Islam.
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Our duty is only to convey the message. A person couldn't accept Islam if the message wasn't conveyed to him in the first place. Only Allah has knowledge of what is in people's hearts. Everybody is not the same. Allah guides whosoever He wills but that doesn't mean we don't know the sort of people He guides. The Qur'an informs us about the people who Allah guides or does not guide.

We know that Allah does not guide the arrogant. He guides those in whom He sees humility and those who use their power of reason to know what the truth is. He guides those who fear Him.

We might think that Abu Talib should have received Allah's guidance. But Allah didn't guide Him. On his deathbed the Prophet (saws) made an attempt to persuade him to accept Islam. Perhaps Abu Talib would have done so, but that was not the will of Allah. Allah's will was to give Abu Talib a choice. Two men of the Quraish sat by Abu Talib's bedside and asked him if he would be willing to give up the traditions of his forefathers and embrace a new religion preached by his nephew (saws). Abu Talib chose to stick to the religion of his forefathers. He rejected Islam. Can we say now that Allah is responsible for the choice he made?!

Well, here we have ample proof of Allah's wisdom. Man is held accountable for the choices he makes, choices that are not forced upon him but choices he makes out of his own free will, choices he makes voluntarily. The Day of Judgement is set up for this purpose. Abu Talib was not forced by the Prophet (saws) to accept Islam. But it's obvious that he had to make a choice between the religion of Islam and the religion of his forefathers. And whatever his choice was, he will be held accountable for it on the Day of Judgement.

Whoever is reading this right now, let him know that he has choices to make and he will be held accountable for those choices. There is no compulsion in Islam. On the Day of Judgement, you will certainly be asked, "Wasn't the message conveyed to you? Didn't warning reach you?" What will you say then? That the warning and message did reach you, but you chose to reject it?
 
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ThisOldMan said:
nstead of trying to convince other people about the truth of Islam by scientific analysis, logical thinking and rational reasoning, we should concentrate on improving our iman so that we, ourselves, will bear witness to the truth of Islam. Other people, who do not know the truth of Islam, will only understand Islam from the way we live, from the way we speak, from the way we conduct ourselves, and so on and so forth.
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Brother ThisOldMan, assalaamu alaykum!

If you say that people can be called to Islam by the way we live as Muslims, then you must follow the way of Islam and the teaching of the Qur'an. Agreed?

If so, then you must ponder upon what the Qur'an teaches and follow what it teaches. I'm sure you cannot overlook and ignore the following verses found in the Qur'an. You couldn't possibly live your life contrary to these verses:


Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason. [8:22]


And do not follow (blindly) any information of which you have no (direct) knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception, you must verify it for yourself. (In the Court of your Lord,) you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning."[17:36]

“It is He Who has created you from dust; then from a sperm-drop; then from a leech-like clot; then does he get you out as a child; then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old,- though of you there are some who die before;- and lets you reach a Term appointed; in order that you may use your reason.” [40:67]

And most certainly have We destined for hell many of the invisible beings and human being who have hearts with which they fail to grasp the truth, and eyes with which they fail to see, and ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle -nay, they are even less conscious of the right way it is they, they who are the [truly] heedless! [7:179]

Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed through the sea with what is useful to man: and in the waters which God sends down from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless, and causing all manner of living creatures to multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are messages/signs indeed for people who use their reason. [2:164]

And there are on earth [many] tracts of land close by one another [and yet widely differing from one another]; and [there are on it] vinyards, and fields of grain, and date-palms growing in clusters from one root or standing alone, [all] watered with the same water: and yet, some of them have We favoured above others by way of the food [which they provide for man and beast]. Verily, in all this there are messages/signs indeed for people who use their reason! [13:4]

And He has marshalled to your service the night and the day, the sun and the moon, and the stars have also been made subservient by His command. They all function according to His laws. In these also there are signs for those who use their reason. [16:12]


And [We grant you nourishment] from the fruit of date-palms and vines: from it you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance -in this, behold, there is a message/sign indeed for people who use their reason. [16:67]



And among His Signs, He shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope, and He sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after it is dead: verily in that are Signs for those who use their reason. [30:24]



And in the alternation of the night and the day, and in the means of sustenance which Allah sends down from the Height, reviving the earth which had been lifeless, and in the change of winds and seasons - in all this are Signs for people who use their reason. [45:5]



Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus use reason and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts which are in their breasts. [22:46]

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From this it's clear that he who uses his reason pleases Allah. He who doesn't incurs His wrath.

It's a matter of choice and Allah wrongs not a single one of His creatures.

Alhamdulillahir Rabbil al ameen!
 
ThisOldMan said:
It was when I was teaching in a rural Malay school that I found out the truth. As a member of the staff, it was my duty to accompany my Muslim students as they took part in the Maulidur Rasul celebrations. When they sang the selawat to the Holy Prophet, I sang along just for the fun of it. Then I felt as if a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The climax of the celebrations was a talk by a Muslim scholar from Azhar University. He told us, in simple layman terms, that the only reason we were created by Allah is to appreciate the beauty of Allah's creations. At that point in time, I opened up my heart to accept the nur of hidayah.
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Alhamdulillahir rabbil al ameen that you opened your heart and were guided to Islam. However, what got my eye was your mention of Maulidur Rasul celebrations. I found that in Malaysia this is quite a big event. I found some information here: Maulidur Rasul Celebrations.

Isn't this a bid'ah, an innovation that no Muslim should engage in? Do you still participate in such celebrations?

P.S. Respected brother ThisOldMan, I hope that I am not coming across as too aggressive. I'm hoping it doesn't seem as though I'm trying to find fault with so many of your posts. That has never been my intention. I only wish for clarification and a better understanding. I hope you will look at things in an objective way and not take things personally. Do forgive me if I said anything that might have hurt you.
 
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Zafran said:
Truthfulness of the prophet Muhammad pbuh

The Quran.
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What better reasons than the ones given above? Jazakallah khair brother, for a very valuable post. In my opinion, this ought to wrap up everything discussed in this thread.

The world of the unseen which comprises of Allah, His angels, Paradise, Hell, punishment in the grave, the questioning of Munkar and Nakir, the Day of Judgment, etc. is a very real world. It's the world of the Hereafter which Allah has kept hidden from man. If we were to see any of these things, all of us would become believers.

The only way that we can know that these things are true is through the messengers and the prophets sent by Allah. The messengers chosen by Allah are trustworthy men who could never lie regarding the message they had been sent to deliver. A clear sign that a man is a messenger of Allah is that he seeks no reward from people who accept his message. Another sign of his truthfulness is his trustworthy character. People who know him have seen by his words and actions that he is a righteous man.

Whosoever knew Prophet Muhammad (saws) were witnesses to his upright character and trustworthiness. It's inconceivable that he would lie to us about being the last messenger of Allah. So if he was telling the truth, then everything that he told us regarding the unseen world is absolutely true. The Qur'an is 100% true.

Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu) was the first man to accept Islam. He had absolutely no hesitation in accepting the strange claim of Muhammmad (saws) that he was the messenger of God. He had used his reason to know for certain that there was no way that Muhammad (saws) could be lying about such a matter.

Alhamduliillahir rabbil al ameen!

Ashhadu an la ilaha il Allah, Muhammaddar Rasul Allah!
I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad (saws) is His messenger!
 
My reading of this book increased my faith that Islam is the true religion. This book is an illustration that we know so much more about the lives of Prophet Muhammad (saaws) and his companions than the Christians know about Jesus (as) and his disciples. The life of Prophet Muhammad (sal allahu alayhi wa salam) is a very inspirational story that increases the love for him in those who have Islamic faith in their heart. I am sure that this book does not have the same effect on a Christian or other non-Muslim readers. To know what he went through only to establish the worship of One God and the humble condition of his life is an example for how we should live our own lives.

So in summary, my reading of the Quran is the means by which Allah (subhana wa ta ala) guided me initially and how it was faith entered into my heart and reading about Prophet Muhammad's (saaws) life served to increase that faith. I accept him as the Messenger of Allah and I believe what he said was true.
 

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