Is Islam based on faith?

[Follower]

As Muslims we believe some parts of the New Testament which fall in line with the Quran are indeed divine. The rest is a bunch of scribal errors, forged manuscripts, and false prophecies written by those who presume themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit and which the various churches through the centuries couldn't even agree upon.

Just because the quran confirms the Gospel doesn't prove that the Gospel is divine.

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Anyone who thinks their faith is backed up by proof is actually denying that they have faith at all. You cannot have proof of something that is a matter of faith, since the word faith essentially means belief despite having incomplete information. Some dictionaries even give one definition of faith as "belief that is not based on proof".

I think that Muslims make this bizarre claim that their faith rests on proof more frequently than any other religious believers.

Peace

 

[Follower]

Hebrews 11
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Blind faith is superstition. This is not encouraging blind faith:

1 John 4
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

 

['Abd-al Latif]

Greetings,

Anyone who thinks their faith is backed up by proof is actually denying that they have faith at all. You cannot have proof of something that is a matter of faith, since the word faith essentially means belief despite having incomplete information. Some dictionaries even give one definition of faith as "belief that is not based on proof".

I think that Muslims make this bizarre claim that their faith rests on proof more frequently than any other religious believers.

Peace

A very limited understanding of a religion. So you honestly believe the vast majorty of the world is following a system that dictates their life without any proofs what-so-ever and that those people follow nothing mythical, irrational, incomplete and uncomfirmed conjuncture? This view in and of it self is irrational and illogical. For someone to have true faith he will have to witness some sort of proof from the real world that his senses can bear witness to. For someone to have mere knowledge of something isn't sufficent, rather he has to experience that which will complete what he believes in order to fully believe.

Faith doesn't mean blind following. Agreed that there are certain things that we do not have complete knowledge or information of but this is the whole part of the test. In order to believe in the unseen one must be convinced of what he has see in or read in his scripture that links or relates with the real world in order to go that extra step and believe in what he cannot see. However this not all of what the Islamic faith is based upon, the amount of evidences that are in Qur'an and Sunnah that relate to real life and scientific facts (not theories or conjectural propositions) only but compliment the fact that Islam is a religion based on factual proof. Facts such as the two rivers that do not meet, Human Embryonic Development, The Clouds and their formation process, structure and a more. Indeed, proof and faith go hand to hand. How can one believe without proof and how can proof not be used to ascertain the truth?

 

[AntiKarateKid]

I see it this way. I'm trying to find my way to the exit in a building right?

Islam is the only one that gives me directions in English and seems to be right as I follow it down the halls. I don't know the future but I have no reason to expect it be a dead end.

Other religions and atheism are giving me directions in upside down chinese and seem to be pointing me towards the restrooms. There might be an exit in the bathroom... but I'm pretty sure there isn't.

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

A very limited understanding of a religion. So you honestly believe the vast majorty of the world is following a system that dictates their life without any proofs what-so-ever and that those people follow nothing mythical, irrational, incomplete and uncomfirmed conjuncture?

I didn't really understand the last part, but essentially: yes, mate. I'm a non-believer. Nice to meet you.

Islam is the only one that gives me directions in English

But Islam gives you instructions in Arabic...

Peace

 

[AntiKarateKid]

CZ do you really believe that reality came about itself and that it's laws made themselves? As in, did their history have a beginning?

Might seem obvious from your profile but I'm interested in it nevertheless.

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

CZ do you really believe that reality came about itself and that it's laws made themselves? As in, did their history have a beginning?

As I see it, the answer is: nobody knows. You think you have the answers to these questions, but I don't believe they're right.

In my view, having a wrong answer is not really better than having no answer at all.

Peace

 

[AntiKarateKid]

Greetings,


As I see it, the answer is: nobody knows. You think you have the answers to these questions, but I don't believe they're right.

In my view, having a wrong answer is not really better than having no answer at all.

Peace

Hmm. So you have faith that I am wrong?

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Hmm. So you have faith that I am wrong?

I've looked at the answers you believe, and for me they don't stack up, so yes.

Peace

 

[Uthman]

Greetings czgibson

I hope you're well.

Anyone who thinks their faith is backed up by proof is actually denying that they have faith at all. You cannot have proof of something that is a matter of faith, since the word faith essentially means belief despite having incomplete information. Some dictionaries even give one definition of faith as "belief that is not based on proof".

If I am to go along with the definitions of faith that you have provided, then I would have to retract my earlier statement and I would say that I do not have faith. What I do have is certain knowledge based upon conclusive proof.

I think that Muslims make this bizarre claim that their faith rests on proof more frequently than any other religious believers.

Minus the 'bizarre' part, I would agree with this statement and I would put that down to the fact that our claim is based upon reality whereas the others are not.

Regards

 

[czgibson]

Greetings Osman,

Greetings czgibson

I hope you're well.

Just back from holiday. Hope you're doing OK too.

If I am to go along with the definitions of faith that you have provided, then I would have to retract my earlier statement and I would say that I do not have faith.

I am glad you can see the contradiction.

What I do have is certain knowledge based upon conclusive proof.

Do you really have certain knowledge of the unseen? Aren't you taking it on trust?

Minus the 'bizarre' part, I would agree with this statement and I would put that down to the fact that our claim is based upon reality whereas the others are not.

Good one! That's fair enough, although the reason I called it bizarre is the contradiction I mentioned.

Peace

 

[jeff d]

Praise be to the all merciful Allah (God) I don't necessarily believe that Muslims try more to "prove" that Allah exists, or is in their life. I think we just see more of it being portrayed in the media. Understand, I am a Reverend of the Christian faith, but I stand behind the Nation of Islam, as they are my brethren. God is here for all of his children, not just a select few.
Every Religion is based in faith. Faith is simply a deep seeded knowledge that cannot be changed or manipulated, thus making proof null, void and moot. I pray for all my brethren.....Muslims, Buddhists, Christians....everyone. Why would I do so?? Because it is my Faith.

 

[HinduIconoclast]

I think Islam is based on logic and then faith plays a great role later on, but the actual base of the religion is logic and reason.

For example, the Islamic Tawheed conception of God is clearly the most logical and most monotheistic of any belief system. Since it rejects illogical concepts such as divine incarnations, the holy trinity, anthropomorphism, etc., it shows that it is based in logic instead of previous religions such as Hinduism and Christianity which have traces or are made up greatly by older traditions with some other new beliefs mixed in. Therefore the Islamic concept of God is the most logical of any faith (same for Judaism since their concept is basically identical).

Also, many ancient peoples performed illogical and abominable practices such as idol-worship, astrology, fortune-telling, palmistry, card-reading, etc. But when the light of truth shines upon these practices, it is apparent that they are all incorrect and superstitious - And of all the religions I have studied, Islam does the best job of discrediting and condemning such practices which is another major reason why Islam is based on logic.

Also, the method of dawa employed by such great da'ees as Zakir Naik, Ahmed Deedat, Yusuf Estes, etc. are logic-based. By that I mean that those da'ees point to the logic of the Islamic concept of Tawheed, the scientific facts within the Qur'an, the health reasons behind why haraam foods are avoided, etc. On the other hand, Christian evangelists try to lure people to Christianity by talking about Christ(PBUH)'s love and being saved from hell by the grace of God, and other such emotional tactics instead of trying to appeal to logic and reason like most Islamic da'ees I have heard do.

 

[Basit]

Al-Salam Alaykum,

imho, i think there is a difference between belief and faith. belief is believing into something that you think is, i.e. superstitions, existing but in reality they are just make-ups of the mind. faith is believing into something you may not see, hear or touch but you know it is there.

correct me if im wrong, even God shows proof that he is powerful by showing miracles to the people so that they will believe he is really powerful and thus they will have faith in Him. That is why if you ask a Muslim, why are you muslim? then he would answer, because i believe in the one true God. why do you believe Him to be the one true God? then he would answer, Because He alone created the heavens, the earth and everything between them. And he created this and this and he performed this and this.........in short, every question will have an answer because he knows his God is true based on the facts that he witness and knew.

If faith is believing without any evidence/proofs or in short, blind faith, then its like god telling the people that he is god and nothing more to do. then you would ask this man, why is he your god? he would answer, Because he says so. Why do you believe that he is god? he would answer, because he says so. Why did he say that he is god? he would not be able to answer because he dont know anything about his god.




May Allah, subhanah wa taala, forgive me if i was wrong(audubillah).


Salam!

 

[HinduIconoclast]

Salam alaykum Basit, I agree with you but I am saying that Islam is BASED on logic (for example, monotheism is logical) but that miracles, etc. are secondary to beliefs like the existence of Allah SWT and Tawheed.

 

[Basit]

Wa Alaykum Al-Salam,

Actually im replying to previous posts. hehe. but anyway, when u say "logic" that simply means correct or at an acceptable degree. well, taking my experience for example, i am born a christian, raised as a christian until i reached at age of 22 when i finished my bachelors degree and finally gone independent. until that time i was blind of the truth, i simply follow what others do and what others teach thats all im doing before. when i arrived in arabia, i met and made friends with muslim people and they taught me about Islam, and that time i learned what Islam really is, it struck my head and my heart crave for more about Islam and thus......i believed.

My case agrees to what you have posted above, which is logic and then faith, as i am not informed in the very beginning. After i am informed thats the time i believed. After i found the truth thats the time i got faith. I got faith because i knew the truth behind Islam and that Allah(swt) is indeed the only God. Now, without a doubt, i believe in Him.

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
Surah Al-Jinn v1-2

Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said " Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.

It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anymore.


Salam!

 

[Uthman]

Greetings czgibson

Do you really have certain knowledge of the unseen? Aren't you taking it on trust?

Before I can answer that, I will need some clarification. Trust in what exactly?

Regards

 

[czgibson]

Greetings Basit,

I'm going to emphasise some parts of your earlier post:

Al-Salam Alaykum,

imho, i think there is a difference between belief and faith. belief is believing into something that you think is, i.e. superstitions, existing but in reality they are just make-ups of the mind. faith is believing into something you may not see, hear or touch but you know it is there.

The trouble is that your opinion does not change the definitions of words. Faith can never supply you with knowledge without ceasing to be faith.

Faith and belief are synonyms in English; faith and knowledge are not.

Peace

 

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Greetings czgibson Before I can answer that, I will need some clarification. Trust in what exactly?

What I mean is that you haven't seen the unseen (by definition), so you must have heard about it from somewhere outside your own visual record of experience.

You have heard people talk about it or you have read it in religious scripture. If you believe in it without having seen it yourself, you are trusting the people or texts that gave you that information.

As a comparable example, I believe in the existence of the planet Neptune. I have never seen it, but I believe that many people have, and supposedly reliable images of it are available. I'm sure that if I had the necessary astronomical equipment to hand (like, say, Voyager 2) I would be able to verify its existence for myself. Until then, I can't yet say that I have certain knowledge that Neptune exists in the way I've been led to believe. On the other hand, you are talking about having certain knowledge of something nobody claims to have seen, and that nobody can see by definition. This is surely faith, and not knowledge.

This is assuming that you haven't personally sensed the unseen in some other way, of course. Maybe you have?

Peace