How Can Safe Spaces Be Created for Muslims to Address and Reduce Doubts?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
How can scholars and community leaders create safe spaces for Muslims to express and explore their doubts to address and reduce them?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Collaborative Efforts
Creating safe spaces for Muslims to express and explore their doubts requires a collaborative effort among scholars, specialists, and the broader Muslim community across various fields of Islamic knowledge.
Awareness of Rapid Information Spread
In today’s interconnected world, information—both beneficial and harmful—spreads at a rapid pace. Scholars must be aware of the doubts and misconceptions circulating among Muslims, particularly the youth, and are obligated to provide educational programs that highlight the importance of openly discussing one’s doubts and learning how to properly handle misconceptions.
Encouraging Confidence
Muslims should be encouraged to understand that having doubts does not detract from their faith. It is vital for a Muslim to express their uncertainties without fear of judgment or criticism.
We encourage Muslims to ask about any matters that trouble their minds and affect their beliefs, emphasizing that seeking answers is obligatory to counter any doubts. In Islam, no objection or doubt raised by skeptics is without a response; our faith is resilient and withstands the challenges posed by such questions.
Promoting Open Dialogue
It is essential to foster open and honest discussions between scholars and the general community on religious matters. We can draw from the example of the Companions, as narrated by Abu Hurayra:
The Companions said to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), “We find within ourselves thoughts that we would be ashamed to speak of and would rather have nothing than speak of them.” He replied, “Have you really found this?” They said, “Yes,” and he said, “That is clear faith.” [Ahmad]
We also recall the Prophet’s words to his Companions:
“The cure for ignorance is to ask questions.” [Ibid.]
Utilizing Modern Technology
Social media and other modern communication tools should be used to allow people to discuss their doubts freely and to provide responses to these doubts from qualified experts. This facilitates a comfortable and open platform for exchanging ideas without stigma.
Consulting Scholars Without Delay
Muslims and community leaders should guide individuals to consult scholars promptly about matters that confuse or trouble them. Scholars, in turn, should respond with empathy and understanding toward those who struggle with these doubts.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
