How Do I Deal with Doubts in My Faith?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
How do I deal with doubts in my faith?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I am sorry that you are going through a tough time. I ask Allah Most High to relieve your stress and fill your heart with strong faith and certainty.
Doubts in your faith or weakness of faith can occur for multiple reasons.
Lack of Knowledge
Some doubts occur due to a lack of knowledge. If one is not firmly grounded in basic Islamic knowledge, one can easily be confused by objections made by non-muslims/atheists.
You mentioned a few issues that relate to this. You mentioned the Qur’an, and it’s being thought up of by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace). You also mentioned the historical existence of the Companions.
I will attach links for more detailed answers regarding the authenticity of the Qur’an but consider the following.
The great scholars of Islam from the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) till the present day, centuries of scholarship, have marveled over the Qur’an.
The Marvel of the Qur’an
They continue to marvel over the Qur’an due to its linguistic precision and perfection, its perfect guidance regarding social reform on all levels, its prophecies of matter only discovered much later on, scientific miracles that could never have been known by an unlettered desert Arab of the 7th century.
The Historical Existence of the Companions
Doubts in the existence of the Companions go against confirmed history. Even the atheist and those in opposition to Islam do not reject the historical existence of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace), let alone His companions.
Weakness of Faith
Even though intellectual proof after proof can be giving for the existence of God, the miraculousness of the Qur’an, the Prophethood of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace), etc… the strongest aspect of faith is spiritual and experiential.
The Challenge of the Qur’an
Much of the guidance found in the Qur’an and the teachings of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace) challenge us, and the only way to see the truth of the guidance is to embrace the challenge and see.
For example, reliance on Allah (tawakkul). Allah Most High says, “Whoever relies upon Allah then He is sufficient for them.” [Qur’an; 65:03]
This verse, in essence, is a challenge. If you find yourself in difficulty and need help in whatever aspect of your life, you must turn to Allah in absolute sincerity and humility. Then and only then will one experience Allah sufficing them in their difficulties.
Experiential Faith
This is the onset of experiential faith. Faith transcends the mere intellect. Faith that transcends books. But this can only occur when the slave turns to Allah Most High.
Allah Most High says, “When My slave draws nearer to Me a hand-span, I draw nearer to them an arms-length. And when My slave draws nearer to Me and arms-length, I draw nearer to them a wing-span. And when they are coming to Me walking, I come to them running.” [Muslim]
Sins
Disobedience of Allah Most High causes faith to weaken. Many people who are not punctual in their prayers experience weakness of faith. Due to lack of knowledge of Religion, some fall into sins and do not even realize it. Eating impermissible food or consuming from impermissible wealth and so on can really damage one’s faith and relationship with Allah Most High.
This is especially true with sins that wrong others, such as misappropriating wealth, backbiting, slandering, stealing, etc…
Heedlessness
Heedlessness of Allah Most High is of the biggest causes for weak faith, depression, tightness in this life, and other things detrimental to the Believer in this world and the Next.
Allah Most High says, “And whoever turns away from it will have a life of great hardship. We shall bring him blind to the Assembly on the Day of Resurrection.” [Qur’an; 20:124]
Outside Sources
One of the causes of weak faith, which is very common these days and can lead to doubts, is reading books by orientalists, atheists, or books of philosophy or ethics. If one is not grounded in their own Islamic beliefs, the objections presented in such books presented eloquently and with very nuanced details will surely confuse one in their faith.
Even though most objections are easily understood to be false by one who has even a basic understanding of Islamic beliefs, and that the remaining objections have been dispelled by the great theologians and scholars of Islam, a common Muslim may not have the requisite knowledge to understand the objection let alone the response.
Two bits of Advice
(1) Turn to Allah. Ask Allah Most High to help you, to guide you. Pray the prayer of need. Re-engage in reading the Qur’an. Try to take out some time and sit, with wudu, facing the Qibla, and remember Allah by saying SubhanAllah, alhamdulillah, La ilaha ill Allah… while pondering on the meanings. These remembrances are a jump start for the soul.
(2) Embark on the path of furthering your knowledge of Islam. Consider taking the various classes on Islamic Beliefs offered by your local scholars or by seekersguidance.org.
Listen to the following podcasts that delve into such discussions which you are dealing with.
Why? Sincere Questions, Sincere Answers – Shaykh Hamza Karamali
https://seekersguidance.org/names/why-sincere-questions-sincere-answers/
Or:
Why Islam Is True – Shaykh Hamza Karamali
https://seekersguidance.org/names/why-islam-is-true/
Also, see:
What is the Ruling for Someone Who Has Thoughts of Disbelief Without Saying Them Aloud
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/what-is-the-ruling-for-someone-who-has-thoughts-of-disbelief-without-saying-them-aloud/
Dealing with Devilish Insinuations Regarding the Existence of God
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/dealing-with-devilish-insinuations-regarding-the-existence-of-god/
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
