Re: Have you ever questioned your belief?
Apart from religion, there are plenty of folks who either do not think logically or choose to ignore logic …and their doing so …doesn’t necessarily mean k that which they are ignoring/denying becomes “less” logical as a result.
All religions are not equal; some are more logical than others. There may be some matters that might be ambiguous, but if one looks at the main principles of Godhead and ibadat …then some religions are more logical than others. Those who believe in Islam find the main principles to be logical on their own and also in comparison to other religions…even though they may not have the depth of knowledge that the ulema have. So, they may not understand every single ruling in Islam, but they find its main principals of Godhead/ibadat/character/lifestyle to be both beneficial and sound. And to some extent even societal laws are based on values found in religions.
I wouldn’t set the condition that it must be accepted by everyone otherwise it’s just your truth…or your opinion. That argument can be made for everything. Pepsi is not a universal favorite so if I prefer it to coke, it’s just my opinion and not some universal truth even if blind-taste tests proved otherwise. You can replace the pepsi in the analogy with something else. This type of “reasoning” as in “If everybody ain’t doin’ it, then it ain’t true” can not only apply to other matters, it can go on and on and on and on. A person who uses this “reasoning”…woh kahin pe tikkay ga nahi. It’s like remaining in limbo waiting for the day that every single person submits to one religion. This is the the kind of “reasoning” used by one who doesn’t want to submit. Another analogy that comes to mind is of purchasing a car. Let’s say one has the money. They like a car. But wait…if everyone doesn’t like their car…that must mean that their car is not the “best” despite professional reports and surveys. So hence, they don’t buy the car. They are neither here nor there…kissi aik jagah woh tiktay nahi hain. But…usually…what happens is that a car is picked and bought. It requires a “leap of faith” in deciding to buy the car though it may not be approved…let alone driven by… by everyone else in the world. One’s decision requires a mix of using logic and taking a leap of faith. Belief in Islam is not ONLY about “having a leap of faith.” It’s a combination of logic and a leap of faith. So, Theorist, when you keep saying “I guess that’s faith” …keep in mind that you exercise both faith and logic in other scenarios apart from religion.
So if it’s “blind faith” you have an issue with…you’ve exercised blind faith or leap of faith at other points in your life…be it your relationships, career, various plans, etc etc. If it’s “100% submission to logic” that you’re looking for…then perhaps that means k you personally don’t want to believe/follow in any religion. ***You see…even those folks or philosophers who go out in search for the “truth”…even they do not set the condition of 100% global submission of a religion during their exploration of various faiths or during their search for the ultimate divine truth.
Islam is a universal religion; it is for all mankind. It is not confined to a race, you do not have to be born into it as is the case for some religions, there is no caste hierarchy. Islam is open to and was meant for everyone and that is what makes it a universal religion. Now if some folks don’t believe in it whether it’s due to ignorance or stubbornness or whatever…that’s fine too. The Quran says there is no compulsion in religion. Allah has given His servants…and we’re all His servants…(Muslims or otherwise) …a great deal of free will and this free will even includes accepting and refusing, submitting and rebelling. That said, a Muslim knows that the “universal and homogenous acceptance and submission of Islamic principals or logic” argument/condition of yours is not a prerequisite to a Muslim’s faith and that it’s just a another variety of an excuse.
Many religions claim that they are meant for everybody. Yes, there are certain religions that are not. It is a leap of faith when one decides to follow a religion and concludes that the chosen religion is the truth by some evidence that supports his/her predisposed ideas. This logic is inductive and therefore not really valid. You can never prove one religion to be the truth through deductive reasoning because the initial premise itself is unreasonable. Logic is not a prerequisite for having a faith.