Episode 1 - Building the Foundations
Journey of Certainty: Building the Foundations
Why am I a Muslim? What guarantees me that Islam is the true religion? Is Muhammad truly the Messenger of God? Is the Quran truly the word of God? Is God even real? Why are non-Muslims asked to learn about Islam and believe in it, while I don't have to learn about their religions? Why Islamic punishments? Why slavery? Why conquests? Why does evil exist? Why wars? Why injustice? Why did the companions differ? Is the Prophet's Sunnah truly authentic? Am I obligated to follow the Sunnah? If Islam contradicts reason, what should I do?
Dear beloved... Today, we begin a new series titled: "Journey of Certainty." Will we answer these questions with convincing answers? Yes - by God's will - but first, we must organize our thoughts and build the foundations.
The Problem of Fragile Faith
If every time a question arises in our minds, or a doubt is presented to us, our faith shakes, then our faith is like a table with weak, fragile supports. Therefore, this table easily shakes if even a light load is placed on it. The one whose faith is like this table will soon address one doubt only to be confused by another, and will not enjoy the coolness of certainty. Rather, doubts may accumulate until his faith breaks.
The First Goal: Building the Right Foundations
Therefore, the first goal of this series is to explain the correct foundations that we rely on in our faith, the strong, convincing, and stable foundations. At that point, we may have questions, but our table of faith can bear them. Rather, we love to know the answers to these questions as a means of "so that my heart may be at ease" [Al-Baqarah 2:260]. If we know, then it is a blessing, and if we do not know, we include it in the realm of submission based on faith, in which we use our minds, and it is a correct rational position.
And with submission and learning, whenever one of us seeks knowledge from its appropriate sources, he will achieve convincing answers to these questions, so that the question turns into a new pillar that strengthens the conviction of the truth of Islam. As Dr. Muhammad al-Darraz said: "Let them know that every doubt raised against the clear truth, the truth will turn it into an argument for itself, adding it to its arguments and proofs."
Methodology of Dealing with Doubts
After building these foundations, we will move on - by God's will - to the methodology of dealing with doubts. How do we deal with our questions in a correct and scientific manner, and with calm? Rather, we turn what we can of them into new pillars that increase our faith in stability.
But we will return to the question and ask ourselves: Why did these questions arise in the first place? Is their emergence something normal that happens to any human soul? Or is some of it a symptom of a psychological defeat that we suffer? Is it not possible that our preoccupation with some of these questions is the result of our view of ourselves and our religion through the eyes of our enemies, who have been able, through their dominance over the means of influence and media, to reprogram our thinking, feelings, taste, and standards, making us see good as ugly and ugly as good.
Is this a position that befits our dignity and human independence, that we allow our enemy to raise questions and doubts about our religion? And we are content, sometimes with the position of the defender, and sometimes with the position of the doubter? Our series is to build conviction and to revive Islamic dignity as well.
The Axes of the Series and the Target Audience
We will return to the roots, to the foundation. We will start with proving the existence of God, glorified and exalted be He, then proving that Muhammad is the Messenger of God - peace be upon him - and that the Quran is the word of God. Then we will build on the foundations, what comes after that in an easy, but convincing and enjoyable manner, by God's will.
Who is the target audience for these early episodes? Everyone: the atheist, the doubter, the one who has doubts, even the believer. Even the one who believes deeply in God and His Messenger, whose faith is never touched by doubt? Yes. Why? What is the goal? What is the benefit? What is the benefit for me? What is the benefit for me as a believer from this topic? It is not one benefit, but six great benefits... We will know them and talk about them in the next episode, by God's will.
Conclusion
Dear beloved... This is a series that strengthens certainty, cools the heart, corrects the compass, strengthens the argument, ignites the will, and helps us to be beacons of guidance, by God's will. Follow us and peace be upon you and the mercy of God.