Question
(#255)
Country : United Kingdom
As a born Muslim and practicing Muslim, I started having lots of Waswasa and questions about the origin of Islam. I understand that most of these question contradict themselves and I have to try reading the Tafsir of the Quran and gaining more knowledge to develop a stronger faith. However, these questions are really troubling me and I don’t feel like I have a strong Iman anymore, will it be possible for you to answer these questions for me and suggest tips for me to develop my faith. How do we know the Qur’an could not have been written by multiple people over 23 years? What if someone invented the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? How can we trust the historical sources? How do we know the Qur’an hasn’t been edited secretly by a group, government, or scientists? (People and scholars being paid?) How do we know the Qur’an was actually revealed 1400 years ago? What tests were done on the Qur’an to prove its age, and can we trust them? What if Islam was created by man and people just memorize it because they believe it’s true? What if people purposely avoid taking the Qur’anic challenge so others keep believing in Islam? What if another religion is actually correct and people are happy Muslims are distracted by Islam? I can see how all these questions are so wrong and and false and I feel ashamed and saddened to ask such questions when I know deep down that they are false but it would really help if a learned scholar can help me answer it. Does Allah (SWT) forgive us from having such questions?
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We have received your query regarding doubts in Islam, we apologise for the belated reply. Our response is as follows:
The greatest treasure a Muslim possesses in the deepest recesses of his heart is the great treasure of Iman. The loss of this treasure results in everlasting doom. For this reason, the enemy of man, Shaytan, persistently aims and strives to snatch this treasure from the believer. These Wasawis (whisperings) of Shaytan are the tactics of Shaytan which one needs to always be on guard.
The Sahabah Radiyallahu Anhum once complained to Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam regarding thoughts and Waswasahs.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلُوهُ إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا مَا يَتَعَاظَمُ أَحَدُنَا أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ، قَالَ: ”وَقَدْ وَجَدْتُمُوهُ؟” قَالُوا: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: ”ذَاكَ صَرِيحُ الإِيمَانِ.” [1]
Translation: It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (RadiyAllahu Anhu) that he said, ‘Some companions of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) came and asked him, “Verily we perceive in our minds such things which each one of us considers too grave to express.” He (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) said: “Do you really perceive it?” They said: “Yes”. (Upon this) He (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam) remarked: “That is clear faith.” (Saheeh Muslim: 132)
Therefore, our advice to you is that you ignore all these thoughts and work on your Iman by frequenting the Masjid, getting connected to the Ulama-e-Haq, reading Qur’an and making abundance of Zikr. Read Ta’awwuz whenever a thought comes to the mind and involve yourself in Zikr.
Inshallah the above guidelines is the solution to your dilemma. However, since you have posed various questions we will address the core issue rather than delving into each question separately.
Your main confusion stems from the misunderstanding regarding the preservation of the Noble Qur’an. The Noble Qur’an has been preserved by mass transmission, this is termed as Tawatur. One of the great distinctions of the Noble Qur’an is that it has been preserved in the hearts of people, and it has been passed on from generation to generation by such a large number of people that it is impossible of any error and change. No other text or writing has been preserved so meticulously in history.
Furthermore, the Noble Qur’an was revealed spontaneously on various occasions. For example, a question was posed to Rasulullah sallallahu alai wa sallam and the revelation suddenly was revealed. This shows the Noble Qur’an was not something “pre-planned” and “edited”. These Ayats which were revealed were so eloquent that none of the Arab poets could match them.
All these incidents are recorded with a solid chain of narrators, and each narrator has been scrutinised thoroughly. All this has been recorded in the books of the great giants of Islam. Such preservation is not found elsewhere. Therefore, the claim that Rasulullah sallalahu alai wa sallam did not exist and everything was secretly concocted is extremely ludicrous.
The Noble Qur’an was not only preserved via oral transmission, but also preserved in writing as well. Various Sahaba radiyallahu anhum would write down the Ayats on various materials which were available to them. Thus, there is not the slightest of doubt that the Noble Qur’an is preserved without any changes.
We recommend you read the section of the preservation of the Noble Qur’an in the book “An approach to the Qur’anic sciences” of Mufti Muhamamad Taqi Uthmani sahib d.b. This will help in dispelling your misconceptions.
Finally, as mentioned in the beginning, the real cure to the malady of your doubts is to ignore them and strengthen your Iman. Avoid all platforms and outlets that cause doubts. Allah Ta’ala keep you firm on Iman till your last breath. Ameen
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Answered by:
Muhammad Irshad Motara
16th Rabiul Awwal 1447.
10th September 2025
[1] صحيح المسلم – رقم: ١٣٢
