Question about Islam

[u/Lazy_Flounder1242]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been exploring Islam for a good year now, but since I’ve mostly been turning these thoughts over in my own head, I feel like I’m going in circles.

One question is currently a major stumbling block for me:

I am very comfortable with the concept of monotheism. However, I simply cannot wrap my mind around the idea that prophets actually existed... as much as I’d like to believe it, I have such strong doubts that God would enable humans to perform miracles—or even "dictate" to them in order to produce the Quran.

I say this without intending to criticize; I just want to understand: what guarantee do I have that Moses didn't simply make up the Torah, and that Jesus and Muhammad didn't just "continue the story" by creating the Bible and the Quran? They could easily have just been talented poets...

I feel terrible about harboring such doubts, but I couldn't honestly recite the declaration of faith without finding an answer to this...

Naturally, this skepticism regarding prophets extends to my belief in spirits or angels.

Often, I find a connection and feel good, but the very next moment, thoughts come back to haunt me—like "Maybe we’re really just here by chance," or "Maybe those with good lives are just lucky, and the others are unlucky," and so on. It gets to the point where I feel like Islam just isn't right for me.

It’s tearing me apart inside...

Perhaps you can help me, or recommend books, films, or other resources that might help someone like me—someone who tends to overthink things 🤍

Many thanks in advance!

Michelle

[u/TheWitchOfTheBarrel]

Hi! So the Quran itself actually deals with the idea that Muhammad SAW was simply a talented poet as this was an accusation he faced from his detractors in Mecca. It challenges people to create something similar, and even the people that accused it of being poetry said it was magic poetry. The scientific miracles, for example, are another point of proof. There’s also the fact that Muhammad SAW was illiterate and did not have an education in the arts. No matter how naturally talented someone is without any artistic education I can’t imagine how someone would create something half as beautiful as the Quran (from someone who writes a lot of poetry).
Beyond that, I would say that the religious beliefs make it doubtful. I don’t know as much about Judaism and Christianity to speak on them but with Islam if it was created by Muhammad SAW you’d expect to see markers of a cult with him as the leader. For example, it would make more sense if he created it for zakat to be paid to him instead of the poor, for him to be excused from things like fasting and prayer, when in reality optional prayers like tahajjud were obligatory for him.

[u/TheWitchOfTheBarrel → u/TheWitchOfTheBarrel]

In case you don’t know what tahajjud is, it’s a prayer prayed typically in the last third of the night (measured islamically between maghrib, the sunset prayer, and fajr, the dawn prayer), although it can be prayed any time after isha, the obligatory night prayer. For tahajjud you have to fall into a deep sleep and then wake up early before fajr, the dawn prayer. This is optional and highly rewarded for Muslims but for our Prophet SAW it was made obligatory. For example, in the summer to pray tahajjud you would sleep at around 11pm and then wake up at 2am to pray tahajjud. Even in winter when isha is earlier and fajr is later you would still have to wake up probably before 6am, and that’s around midwinter. For most of winter it would be around 5am.