The Roots of Doubt: Intellectual and Emotional Challenges to Islam

WHAT LEADS PEOPLE to doubt the truth of Islam?

Allah says:

ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ

(This is) the truth from your Lord, so do not ever be one of those who doubt. (al-Baqarah 147)

And He says:

ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ

This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt. (Ale Imran 60)

These two verses are nearly identical, with the first carrying an added emphasis against doubt.

The verse in al-Baqarah appears in the context of the Prophet’s ﷺ interaction with the Jews, the scholars of their time. Their hands were blackened with ink from writing scrolls, and they wielded religious authority, using intellectual arguments to challenge Islam. Their status and reasoning could easily sway minds, especially those unfamiliar with religious scholarship.

The verse in Ale-Imran is set in the context of the Prophet’s ﷺ call to the Christians. Unlike the Jews, their arguments were weaker—after all, who can truly explain the Trinity? However, their influence lay elsewhere: their kindness and compassion had the power to emotionally sway people.

Today, Muslims do not primarily face challenges from these two religious groups. Instead, we encounter an intellectual onslaught from Orientalists and their successors—academics and modernist scholars with credentials from prestigious institutions. They reinterpret Islam, dismissing traditional beliefs and actions, and their critiques can shake the faith of common Muslims. We must be particularly cautious in guarding ourselves against such intellectual attacks.

On the other hand, we face the emotional pull of liberal ideologies. The kindness and compassion of liberals can sometimes seem more genuine than that of some Muslims. In a world where many Muslims appear indifferent to the suffering of their brothers and sisters in Gaza and beyond, these liberals may seem to be the only ones offering real support. This can lead to doubts—doubts about Islam’s ability to bring change, doubts that push Muslims toward secular liberal solutions and away from Islamic ideals.

In both cases, whether through intellectual challenges or emotional persuasion, the roots of doubt persist. Recognizing these influences is the first step in standing firm in the truth of Islam.