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What Hinders Me from Believing?

A closer look at the miracles of the Prophets, one would notice that although the miracles strengthen the belief of the followers and perhaps cleared the doubts of some skeptics, the miracles by themselves were not the cause of mass conversion.

In fact, each Prophet had more opponents than followers, even after performing miracles. Sadly enough the majority of opponents were of his very own people to begin with.

So, if the sole purpose of miracle was to bring people to believe in God and His messengers, then it would seem somewhat of an imposition on people to believe because of miracles instead of believing because of the messages brought by the Prophets, leading to conviction.

The children of Israel witnessed more miracles than any other nation in the entire world. Yet, reading about their rebellion against their Prophets or even killing them despite witnessing so many miracles is a clear indication that when the heart is closed, nothing will open it except true submission to God.

Some may argue that there were no miracles or Prophets sent to the Arabs for a few thousand years till Prophet Muhammad was chosen to continue the message.

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One must realize that the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael were both the forefathers of the Arabs, both of whom were sent as Prophets and messengers with the message of monotheism. The greatest miracle at the time of Prophet Abraham was when his people threw him in the fire in response to him breaking their idols and inviting them to worship only one God. He was unharmed and was protected by the permission of God and walked out without any harm. Yet, all those who witnessed this miracle, including his father, still disbelieved in God and in him. He left their land with his nephew Lot and settled elsewhere.

Today, followers of Judaism, Christianity and Islam consider him their forefather.

Over centuries, his followers diverted the pure message into idolatry and went astray. Prophets were sent from the line of Isaac to guide them back to monotheism including giving them numerous miracles, and Prophet Muhammad was sent to the Arabs only to remind them what their forefathers already knew.

As we notice in the previous article, the Arabs believed in the one supreme God, but believed that they needed their idols to intercede for them. This is what Prophet Muhammad came to do away with and reinstate the message of pure monotheism. Why no miracles for a few thousand years? Is it not amazing that the nation with no miracles for thousands of years believed in the message of Muhammad without the kind of miracles of the past and now includes 1.6 billion of the world population, where as the nation that had the most miracles now is only a very small fraction of the globe’s population!

So, when one asks why does God not send any more miracles, like the kind of parting a sea, moving a mountain, or some giant phenomenal, they assert that surely this would make many of the broad-minded modern people believe.

Well, if the simple minded people of the past rejected the miracles and the Creator, how would we think that today’s population who are brain washed with ideas of evolution and secularism and atheism believe?

In fact the new technologies leave no more room for miracles. We see things that look like a miracle on TV or YouTube, only to find out that some 17 year old smart kid came up with incredible super editing that made into fools even the wisest technicians.

We also know that even false Prophets performed miracles, which involves using their devil companions to do extraordinary performances.

Not only that, we are told by Prophet Muhammad that at the end time, Dajjal (the antichrist) will perform so many miracles that would cause many to believe in him. He would bring the dead to life, bring fire from heavens, cause draught or reverse it, or acts not performed by any Prophet before. We are warned that those who believe in him will end up in Hell.

The ones who are in search of God’s signs for caring have to ask themselves one important question: Is it befitting the Creator who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in between it, sat to order all that need to function, sent Prophets to guide mankind, would just wash His hands off of everything and lay back to rest? Straight logic tells us it is impossible for Him to do all this and then forget about it all and not care!

If the purpose of miracles was to strengthen the Prophets sent by God and His message, and at the same time, we are told that Islam is the last message and Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet, would that not imply that with no more Prophets there are no more miracles? Did God not say:

{[…] This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion […]} (5:3)

The one whose heart is at ease with God is assured that Islam contains the perfection not found in any other religion and satisfied with God’s statement that God chose for him His religion.

Yet the skeptic may object by saying: “What! Allah chose it for me? Where does the free will go?”

Not realizing that this is merely a favor and not imposition as God also says:

{There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in falsehood and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.} (2:256)

Yet, for the intellectual mind, more logic, reasoning and convincing may be needed before they can fully surrender to their Lord. OK, please take a note of this:

When scholars write scholarly articles or research papers, it is mandatory that they use credible references, or else their work would have little or no value. How about the one who wants proof that God cares but does not wish to refer to the best reference that there is – the book of God, and furthermore, the answer is coming directly from the Creator Himself! Who else can provide a better answer?

If a person is unsure that the Quran is a Divine revelation and is unwilling to use that as the best source to get his answer, then he has to search for a source that he thinks is more credible than the Quran – and he will never find it!

If one believes in the Quran and studies it diligently, perhaps doubts will be replaced by certainty. If Allah assures His Creatures that He has cared for them from Creation and will continue to do so till the end of time, do we need another proof? From who and how?

Seeking knowledge is paramount in gaining certainty. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

“He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Paradise easy for him…” (Abu Dawud & at-Tirmidhi, 1388)

The knowledge has to be Divine or may send one astray. It is important that the seeker reaches his destination through the correct means.

Yet if the desire is not there, all else is futile talk. If one does not want to turn to his Creator, it doesn’t matter what is presented to him.

Finally, no one can prove to a skeptic that God cares through any means except by God’s own word as stated above. God makes caring about Him as a condition for opening the heart of a believer. It is then that the eyes will be open to see the vast caring of the Creator.

{O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah with the care which is due to Him, and do not die unless you are Muslims.} (3:102)