Navigating Doubts from a Non-Believer as a Muslim

Assalamualaikum, everyone. I’m a practicing Muslim who has deeply studied Islam on my own, diving into primary sources and academic research. I’ve even been working on a critical inquiry into the faith. While I firmly believe Islam is true, I recognize how easy it can be to twist its teachings using out-of-context hadith or polemical arguments to falsely ‘debunk’ it. A close friend of mine, who happens to be an atheist, became interested in my beliefs but assumed I only follow Islam out of blind inheritance, confirmation bias, or fear of change. No matter how logically I explained my faith, he dismissed it as irrational. When I limited contact, he responded by sending a playlist of YouTube videos claiming to ‘expose’ Islam, all made by former Muslims. He thinks that because these creators were once Muslim, I’ll inevitably follow their path-that he’s somehow ‘saving’ me. Yet he overlooks my own critical and unbiased research. Every video in that playlist is full of polemical framing and lacks real scholarly depth; their personal interpretations don’t represent the consensus or disprove Islam. Despite my thorough analysis of each video, he accuses me of being defensive or making excuses to ‘fit my narrative.’ It’s like learning about Christianity only through atheist YouTube channels-you get a skewed perspective, not the whole tradition. My friend just nods along with these ex-Muslim creators without challenging their claims or doing his own research, since he already assumes Islam is false. That’s ironic given how much he claims to ‘value objective truth.’ On my part, I watched every video with an open mind, ready to be challenged and humbled if needed. I didn’t just assume ‘Islam is true anyway’-I reflected and critically analyzed the content. Sure, some criticisms were new to me, but I didn’t accept them blindly; I investigated further, which only deepened my understanding of how Islam is often misrepresented. Now I’m stuck on what to do. I still pray daily for Allah to grant him hidayah and open his heart. He’s learning about Islam the wrong way, stuck in an echo chamber of one-sided content. He’s a good person otherwise, but I fear his arrogance could lead him to reject Allah. If I share my completed academic inquiry with him, he might read it-or more likely dismiss it outright, since he’s already decided Islam is false. I feel both exhausted and disrespected. My critical thinking and reasoning are belittled as mere ‘blind faith,’ and I won’t tolerate him insulting my intellect or my religion. Honestly, his approach is lazy and hypocritical-real intellectual honesty means studying primary sources like the Quran, tafsir, hadith, and scholarly works, not just relying on polemical videos. Surah Al-An'am, verse 25, resonates with his situation, I fear. Any advice would be appreciated. Please keep him in your duas. Allah guides whom He wills, and I’m not here to force conversion-just to present the truth, beyond just my words. If he denies it out of arrogance, I’ve done my part by sending my inquiry once it’s ready. This experience has actually strengthened my imaan and knowledge. I pray this Ramadan that Allah guides him and others like him. Jazakallahu khairan for your support.