Struggling with faith as a Muslim – When other religions feel just as sincere as ours
Assalamu alaikum, honestly, I'm feeling really confused right now. I'm Muslim, and I truly love Islam. I love that feeling in salah, that closeness to Allah, the safety and peace that comes from putting your trust in Him. The Qur'an feels so special to me-unique, deep, powerful. It really touches my heart. But that's where my struggle starts. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about how people from other faiths-Christians, Hindus, Buddhists-describe the exact same feelings in their own worship. The same sense of certainty. The same closeness. The same strong belief that their scripture is divine and perfect. Someone reading the Bhagavad Gita might feel it's perfect and sacred. A Christian feels that with the Gospel. A Buddhist with their teachings. And I keep asking myself: If it feels equally real and true to everyone… how do we actually know what's truly true? Another thing really bothers me. Faith seems so tied to where you're born. If I'd been born in a remote part of India into a Hindu family-would I realistically be Muslim today? Probably not. If someone is born in Saudi Arabia, they're most likely Muslim. In India, maybe Hindu. In America, maybe Christian. We often say, "Allah tests everyone differently," or "Those who never truly encountered Islam will be judged differently." But honestly-if someone never had a real chance to know Islam, how is that a fair test? And if Allah is perfectly just, why is truth spread out so unevenly around the world? I really want to believe firmly again. I want that certainty back. That feeling of: This is the truth. I'm on the right path. But then I see that others feel the exact same certainty in completely different religions. Of course I don't think people are just "worshipping idols." That's too simple. I understand other faiths have deep beliefs too, not just rituals. But I feel lost. If everyone thinks they have the truth-and it feels just as real to all of them-how do we know what's actually true? Is faith ultimately just culture? Upbringing? Psychology? Or is there something objective that I'm missing? I'm not doubting out of rebellion. I'm doubting out of longing. I want to believe. I want certainty. I want that inner peace. But I don't know how to deal with these thoughts anymore. Has anyone else felt something similar? How did you find your way through?