The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Each child is born in a state of fitrah “pure monotheism”, then it is his parents who make him a Jew, Christian or another religion” (Al-Bukhari)
According to this statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), everyone enters this world with the basic knowledge of the Oneness of Allah, and the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Of course, we are all subject to the influence of our family and society at large. If a child is born to non-Muslim parents, then it can be assumed that they will raise their child according to their own system of belief. The child has no say in this matter until he reaches the age of discernment.
However, all humans are born with the instinctive attachment to Allah without the influence of doctrine. This spirituality draws them closer to the Creator of this world. For many, this inclination opens their eyes and causes them to reflect upon the validity of their own beliefs. It also empowers them to ask questions and seek knowledge to ensure that they are following the correct path of righteousness.
The right to choose our own religion is the most powerful choice any of us can make. Some humans choose to believe and worship in a certain manner because that is what they saw their parents doing. Others turn down the misguided path of Atheism, perhaps, because they have become disillusioned with religion altogether or because a smooth-talking scientist caught their attention with their assertions that this world merely evolved by chance. Even a child could make an argument to refute this claim that has taken, so-called, scientists years to formulate. For example, if a child indiscriminately throws several building blocks into the air, the blocks land randomly to the floor. The blocks don’t land in the formation of a perfectly stacked building! Neither do they land in any form whatsoever. The same thing goes for the universe. We see a vast system of complex organization, especially here on the Earth. Everything is explicitly planned and structured according to a plan. So, who planned it all?
The Planner
The answer to who planned this universe and everything in it, can be found in your own heart. What about your heart beats? If you ask a scientist about them, he will say that it is electricity from your brain. But, where did that electricity come from? Are you plugged into something? How do our bodies function at all? The stomach digests food more efficiently than any manmade machine ever could. Everything that exists, whether it is the human body or the stars in the sky, was intelligently designed by the Command of the Most Wise and Gracious Creator.
The Reality
With His Infinite Love, Compassion and Beneficence, Allah Almighty sent Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) to guide humanity to live a spiritual life of worship and piety. He supported His Prophets (peace be upon them all) with miracles to shake man out of his slumber and open his eyes to their Lord. These miracles have been recorded in all the Books of Allah and prove that there is a Master Creator who not only created this universe but has complete control over it. Allah (glory be to Him) made the laws of nature and can change them at His Will.
Seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that believers of every religion, sect or philosophy all claim to have the one and only correct ideology. For those who believe in Allah there are only three possibilities:
– Everyone is right.
– Everyone is wrong.
– Only one is right and the rest are religions that have been tainted by the hands of man.
However, everyone cannot be right since each religion differs from the other in their basic bases. Every religion views the nature of God and how we relate to Him differently. Similarly, everyone cannot be wrong. Many people believe that all religions are wrong because of the evils of man who happened to claim religion. As a result, many humans have followed a path of atheism or left it up to themselves to determine who Allah is and how He should be worshipped. That’s why Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the Qur’an as the last chance for mankind to get it right and worship the One and Only God who has no partner in His Divinity or Dominion. Even the critics of Islam have no choice but to concede to the fact that the Holy Qur’an is the only Scripture that has not been tampered with and is in agreement with modern science.