Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

assalaamualiykum
i am studying religious studies in a level. this subject questions religon a lot. although i am a muslim and do not question my own religon, is it right for a muslim person to do a subject like this where such questions arise?
thankyou

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Answer:

Study subject religion

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved sister in Islam, the approved deen or ‘way of life’ called Al-Islam is based on the Perfect and Absolute Wisdom and Knowledge of the All Knowing Lord, and every single command and guidance of the All Wise Lord is abundant in common-sense and logic, and in absolute conformity with nature.

There is absolutely no harm or restriction in Islam if a believer wishes to study ‘religion’ as a subject, provided one is sufficiently armed with the Truth of the Quran and the Sunnah. In fact, these studies can be a great source and means for a believer to propagate the Truth of Al-Islam to those who do not believe, for Allah is our witness, the one and only religion, deen, or ‘way of life’ which is in absolute conformity with one’s nature, common-sense, and logic is the one that is approved by Allah Subhanah for mankind: Al-Islam!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imran verse 19: Indeed, Islam in the ONLY ‘right way of life’ in the Sight of Allah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Al Maidah verse 3: Today I (Allah) have perfected your deen for you and completed my Blessing on you and approved Islam as your ‘way of life’.

My dear and beloved sister, if you ‘arm’ yourself with even a simple and basic reading and understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah, Allah is our witness sister, you will find and will be able to convince those who do not believe that all the other ‘ways of life’ except Islam are baseless, against the very nature of mankind, and absolutely devoid of common-sense and logic!

I assure you sister, that there is no question which can be posed by a disbeliever and the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) cannot answer their question! The only place Islam cannot help or address is if the person asking the questions has an in-built prejudice, pre-determined hatred and animosity towards his Creator and His Laws, and the person does not wish to use his common-sense and logic to determine the Truth from the falsehood. Logic is the absolute biggest ‘weapon’ the Lord has bestowed on every sane person, and if the person does not wish to utilize his/her sense of logic and common-sense, there is not much one can do to help them differentiate the Truth from the falsehood.

My dear and beloved Sister in Islam, as your brothers and sincere well-wishers in faith, our humble opinion and advice would be that you take on the religious studies you wish to take without any fear or apprehension whatsoever; provided you ‘arm’ yourself with even a simple reading and understanding, even only once, of the Glorious Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws). That is the only way you will be fully prepared not only to defend yourself and your religion when accosted with questions from those who do not believe, but you will be able to leave a mark of ‘Truth’ in the hearts of those who wish to seek the Truth!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 185: Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a Perfect Guidance for mankind and consists of clear Teachings which show the Right Way, and is a Criterion (to determine the Truth from the falsehood).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan