Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
The truth of Islam is clear. Anyone who honestly examines our religion will be unable to doubt in its veracity. There are some people, however, who refuse to believe in Islam even after the truth has become clear to them. We say that such people know that Islam is true, but still refuse to believe that it is true.
The difference between belief and knowledge is that the belief includes inward submission and acceptance of what one knows. It is possible to know that something is true but still not accept it inwardly. This was the state of the unbelievers of Mecca: they knew that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) was truthful in everything that he said, yet they still rejected him because of their worldly attachments to the way of their forefather. Allah Most High addresses the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in this regard, saying, " We know indeed that
it grieves thee the things they say; yet it is not thee they cry lies
to, but the evildoers - it is the signs of God that they deny." (6:33) One of the explanations that Imam Fakhruddin al-Razi (Allah have mercy on him) gives for this verse is that "the people did not inwardly hold him to be a liar; rather, they outwardly called him a liar and rejected the Quran and the prophethood [of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace]." (Tafsir Mafatih al-Ghayb)
This distinction applies to disbelievers, not to Muslims. Everyone who accepts Islam as their religion out of personal conviction both knows that Islam and true and believes that Islam is true and they will meet Allah's mercy in the next life if they maintain their belief until they die.
And Allah Most High knows best.
Hamza.
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The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.
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