Answer:
Thank you for your questions.

I wish first to commend you for expressing your feelings and asking questions instead of continuing to live in doubt.
Asking, learning, and sincere questioning, without being overly cynical, is not only healthy, but also encouraged in the Quran. It is certainly the first step in the right direction.

It is encouraging that you distinguish between Muslim cultural practices and proper [or normative] Islam. Some cultural perceptions and practices among Muslims may not be consistent with Islam and in some cases, against its true meaning and teachings. This makes it necessary to learn about authentic Islam as the criterion to evaluate how Islamic Muslim perceptions and actions are.
Equally encouraging is that you have “become more interested in following” your faith properly. It is not surprising at all that a young person like you reflects on such type of issues and questions.

Some of these questions are common to every human, especially in the maturing stage of his or her life. They relate to the process of formation on one’s world view.




Who created this universe? Who am I? Why am I here on this planet? Do I have any mission on earth or do I just live and die like all other living beings? What will happen to me after I die? Is there such thing as eternal afterlife? If yes, what does it look like?
At the heart of these questions is the core question: do I believe in Allah or not? Even if I believe in Allah, what is my relationship with Him? Do I owe anything to Him? What are the consequences of believing in Him and obeying Him or rejecting Him and disobeying Him?
It is this question about “Allah” that has always been the core message of all prophets in human history. Any other question is based on this foundation. It is the most significant determinant of one’s basic identity.

Since you believe in Allah already, I will move directly to address some of your specific questions.

1. How do we know that Islam is the true religion, a claim that is made also by followers of all religions?

Islam, in essence, is the message that Allah revealed to all prophets in history. The very term means to achieve peace with Allah, the One and Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe, inner peace, and peace and harmony with all the creation of Allah. Creation includes humans, animals, vegetation and the environments at large.
Such a comprehensive concept of peace embraces peace during our earthly lives and the ultimate and perfect peace in the life to come. Realization of peace requires an unqualified firm belief in Allah, deferring to His infinite and perfect wisdom and willingly committing one’s life to serve Him.

True commitment to Allah is manifest in obeying His commands, trusting His guidance, and fulfilling one’s role as Allah’s trustee while one is here on earth.

Our relationship with Allah should not be motivated by fear — of punishment due to our rebellion and infraction — alone, or by desire for His rewards in both worlds alone.
On a deeper and spiritual level, we should be motivated by the love of Allah, acknowledging His infinite mercy, which is manifest in incalculable ways, and the readiness to translate that love in concrete terms in our moral decisions and choices as best as we can as vulnerable humans.

In making these conscious decisions or choices, we still need to be humble and never think that we are doing a favor to our Creator by believing in Him and obeying Him. In fact, our obedience does not benefit Him in any way nor does our disbelief harm Him in the least. The true beneficiaries of belief and obedience are us, the humans. We are doing favor to ourselves by obeying Allah.
Likewise, if we reject belief in Allah and/or choose to disobey Him, we are the real losers. For example, when we do our daily prayers regularly and correctly — not just ritually —, we keep ourselves clean, spiritually, and physically, we get a brief but healthy and refreshing break from our busy schedules, renew our energies, reduce our stress, and feel connected.

As regular and repeated meals provide us with the necessary nourishment of the body, regular prayers provide us with a more necessary nourishment of our souls.

Likewise, when we disobey Allah by partaking intoxicants or committing adultery or fornication, it is again we who are hurting ourselves, and in a way “punishing” ourselves by destroying our minds or contracting devastating venereal diseases , including AIDS.
The following two verses from the Quran sum up the above paragraph:

*{Whoever accepts guidance does so for his or her own good; and whosoever strays does so at his or her own peril, nor do We [Allah] punish until We have sent a messenger}* (Al-Israa’ 17:15)
*{ …Whoever chooses to follow the right path does so for his or her own good. Say [O Muhammad] to whoever deviates from it, ‘I am only here to warn.’ Say, ‘Praise belongs to Allah: He will show you His signs so that you will recognize them.’ Your Lord is never unmindful of what you all do}* (An-Naml 27:92-93)


This core message of Islam has been at the heart of the teachings of all prophets, who were all Muslims in the generic meaning explained earlier. Their common religion was Islam as well. Through the final prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), that message was completed, restored and preserved intact.
There are elements of truth and goodness in all revealed religions in spite of some doctrines that were incorporated with the original prophetic teachings.One can not properly examine truth claims without studying them carefully and see what appeals to one’s heart and mind.