Asalaamu alaykum. There is somoene whom I know who has a big problem; can you please write me a specific fatwa on it? Someone I know had a lot of doubts about Islam, so he brought one hundred books and went online and found many courses and many lecutres, hundreds of them. He found many studies of many books and many many classes and courses. He is now trying to rush to gain knowledge as he has a thirst of knowledge and in order to refute doubts. He also does not want to let all that money on books go to waste. He does not implement or memorize; he only wants to read and cover as much as possible and get a lot done. What advice can you give to him as you are students of knowledge and have studied a lot. Is it best to take it slow and implement and memorize and then move on and then in time it will all build up and you will be able to slowly but properly get through everything?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Firstly, the optimal solution for this person's problem is for him to turn to Allaah in sincere supplication, imploring Him to bless him with insight into the Truth and steadfastness on it. ʻAa'ishah narrated that when the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, got up to pray at night he would start his prayer with the words:

“Allaahumma Rabba Jibraa'eel wa Meekaa'eel wa Israafeel; Faatir As-Samaawaati wal-Ardh, ʻAalim Al-Ghayb wa Ash-Shahaadah, anta Tahkumu bayna ʻIbaadika fima Kaanu feehi Yakhtalifoon. Allaahumma ihdini limakhtulifa feehi min Al-Haqq bi'ithnik, innaka Tahdi man Tashaa'u illa Siraatin Mustaqeem." (O Allaah, Lord of Gabriel, Mikael and Israfel, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. O Allaah, guide me to the disputed matters of truth for You are the One Who guides to the Straight Path).” [Muslim]

Secondly, he should devote himself to seeking religious knowledge from its pure sources, i.e. the Quran and the Sunnah, preferably at the hands of reliable scholars endowed with devoutness, sound beliefs, piety, and adherence to the straight path. An aspect of the great mercy of Allaah, The Exalted, is that He facilitated the acquisition of knowledge in different languages for us nowadays. There are many websites propagating Islamic knowledge in different languages, including our own website. Hopefully, he would learn more about the refutation of many of the doubts and misconceptions that he encountered in the past in his pursuit of knowledge and he would also shield and equip himself against any future misconceptions that he might encounter. For more benefit, please refer to fataawa 85806, 166265 and 243349.

Thirdly, he should know that the enemies of Islam never cease to raise misconceptions and false allegations against Islam; it is not a new phenomenon. During the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, the disbelievers used to argue with the Muslims in the early days of Islam, saying, “How come you consider the animal that Allaah slaughters with a gold knife (meaning the dead animal) unlawful, while you consider the animal that you slaughter with a knife lawful!” On that occasion, Allaah, The Exalted, revealed the verse that reads (what means): {And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allaah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies (among men) to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be associators (of others with Him).} [Quran 6:121]

Hence, he should not assign great attention to such misconceptions nor should he make refuting them his main concern. If he can refute some of them, the praise be to Allaah for that; otherwise, he should attribute the knowledge of it to Allaah, Who says (what means): {It is He Who has sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book; in it are verses (that are) precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation (from truth), they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation (suitable to them). And no one knows its (true) interpretation except Allaah. But those firm in knowledge say, “We believe in it. All (of it) is from our Lord.” And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.} [Quran 3:7]

Please refer to fatwa cross-dressed with women">298465 for the advice of Ibn Taymiyyah to his student Ibn Al-Qayyim regarding refuting misconceptions.

Allaah knows best.