The question “Does God exist?” is one that shapes human purpose and understanding. In Islam, this question is deeply personal, rooted in both the heart’s intuition and the undeniable signs placed in the universe by Allah (SWT).
This article is a collaboration betweenGrounded Revival and MuslimGap. Below, we share Michelle Schafieh’s heartfelt piece from MuslimGapalongside additional reflections on Islamic arguments for Allah’s existence, blending emotional resonance with Quranic and Hadith-based insights.
How Do You Know There is a God?
(By Michelle Schafieh)
“Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?” (Quran 52:35)
During my first year at UCLA, I decided to go to a dawah workshop held by one of the brothers involved in the MSA. The goal of the workshop was to teach Muslims how to share our faith with non-Muslims. I thought it would be a lecture where I would sit and listen to a speaker for about an hour. When I got there, the first question the speaker asked us was: “How do you know God exists?” He began going around and asking each one of us, and I started to get nervous because I never really thought of this question.
There were a few people answering before me, which gave me a bit of time to think. I was anxious because I felt that I did not have enough religious knowledge to even answer. Brothers and sisters were giving all sorts of responses such as scientific proof and other evidence shown in the Quran. Then, it was my turn to answer.
“How do you know there is a God?” he asked. I could not really think of any clever responses, so I just gave the simplest answer that popped into my head: “I just know He does. I know because every time I hear recitation of the Quran or listen to a lecture about Islam, I get this feeling in my heart that is unexplainable.” It is a feeling that gives me goosebumps, but at the same time accompanies calmness.
It has been three years since I attended the lecture, and I know that I will never forget this question. I continue to think about it, and realized that there are so many answers to this question, and each time I think about it, my answer changes. One particular scenario that I once heard in an Islamic lecture really helped me think about the existence of God. The speaker told us to imagine being alone in a desert, and then spotting a cellphone on the sand. You then ask yourself: could that cellphone somehow randomly appear on its own? Did all the parts somehow magically come together? No, someone had to design the phone, make the chip, etc. The wind did not just bring all the parts together creating this phone; there had to be a creator. Similarly, the human body, systems, and organs could not have randomly come together to form a human being. Just looking at the details of the human eye and heart alone, I know Allah (SWT) is the only plausible explanation.
I want to share this experience because the question may sound simple, but we sometimes forget to just pause and think about it. The answer is difficult because the response is different for each of us. Having this thought in the back of my mind has helped me become more God-conscious and feel closer to my Creator. Take a few minutes and try to answer it: How do you know God exists? Feel free to comment so we may all benefit, insha’Allah. May Allah (SWT) strengthen our relationship with Him.
Michelle’s piece offers a personal and reflective perspective that resonates on a deep emotional level. Her answer to the question “How do you know God exists?” mirrors what many Muslims feel—an inner certainty that arises from experiencing Allah’s signs in the world and through our hearts.
It is that subtle yet profound feeling she describes—the goosebumps from hearing Quranic recitation—that reminds us that faith is not just a rational acknowledgment of God’s existence but a spiritual connection felt deep within. The Quran tells us:
“And when My servants ask you about Me, [tell them] I am indeed near. I respond to the supplicant’s call when they call upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me, so they may be guided.” (Quran 2:186)
This verse beautifully encapsulates the emotional aspect of belief. Allah (SWT) is close to us, and in moments of reflection and prayer, we feel that nearness.
The Creator in Every Detail
One of the most powerful emotional proofs for Allah’s existence is the intricacy of His creation, as Michelle points out with the example of the human body. Reflecting on the complexity of the human eye or heart stirs a sense of awe, something that resonates with everyone. Can something so precise and so perfectly functioning be the result of random chance? The Quran encourages us to look at the world around us:
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.” (Quran 3:190)
Each sunrise, each heartbeat, is a sign of Allah’s majesty. We do not need complex philosophical arguments when the signs of Allah are written so clearly in creation. This emotional connection between the Creator and creation is often felt as a sense of gratitude for the blessings we experience every day.
The Fitrah—Our Natural Disposition
Michelle’s narrative also speaks to something deeper within all of us—the fitrah, or natural inclination towards belief in Allah. As she mentions, it is not the intellect that first acknowledges God but the heart. This echoes the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who said:
“Every child is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition towards belief in God), but their parents make them a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1385, Sahih Muslim 2658)
Our connection to Allah is something we are born with, and through life’s experiences, we are either drawn closer to or pulled away from that innate belief. Michelle’s description of the calmness she feels in her heart when hearing the Quran is a reminder that Allah (SWT) has embedded within us a compass pointing to Him. Our hearts recognize Him, and when we seek Him, we find that sense of peace and fulfillment.
Faith in Allah—A Personal Experience
Faith is not a one-size-fits-all journey, and Michelle's experience highlights this beautifully. Her story reminds us that the question of God’s existence is not one that can be answered with a single response. Instead, it is a journey of discovery and reflection, with each person finding their own path to certainty.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described the emotional connection to Allah as “the sweetness of faith”, a feeling that comes from knowing and loving Him. In one hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness of faith: the one to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than anything else, the one who loves a person for the sake of Allah alone, and the one who hates to return to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 16)
This hadith illustrates that faith is more than belief—it is something we experience emotionally and spiritually.
Conclusion: God’s Existence, Felt and Known
Michelle’s story, combined with the teachings of Islam, reminds us that belief in Allah (SWT) is both a rational acknowledgment of the signs around us and an emotional experience felt in the depths of our hearts. Whether through reflection on creation, the innate fitrah we all carry, or the moments of peace in prayer, Allah’s presence is always near. For more thoughtful reflections, visit MuslimGap.com.
May Allah (SWT) guide us all to recognize His signs, and may our hearts be filled with peace and certainty. Ameen.
