Is There No Deficiency or Contradiction in Religions? Then Why So Many Differences?

Undoubtedly, given the numerous disagreements among the followers of various religions, it cannot be said that there are no deficiencies or contradictions within them. For whenever two people disagree on a matter, the truth must belong to one of them—not both.

If this is the case, how can it be claimed that all religions have been sent by God—the One who is All-Knowing of every affair—while they contain so many differences? If these religions truly originate from God, then there should be no contradiction among them, nor should they have led humanity into such divisions, disputes, and even wars.

However, the answer is:

The reality is that since the day God created h umankind and placed man upon the earth to prove the worth of his existence, human intellect has developed gradually—from a primitive and limited state toward higher levels of understanding. This progression resembles that of a newborn child who must learn and gain experience. The child’s intellectual journey begins by learning to speak through parents and those around him. After several years, when his analytical capacity matures, he attends school, learns reading and writing, and then advances to understanding basic mathematical formulas and simple sentences. As he climbs the educational ladder, he learns more complex concepts and formulas. Eventually, if he continues successfully on this path, he may become a skilled and beneficial physician for humanity.

Yet, do all children learn to read and write? Do all of them grasp complex mathematical formulas one day? Do all become good physicians? Certainly, the answer is not the same for everyone.

Some may refuse to study at all; others may study only a little and then stop. Some may even obtain a medical degree through deceit or wealth, without true knowledge or skill, thus endangering lives and seeking only profit. In contrast, another may study diligently, persevere with determination, and become a competent physician devoted to saving lives and serving humanity.

If one person becomes an excellent doctor through effort and another fails due to laziness or neglect, is the flaw in the science of medicine itself? Of course not. The science of medicine guides both individuals toward the same goal—it is they who choose whether or not to follow the correct path.

Let us return to the main point:

From the moment humankind entered this world, human thought has continuously evolved. In every era, God has sent, through His prophets, a religion suited to the intellectual capacity of the people of that time, in order to further their growth and to perfect the set of laws that lead them to happiness. Each religion, in its own age, served as a complement to the one before it. The truth is that the later religions have completed and perfected the earlier ones. All prophets informed their followers that they must accept and follow the prophets who would come after them, until the mission reached the final Prophet—whose religion would be the completion of all previous religions, guiding humanity to the highest stage of happiness, freedom from evil, and attainment of all virtues.

However, with deep regret, due to the base nature of worthless individuals, the religion of the prophets was often distorted after their passing by treacherous, self-serving, and ambitious people. These individuals sought to serve their own malicious interests by diverting people from the truth of the religion and shaping human thought according to their own desires, bringing it under their control and dominion. The expelled Satan, who has sworn not to relent in his enmity toward humankind, has continually aided them in this endeavor.

After many years following the passing of each prophet, only a small portion of their teachings and recommendations remained—and even that was preserved by a few devoted individuals who tried to protect their religion from the assaults of thieves and distorters. As a result, when a new prophet appeared—whose mission was to complete the previous religion—the followers of the older faiths often refused to accept the new faiths.

They were even hositile toward prophet, and in some cases, went so far as to kill him. Indeed, human nature is such that when a person follows Satan, they can become like a stubborn child who says, “Now that I have learned to read and write, that is sufficient for my eternal happiness.” If caring teachers try to explain that more knowledge and guidance are necessary, the child might react violently, even throwing stones and causing harm. Why? Because he is obstinate and unwilling to change his life. Because change always requires effort, and his intellect and capacity may not extend beyond his current understanding.

Therefore, the source of these differences lies with the followers of religions, who, driven by base desires and worldly interests, distorted their faiths, leaving only a small portion of the original truth intact over time. Consequently, all prophets, in essence, called people to a single truth: belief in the One God and adherence to the laws established by the religion for human happiness. If all the prophets were gathered in one place, they would have no disagreement regarding the truth—unlike their followers.

Does God not Protect His Religion from Distortion?

Since God’s will has been to provide humanity with higher teachings in every era, He did not preserve the older religions completely from distortion or the loss of their educational content. This is because His purpose was for humanity to reach higher levels of intellect and knowledge through the newer religions. Consequently, today we see many religions whose followers have numerous unanswered questions, as only a small portion of their original teachings has survived, which is insufficient to meet their needs.

However, in the case of Islam, the situation is entirely different. As the religion of the final prophet, it was necessary for Islam to provide guidance to humanity until the end of life on Earth. Therefore, God has willed that this religion be preserved from distortion until the end of time.

Question: Has Islam been preserved from distortion? If so, why do Muslims still disagree among themselves?

What we mentioned regarding the followers of other religions also applies, to some extent, among the followers of Islam. Ambition and malice among corrupt individuals have divided its adherents into numerous groups. However, Islam differs from other religions. Unlike other faiths, the teachings of Islam have been preserved, and only a diligent seeker needs to make a little effort to access them.

Islam is a comprehensive religion sent to humanity by the final Prophet. Prophets always brought a miracle with them to prove their prophethood. A miracle is a phenomenon that humans are incapable of producing, such as raising the dead, restoring sight to a blind person instantly, or curing a severe disease immediately. Since humans cannot create such phenomena, anyone who performs them must possess power granted by a force above all other powers—namely, the One God, who holds all authority. The miracles of each prophet corresponded to the concerns of the people in their time. For example, Jesus (peace be upon him), during a period when medical knowledge was highly valued, revived the dead or instantly restored the sight of the blind, thus proving his prophethood. Moses (peace be upon him), at a time when magic and sorcery fascinated people, threw down his staff, which turned into a real serpent and swallowed the illusions created by the magicians—illusions made of ropes and strings that only appeared as snakes to the people’s eyes—and then it returned to its original form as a staff. Everyone, especially the magicians, realized this was a true miracle, because no ordinary staff could swallow anything. Moses also displayed a white light from his hand, which was remarkable in an era without electricity or any natural means of producing such light.

All prophets had signs and miracles that clearly demonstrated they were chosen servants of God.

However, the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), since his religion is eternal, had to be granted an eternal miracle as well.

If Jesus (peace be upon him) once revived the dead or restored the sight of a blind person, how could we, living in later times, truly believe it? Therefore, God granted the final Prophet a miracle that would remain accessible and understandable to people of future generations, so that they could recognize its miraculous nature and not claim, “We did not live in the time of the Prophet, so we could not witness his miracle.”

The Prophet of Islam, in addition to performing numerous miracles during his lifetime—miracles no less remarkable than those of previous prophets—was granted a unique and eternal miracle: the Qur’an. Indeed, those who seek to reach the highest levels of human intellectual and spiritual understanding require a miracle of knowledge—one that can be comprehended by reason in future generations, not merely seen by the eyes of people in a specific time.

Yes, the Qur’an, the only complete heavenly book preserved from all types of distortion, is itself a lasting miracle, and we will demonstrate its miraculous nature in due course. For hundreds of years, scholars and thinkers have not been able to find even a single contradiction in it. Throughout history, when important books were written, attempts to copy them over time inevitably produced dozens of different versions. Yet the Qur’an, which exists in every Muslim home and is widely known among them, exists in a single, unchanged version. This, by itself, is a miracle: for 1,447 years, a book has remained untouched despite the passage of time and countless historical changes.

But this is not the only aspect of Islam that has ensured its preservation.

The earth of God must never remain without a representative from Him—someone to whom people can turn with their questions and through whom they may understand the truth of matters. After the final Prophet, God’s religion was perfected, meaning that everything humanity needs to attain happiness has been provided within its laws. However, religion, like an advanced university textbook, becomes meaningless without a teacher. Therefore, if the Prophet were no longer present in this world, the religion itself would gradually be lost.

Thus, by God’s command, the Prophet appointed twelve successors after himself—each identified by name and distinct signs—chosen to guide the people of succeeding generations. These individuals possessed the same divine knowledge as the Prophet; the only distinction was that the Prophet was the bearer of revelation and the final messenger, whereas they were its interpreters, guardians, and preservers of its teachings. In the Qur’an and Islamic texts, these individuals are referred to as Imams—leaders and rightful authorities over the people—those endowed with complete knowledge of the Qur’an and its true interpretation. The last of them is the very one we introduce to you on this website: The Savior of Humanity, who will establish everlasting justice on earth and fulfill the ultimate purpose of all the prophets throughout human history.

And these twelve successors, the first of whom was Ali ibn Abi Talib—the cousin of the Prophet of Islam—and the remaining eleven being the children of Ali and Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, were introduced by the Prophet by name and signs, even though some of them would live decades or even centuries after his time. This was so that after the Prophet’s passing, people would know how to preserve their religion and from whom to learn its true teachings.

Yet, once again, the base nature of worthless individuals prevented humanity, for many years, from realizing the ultimate goal set by all the prophets.

After certain individuals—whose names and deeds are not to be mentioned here—poisoned the Prophet of Islam, in the final moments of his life, he requested pen and paper to once again write down what he had spent years teaching his nation, so that after his passing, people would know to whom they should turn for religious guidance and for attaining happiness in this world and the hereafter.

However, those same individuals, who had long awaited the Prophet’s death to carry out their malicious plans, accused him of delirium and prevented him from recording his will for his people. This marked the beginning of a dark period lasting several centuries, during which humanity was deprived of achieving true happiness and the governance of the Divine Savior on earth.

It was this very moment that led to the shedding of millions of lives over the following centuries, as humanity was denied the rule of justice by the Divine Savior and deprived of security and true prosperity.

The gathering around the Prophet’s bedside erupted into dispute and conflict, and those individuals achieved their goal: they prevented the Prophet from writing that crucial document in his final moments, which would have once again emphasized that after him, people must turn to his rightful successor, Ali ibn Abi Talib—the Prophet’s cousin and possessor of all the Prophet’s knowledge.

Shortly after the Prophet’s passing, a few days had not even gone by when Ali ibn Abi Talib’s house was attacked. He was told that he must accept Abu Bakr—a man neither learned nor divinely appointed—as the Prophet’s successor and pledge allegiance to him.

How astonishing is the ignorance of the people!

Just a few days earlier, at a place called Ghadir Khumm, the Prophet had declared in the presence of 120,000 people that after him, Ali ibn Abi Talib was divinely appointed as his successor and that they must follow him. How these people gathered around a man entirely unfit for this position, seeking to preserve their worldly interests and prevented humanity from benefiting from the light of God?

Very soon, however, the people closed their eyes to the Prophet’s guidance and ignored his commands. This mirrors what the Israelites did to Moses: when Moses ascended Mount Sinai to commune with God, after a few days, the Israelites followed a man named Samiri and made a golden calf to worship instead of the One God, disregarding the instructions of Aaron, Moses’ brother and appointed successor during his absence.

Yes, the people chose to turn the divine religion into a tool for monarchy, governance, and worldly desires!

From this point, the divisions among Muslims began. A very small number remained faithful to the words and commands of the Prophet and stayed devoted to the twelve successors of the Prophet. The majority of Muslims, however, followed a false successor, contrary to the Prophet’s instructions. Consequently, Islam fragmented into various groups with differing beliefs and rulings, while the true essence of the religion remained in the hands of the few who followed the rightful successors of the Prophet—and it has remained with them to this day. What survives today of Islamic law, encompassing hundreds of volumes, is the result of the tireless efforts of the Prophet’s successors. Although always under the scrutiny of the ruling powers of their times, and accessible to only a few, they preserved and transmitted these teachings for those who seek the correct path, aiming for happiness in this world and eternal bliss in the life beyond. Furthermore, over 80% of knowledge—whether in medicine, physics, worldly sciences, or the metaphysical sciences concerning life after this world—has yet to be fully revealed to humanity. This will be made manifest by the last successor of the Prophet, who possesses all miracles and knowledge. We hope to witness and live in his era.

How Can One Understand the Difference Between Islam and Other Religions?

Wise individuals always have much to say, and the greater a person’s knowledge, the more they have to share. Exploring the world’s religions today is not as difficult as it once was, thanks to access to the internet and thousands of digital books. Researching and studying various religious sources is far easier now than it was in the past. However, what you will soon realize is how limited the knowledge in most religions truly is. Despite millions of followers, anyone genuinely seeking the truth will find it impossible to obtain answers to all their questions from the religion they follow. Islam, on the other hand, is rich and abundant in knowledge—so vast that a single human lifetime may not suffice to learn it all. This is a defining feature of a religion that God intended to remain eternal. Despite all the efforts of devils and enemies of Islam to destroy it, immense knowledge and guidance have been preserved. When the Savior of Humanity appears, more than 80% of the remaining knowledge will be revealed by this divinely guided man, elevating humanity to the highest level of perfection and true happiness.

Among the numerous topics extensively addressed in Islam—which we may cover in the Q&A section of this website—are the following:

1. The reason for the creation of the universe.

2. The process of the creation of the human soul.

3. The history of human souls before entering this world.

4. The reason for entering this world.

5. The causes of different life circumstances, including poverty, wealth, health, and physical defects at birth.

6. The purpose of life.

7. The fate of humans after death.

8. Correct knowledge and understanding of God, the Creator of the universe.

9. Understanding the characteristics of realms beyond this world.

10. A complete program for personal and social life.

11. A complete guide to worship and proper, dignified relations with God.

12. Correct and detailed guidance on marriage, family life, and child-rearing.

13. Comprehensive knowledge about the human soul and treatment of spiritual and psychological ailments.

14. Complete teachings on ethics and the attainment of human virtues.

15. Detailed information on personal hygiene, cleanliness, and purity.

16. A precise and comprehensive program regarding the consumption of wholesome and permissible foods on earth, and the prohibition of harmful, impure, or forbidden foods.

17. Complete guidance and recommendations on human rights, respect for individuals’ dignity, and the full rights of women.

18. A comprehensive framework for governance based on justice, ensuring the rights of all members of society.

19. Complete guidance on punitive measures to deter criminals and oppressors, establishing security within human communities.

20. Comprehensive guidance on ethical commerce and trade, conducted with justice and without infringing on the rights of others.

21. Proper guidance on forming friendships based on honesty, integrity, and social life rooted in kindness and love.

In summary, all that a human being needs for true happiness and prosperity in this world and the Hereafter is encompassed within these teachings. All of this knowledge, in its complete, correct, and comprehensive form, is in the possession of the Savior of Humanity—the last successor of the Prophet of Islam, Imam Mahdi (may God’s blessings be upon him and his pure forefathers). After his appearance, these teachings and programs will be implemented throughout the entire earth.

How Is It Proven That Islam Is the True Religion?

We claim that Islam is the most comprehensive heavenly religion. When we examine all religions, we see that the miracles of the prophets were tied to their presence in this world and, therefore, are not directly perceivable or verifiable by people today. However, the central miracle of Islam is the Qur’an—a miracle that remains accessible and understandable to any rational mind even today. Demonstrating the miraculous nature of the Qur’an requires a detailed and comprehensive discussion, which will be presented later in a full-length article. Before delving into that, it is important for readers to understand that if the miraculous nature of the Qur’an is established, several key points are also proven:

1. We stated that a miracle is a phenomenon that human beings are incapable of producing. Therefore, if such a phenomenon occurs, it demonstrates the existence of a power beyond all other powers—God. Thus, the existence of God is established.

2. If it is proven that the Qur’an is a miracle and has been sent by God, then the correctness of all its content—which comes from God—is also established.

3. The one who served as the intermediary to bring this Qur’an to us from God is thereby proven to be His messenger and prophet. This is because he delivered a phenomenon beyond human capability, which could only have been brought by God. Therefore, he is the true Prophet of God, through whom God sent this miracle to humanity.

4. All the statements of the one who brought this Qur’an serve as proof and evidence for us. This is because God never grants His prophethood or miracle to a person whose words are false or contrary to the truth.

5. By proving the miraculous nature of the Qur’an, we obtain a key that opens the way to a higher path for acquiring correct knowledge through the Qur’an, the Prophet, and the Prophet’s successors. This is a path we can confidently follow, knowing with certainty that it is the true path ordained by God for us.

We now draw your attention to a comprehensive article on proving the miraculous nature of the Qur’an, written in clear and accessible language suitable for all readers by one of the greatest scholars of Islamic sciences.

A Detailed Article on the Proof of the Miraculous Nature of the Qur’an