Muslims have spiritual experiences too

This is in regards to our conversation about Muslims.  There were two points I was trying to convey.  The first is that I do think that Muslims have spiritual experiences and gain their faith in ways that are similar to Christians and people of other faiths. 

Here are some quotes from Muslims about spiritual experiences they have had.  


These comments come from the Yahoo Answers question, "Do you have 'spiritual' experiences or feelings from Allah when you pray or go to your mosque?"

"Prayer involves beautiful words, simple actions that have deep meanings. When a Muslim prays, the problems and stresses of the world become insignificant and what remains is a feeling of peace."

-from Yahoo user syrenarc

"There are no words to explain how I feel when I pray or read the Quran or listen to the Azan, and the only way you can ever understand this, is if you experience it yourself."

-from Yahoo user Abibliophobiac

"Indeed our prayers are answered and we feel ecstasy while reading Holy Quran and it solves several of our problems too."

-from Yahoo user Javed Iqbal

This experience comes from the islamicboard.com thread, "What does Allah's presence feel like?"

"Feeling Allah's guidance (one example):  Last spring, after a 10 hour day at work, I began my 40 minute drive home...after buying food for my family. I live in the country and came across an elderly couple in the middle of nowhere. Instantaneously, I knew I was supposed to help them. I didn't really want to stop. All I wanted was to go home to my family and be with them. There was no voice...no pillar of fire...just God telling me, somehow, that this was what I was supposed to do. I said aloud, with a smile: 'Okay. I hear and will obey'.
I did it with love and joy in my heart, being filled with God's motivation. As it turns out, this couple had to be in the city for a legal case. They had a ride up there, but no way home. I loaded them up and drove them the 3 hours round trip to their home further south. When I got there, I helped the lady take her backpack indoors. They lived in a mobile home and they had explained with the economy that neither had work for 6 months. When I put the bottled water they had in the backpack into their refrigerator, I quickly saw their fridge was empty and that their cupboards were bare. They both looked emaciated and had no food.
Although they protested, I took the groceries I had and stocked their larders. I didn't have much cash on me, but what I had, I gave to them...maybe enough to fill their car with gas. (They couldn't afford the gas to get into the city)
When I began to leave, the wife called me an angel. I told her: 'I am but a man, a mere tool in God's hand, But I was led today to help you. May you do the same when God leads you to'.
...This is what I refer to as God-consciousness, a term I have held dearly...
 ...The best spiritual advise I have ever received: In prayer, stop talking and start listening." 

 -from islamicboard user GodIsAll, post 10 

These come from the Experience Project:

"I was born and raised as a Muslim but I took it for granted and never really made the effort to pray. I knew in my heart I loved Allah but I was just too lazy to pray to him and tell him how much I loved him.  I had a boyfriend who I became extremely vulnerable to and when he broke up with me, I went into a depression, it's not like I was crying but I felt a sadness over taking my mind and heart.  I finally broke down and told my conservative Muslim mother. Instead of screaming or yelling at me for having a boyfriend, she suggested I go into my room, wash myself and just pray and speak to Allah, and to not hold anything back. The moment I started reciting, I felt tears well up, not from sadness but from a sense of relief, as if he was filling my heart with light and joy. Although the moments of sadness came back when I sometimes forgot to pray, the second I start reciting, I feel that he is reaching out to me, as not only my God but as my friend. Without him, I lose hope for the light at the end of the tunnel in times of darkness."

-from the Experience Project, "Prayer Saved Me", by Biggal13

"I've been through the most amazing experience ever when I was 15 y'o. I've never been religious, I didn't pray nor read Quran...  All I knew about religion was that there's only one God and Mohammad (pbuh) is his prophet, but saying this is different than feeling it and deeply believing in it. I had no doubts but didn't feel the beauty of it.
[She tells about an experience at school in which atheist friends mock Islam, Mohammad, and Allah.  She is very traumatized and saddened by this.]
I was crying on the inside and guess what! Allah knew that. I went home the next day and told my parents about what happened...  Without any further planning, I found myself praying so hard, crying from all my heart, trembling like never before, I felt my heart so pure, I lost all the human characteristics like jealousy, hatred, sadness, dissatisfaction and so on.  I found myself thinking of others before thinking of myself, making duaa and wishing good for others before myself and this is when I felt Allah's response. I couldn't stop crying while praying and asking God for forgiveness and you may not believe it but every time I got up from praying I felt that God has forgiven me and removed all my sins, I felt that Allah is satisfied with me, is happy, I felt his love, his presence, his rahma. I felt that I'm the happiest person on earth. I stopped listening to music, watching movies, looking around; I didn't plan on stopping these stuff but something was stopping me, music hurt my ears, movies hurt my eyes.  I was in a beautiful inner peace. I stayed all nights reading Quran and praying, I only went to sleep after praying fajr and every time I went to sleep I felt so relaxed and comfortable and wished to go up to Allah because I felt his love and I wanted to be closer. I had religious dreams, I saw myself in every dream saying the shahada...  I woke up feeling great. I was living for Islam by Islam. We were in Ramadan back then.
...What I'm certain of now is that Allah answers your prayers when you truly believe on the inside that he will answer them."

-from the Experience Project, "This Is How I 'Felt' Islam", by beyleb

These experiences are eerily similar to what we experience in the Mormon faith tradition.  My own exploration of the nature of faith and spiritual experience has made me realize that what we have is not unique to any creed.  Despite this, the fact that Muslims and people of almost all denominations have spiritual experiences that reinforce or develop their faith does not make faith invalid.  Instead it reinforces the value of doubt and critical thinking for a foundation of faith.  It's said that thesis and antithesis leads to synthesis.  If the church is true it will stand after we throw at it the worst that can be said about it.

https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-islamic-state-e2809cdacc84biq-magazine-1522.pdf