Warmly,
Baraka

Thank you for your post which engaged the discussion.

I posted a short talk from my teacher about faith:

“There are two kinds of Imaan, faith. One is real and the other is imitative. The real brings light to the heart of a person; until then, he is only imitating faith.”

continued http://www.yursil.com/blog/2008/06/signs-of-real-faith/

Truly each person has a unique relationship with God.

Warmly,
Baraka

I believe in God because I have been blessed to be in the company of those who are intimate friends of God. I’m not even an acquaintance yet, but I can hope to be.

And regarding all the rules and restrictions that can sometimes seem overwhelming- it’s a common mistake, especially among Muslims, to focus on rules (even, tragically, when giving dawah). What really matters is recognition of Allah’s Oneness and his Lordship. The do’s and dont’s are for our benefit if we follow them, but they are not the essence of Islam. That essence is love of the divine.
As in the dua of Rabia al-Adawiya, radhiAllahu anha:

“O Allah! If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell,

and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise.

But if I worship You for Your Own sake,

grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty.”

I think I believe in God for basically the same reason as you – I cognize His signs.

Why Islam? The Qur’an – it makes sense, it doesn’t contradict itself, the concept of God and prophets is harmony and logic, it all rings of true to any test I put it through, and I found myself when I read it he first time as if I remembering the truth that my fibers knew as true already, just my experience had not seen in this life yet.

Secondly, the ultimate goal and what we aspire to become is valid and in our eyes the best: fundamental monotheism – one true God alone. The highest ideals of human beings are manifest in our teachings and described in the actions of our Prophet (saw). We have every facet of the human condition described to us and our goal is nobility and we are guided to be chivalry. We are not taught to be, as Nietzsche explained, in a pitiful state. And we are not hedonistic spiritualists. We are taught: Balance and Middle Road – Natural State.

His support of full and equal rights for women, slaves, children, ethnic minorities, the poor in a society where such sentiments were anathema.
His delivery of a book which is the peak of eloquence to a society which didn’t produce books at all, let alone something like the Quran.
The way that following his sunnah, especially the inner aspects, drives one toward one’s fullest humanity, in the best sense of the term.
In fact every aspect of his blessed life point to someone who could not have been other than The Messenger of God.