Don't alter the meaning of ideas; in Hausa: Ana iya cewa Intanet yana da girma sosai. Wannan magana tana da wasa da kalmomi, domin a cikin yaren zamani, 'phat' na nufin 'mai kyau ƙwarai', kuma ta fuskar sauti yana iya nufin 'babba ko fadi'. Dukkan ma'anoni biyu sun dace da Intanet. Yana iya zama kyakkyawar majiya ta ilimi, amma kuma yana iya zama babba har ba za a iya samun dukkan ingantattun sahihan bayanai game da wani batu ba. Baya ga kyawunsa, shi ma babban rami ne na ƙarya, rashin ingantattun bayanai da karkatar da gaskiya. Intanet kuma yana iya zama mai rashin jin ƙai. Ni kaina na fuskanci duhun Intanet sau da dama. Dukkan kurakurai, rashin fahimta da kuskurena suna nan a bayyane ga kowa ya yi dariya a kansu, amma abin da ke sa ni farin ciki shi ne cewa hakan kuma yana ba da dama ga mutane su koyi. Ni mai imani ne sosai da bayyana ra'ayoyi masu sabanin juna, domin a wannan yanayi gaskiya kullum ita ke yin nasara. Wannan littafi ya samu ne daga koyo daga kurakuran da na yi. To, shin hakan na nufin wannan littafi cikakke ne? Tabbas a'a. Duk da haka, yana kai ni ga wani muhimmin batu. Ko wane irin mai karatu ka bayyana kanka a matsayin (mai kafirci, mai shakka, agnostic, Musulmi, mai ɓoye addini, humanist, da sauransu), babu shakka za ka sami ƙarin tambayoyi ko kana son ƙarin bayani. Shi ya sa na samar da wata tashar yanar gizo da za ta ci gaba da tattaunawarmu. Duk wata tambaya, sharhi, damuwa ko ra'ayi mai amfani da kake da shi za a duba shi a www.hamzatzortzis.com/thedivinereality. Wannan yana da ban sha'awa ga irin wannan bugu, domin littafin ba an yi shi ne a matsayin magana ɗaya tilo ba, sai dai tattaunawa. Tattaunawar tana da ƙa'idodin ɗabi'a, waɗanda sun haɗa da rashin zagi (sai dai idan kana faɗar maganar wani don tabbatar da wata hujja), rashin cin mutunci ga mutum da rashin maganganun wulakanci.Ban da haka, komai yana yiwuwa. Babu wani littafi guda da zai rufe komai game da wannan batu, kuma an bar wasu batutuwa, galibi saboda iyaka da fifiko. Duk da haka, wannan ba ya nufin cewa al'adar Musulunci ba ta da amsoshi. Ina ba da shawara ga masu sha'awa da su bude zuciyarsu, su kuma shiga tattaunawa cikin gaskiya. Ka ga, akwai bangarori biyu a rayuwarmu: daya shi ne wasan kwaikwayon rayuwarmu (drama), dayan kuma shi ne hakikanin rayuwa. Muna tunanin wasan kwaikwayonmu da hakikanin rayuwa abu daya ne. Wannan ba gaskiya ba ne. Wasan kwaikwayonmu ya kunshi abubuwan da suka faru a baya na mummuna, da iyakantattun hankulanmu, ra'ayoyinmu da hangen nesanmu. Hakikanin rayuwa kuwa abin da yake ne kawai, ba tare da karkataccen hangen nesa ba. Duk da haka, kullum muna karkatar da hakikanin rayuwa saboda muna dora wasan kwaikwayonmu a kanta. Shi ya sa muke ganin yana da wuya mu hadu da sauran mutane, kuma shi ya sa rayuwarmu take kama da da'ira mai girma, muna maimaita kura-kurai iri daya ta hanyoyi daban-daban. Dukanmu mun taba yin haka a baya. Mun taba samun wasu munanan abubuwa a baya wadanda suka lalata ikonmu na haduwa da mutane sosai a yanzu, ta haka muna gina makomarmu da tubalin abubuwan da suka wuce; babu abin mamaki da muke maimaita kura-kurai iri daya. Dole ne mu fahimci cewa abin da ya wuce ba shi ne abin da zai zo ba. Saboda haka, duk abin da kuka taba fuskanta game da addini, Musulunci, da hujjojin kasancewar Ubangiji da wahayi, ina rokonku kada ku bar su su rufe hukuncinku yayin da kuke tunani a kan abin da kuka karanta a cikin wannan littafi.

To use a colloquialism, the Internet is phat. There’s a play on words here, because according to slang, ‘phat’ means ‘excellent’, and phonetically it can mean ‘big or large’. They both apply to the Internet. It can be an excellent source of information, but it can also be too big to access all the authentic and valid information about a particular topic. Besides its positive value, it is also a large abyss of lies, misinformation and misrepresentations. The Internet can also be quite unforgiving. I personally have experienced the dark side of the Internet many times. All of my mistakes, misunderstandings and errors are there for everyone to laugh at, but what makes me content is that it also provides a source for people to learn. I’m a true believer in espousing contrasting views, because in this context the truth always prevails. This book is actually a product of learning from my failures and errors. Now, does that mean this book is perfect? Obviously not. However, it does lead me to a very important point. Whatever kind of reader you describe yourself to be (atheist, sceptic, agnostic, Muslim, secular, humanist, etc.) you will undoubtedly have more questions or would like further clarifications. This is why I have developed an online portal that will continue our conversation further. Any questions, comments, concerns or constructive feedback you have will be assessed at www.hamzatzortzis.com/thedivinereality. This is quite unique for this type of publication because the book is not meant to be a monologue, but a dialogue. The discussion does have ethical rules, which include no expletives (unless you’re quoting someone to make a valid point), personal attacks or degrading speech. Aside from that, anything goes. No one book covers everything on this topic, and some issues have been left out, mostly due to scope and priority. However, this does not mean that the Islamic tradition lacks answers. I would advise interested parties to keep an open mind and to sincerely engage in a dialogue. You see, we have two spheres in our life: one is our drama, and the other is our reality. We think our drama and reality are the same. This is simply not true. Our drama consists of our negative past experiences, limited intellects, ideas and perspectives. Reality is just what is, without any skewed perspective. However, we always skew reality because we superimpose our drama on it. This is why we find it hard to connect with other human beings, and this is precisely why our lives seem to be one giant circle, repeating the same mistakes in different ways. We all have done this before. We have had a couple of negative experiences in the past which destroy our ability to connect deeply with people in the present, thereby creating a future with the building blocks of the past; it is no wonder we repeat the same mistakes. We have to realise that the past does not equal the future. So whatever your experiences with religion, Islam and arguments for God and revelation, I ask you to not allow them to cloud your judgement when reflecting on what you have read in this book.

Ina so in kammala wannan sashe da wasu shawarwari daga Alkur'ani da Sunnah game da tattaunawa, muhawara da mu'amala da wasu. Allah Madaukakin Sarki ya umurci Annabinsa mai girma Musa (a.s.) da ya yi magana da Fir'auna cikin tausasawa yayin isar da saƙon Musulunci gare shi: "Kuma ku yi magana da shi da magana mai laushi; ko zai yi tunani ko ya ji tsoro."606

I would like to end this section by sharing some Qur’anic and prophetic advice on discussing, debating and dealing with others. God commands His noble Prophet Moses to speak mildly to Pharaoh while conveying the message of Islam to him: “And speak to him mildly; perhaps he might accept admonition.”606

Malamin tafsiri Al-Qurtubi ya bayyana cewa wannan ayar yana nuni da cewa idan an umarci Musa ya yi magana a hankali kuma cikin lallashi da Fir'auna, wanda azzalumi ne, to ka yi tunanin yadda ya kamata mu yi magana da wasu: "Idan an umarci Musa ya yi magana cikin lallashi da Fir'auna, to ya fi dacewa wasu su bi wannan umarni yayin magana da wasu da kuma yayin umartar da kyau da hana mummuna."607

The exegete Al-Qurtubi explains that this verse implies that if Moses were commanded to speak softly and mildly to Pharaoh, who was an oppressor, then imagine how we must speak to others: “If Musa was commanded to speak mildly to Pharaoh then it is even more appropriate for others to follow this command when speaking to others and when commanding the good and forbidding the evil.”607

Allah ya umurci Annabi Muhammad ﷺ da ya tattauna da kalmomi masu kyau ta hanya mafi kyau: "Ka kira zuwa ga hanyar Ubangijinka da hikima da wa'azi mai kyau, ka kuma yi muhawara da su ta hanyar da ta fi kyau."608

God commands the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to discuss using good words in the best possible manner: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.”608

Masanin nahawu Al-Zamakhshari ya yi sharhi a kan ayar da ke sama yana mai tabbatar da cewa wannan na nufin dole ne mu yi mu'amala da wasu ba tare da tsauri ba: "Yin muhawara da su ta hanyar da ta fi kyau yana nufin amfani da hanya mafi kyau ta muhawara, wadda ita ce hanyar alheri da lallashi ba tare da taurin kai da tsauri ba."609

The grammarian Al-Zamakhshari comments on the above verse by asserting that this means we must engage with others without any harshness: “Arguing with them in a way that is better means using the best method of argumentation which is the method of kindness and gentleness without gruffness and harshness.”609

Ɗaya daga cikin manyan falalolin da ake yi a cikin koyarwar Musulunci shi ne amfani da kalmomi masu kyau a cikin tattaunawa. Alƙur'ani ya gabatar da kyakkyawan misali na kwatanta kalma mai kyau da itace mai 'ya'ya kullum da tushe mai ƙarfi: "Shin, ba ka duba yadda Allah ya buga misali ba? Kalma mai kyau kamar itace mai kyau take, tushenta yana da ƙarfi kuma rassanta suna cikin sama. Tana ba da 'ya'yanta kullum, da izinin Ubangijinta. Allah yana buga misalai ga mutane don su yi tunani. Kuma misalin kalma marar kyau kamar itace marar kyau take, da aka tumɓuke ta daga saman ƙasa, ba ta da wani tsayuwa. Allah yana tabbatar da waɗanda suka yi imani da kalma mai ƙarfi, a rayuwar duniya da ta Lahira. Kuma Allah yana ɓatar da azzalumai. Kuma Allah yana yin abin da yake so."610

Using good words in the context of discussion is one of the greatest virtues in the Islamic tradition. The Qur’an presents a beautiful example of comparing a good word with a tree with perpetual fruit and firm roots: “Have you not considered how God presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And God presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the Earth, not having any stability. God keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And God sends astray the wrongdoers. And God does what He wills.”610

Da fatan cewa ta hanyar shigar da wasu daga cikin waɗannan dabi'u da koyarwa marasa iyaka a cikin zukatanmu, dukkanmu za mu iya kawar da mugunta da alheri, mu kuma fahimci cewa babu buƙatar ƙiyayya, ta yadda za a samar da abota ta kut-da-kut ko da mun sabawa juna.

It is my personal wish that by internalising some of these timeless values and teachings, we can all repel evil with good, and realise there is no need to hate, thereby facilitating close friendships even if we disagree.

"Kuma ba a daidaita kyakkyawan aiki da mummunan aiki. Ka kawar da mummuna da abin da ya fi kyau; sai kuma wanda tsakaninka da shi akwai gaba, zai zama kamar abokin kusa."611

“And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel evil by that deed which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity will become as though he were a devoted friend.”611

Kyakkyawan koyarwar wannan ayar ita ce cewa a cikin asalin harshen Larabci kalmar 'kawar da' ba ta biyo bayan wani abu da ke karɓar aikin kai tsaye ba. Wannan yana nuna cewa dole ne mu kawar da duk wani abu ta hanyar abin da ya fi kyau. Malamai sun ce wannan yana nufin dole ne mu mayar da martani ga duk wani abu da abin da ya fi falala da kyau.

The beautiful teaching of this verse is that in the original Arabic the word ‘repel’ is not followed by a direct object. This implies that we must repel anything by that which is better. The scholars have said that this means that we must respond to anything by that which is more virtuous and more beautiful.

Bari mu zama mutane masu kyawawan halaye da mutane masu kyau.

Let us become people of virtue and people of beauty.