Me menene amfanin rubuta littafi game da Allah, Musulunci da rashin imani da Allah? Masana falsafa, masu tunani da malamai daga addinai daban-daban sun riga sun rubuta littattafai kan irin wannan batu, to me ya sa za a sake yin abin da aka riga aka yi? Domin bayyana hakan, bari in yi ɗan bayani game da tafiyar da na yi a rayuwata zuwa yanzu.

What is the point of writing a book about God, Islam and atheism? Philosophers, thinkers and academics from various religious backgrounds have already written books on similar topics, so why reinvent the wheel? To explain this, let me elaborate a little on the journey that I have taken so far in my life.

Ana an haife ni a London ga iyayen Girkawa. Dukansu sun zo Birtaniya a shekarun saba'in saboda dalilai daban-daban. Mahaifina ya fi son ya tsere daga rayuwar Athens. Mahaifiyata kuwa ba ta da zaɓi mai yawa; ta kasance 'yar gudun hijira da mamayar Turkiyya ta Cyprus a shekarar 1974 ta kora ta. Iyayena sun sha wahalhalu da yawa, amma da soyayya, haƙuri da ƙudiri, yanzu sun zama biyu daga cikin mutane mafiya farin ciki, mafiya ƙauna, tausayi da haƙuri da na sani. Ina godiya har abada da samun su a rayuwata. Duk da koma-bayan da suka fuskanta, abin da ya fi damun mahaifina shi ne warware abin da ya kira rikicin wanzuwa, wanda mutane ke kira existential crisis. Yana neman amsoshin manyan tambayoyin rayuwa. Tafiyarsa ta kai shi ga tara littattafai iri-iri. A gida, ina da damar samun littattafai masu yawa, tun daga The Power of Positive Thinking har zuwa The Science of the Mind. Mahaifina koyaushe yana nutsewa cikin littattafansa kuma yana raba mana ra'ayoyinsa akai-akai. Ni ce ta tsakiya a cikin 'ya'yansa uku, kuma a lokacin babu wanenmu da hankalinsa ya isa ya fahimci abin da yake fada sosai. Tun da na tashi a irin wannan yanayi, na dauki radadin wanzuwar mahaifina, kuma na fara tambayar kaina game da tushen wanzuwata. Har yanzu ina tuna yadda, kusan shekara goma sha ɗaya, nakan shiga bahon wanka in zauna a cikinsa na wani lokaci, ina kuka. Ina jin kadaici sosai. Abin da ya zo min a rai shi ne cewa ni kaɗai ce mai sane da wanzuwata (duba Babi na 7). Ni kaɗai na san yadda yake zama ni, ko ina ni kaɗai a bahon wanka ko ina wasa da abokai a filin shakatawa. Wannan ya haifar min da shakku game da ko rayuwar sanin wasu mutane tana wanzuwa. Shin da gaske suna da sani? Shin suna wanzuwa ta hakika? Me suke ji? Menene abubuwan da suke fuskanta da sanin su a lokacin da ni ban nan don shaida su? Daga baya a rayuwa na koyi cewa wannan wani nau'i ne na solipsism, wato ra'ayin cewa za ka iya tabbata kawai da cewa hankalinka yana wanzuwa. Duk da haka, gogewa ce mai zurfi ta kaɗaici, wadda nake ganin ita ce ta haifar min da sha'awar neman amsoshin muhimman tambayoyi a rayuwata. Wannan gogewa ta sa na fahimci cewa ra'ayin gaskiya yana da muhimmanci sosai. A cikin neman gaskiya, ina yawan tattaunawa da abokaina, ina tambayarsu game da imaninsu. Na yi sa'a sosai da na samu alaƙa da mutane daga kabilu da al'adu iri-iri. Wannan na ɗaya daga cikin albarkun da na samu na girma a unguwar Hackney da ke London. Na ji cewa ba tare da sanin gaskiya ba, rayuwa tana bayyana kamar ba ta gaskiya ba ce, kamar mafarki. Masana ilimin halayyar ɗan adam da yawa sun tabbatar cewa ɗan adam yana son ya zama mai gaskiya, kuma idan bai tabbata game da abubuwa ba, yakan koyi daga dokokin al'umma. Daga wannan mahangar, neman gaskiya yana da muhimmanci sosai, domin yana ba mu damar tsara wanda muke da wanda muke so mu zama.

I was born in London to Greek parents. Both of them came to the UK in the seventies for different reasons. My father mainly wanted to escape life in Athens. My mother did not have much of a choice; she was a refugee driven out by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. My parents suffered many hardships, but with love, patience and determination they have become now two of the happiest, most loving, compassionate and tolerant people I know. I am eternally grateful to have them in my life. Despite all their setbacks, what concerned my father the most was solving his version of what people call an existential crisis. He was in search of answers to life’s key questions. His journey led him to acquire an array of books. At home, I had access to a wide range of literature, from The Power of Positive Thinking to The Science of the Mind. My father was always immersed in his books and constantly shared his ideas with us. I am the middle of his three children, and none of us at the time had mature enough minds to comprehensively grasp what he was saying. Being brought up in this background, I picked up my father’s existential anguish, and I began to ask questions about the basis of my own existence. I still remember how, at around the age of eleven, I would go into the bath and sit in the tub for a while, crying. I felt so lonely. What occurred to me was that I was the only one conscious of my existence (see Chapter 7). Only I knew what it was like to be me, whether I was alone in the bath or playing with friends in the park. This created a sense of doubt about the existence of other people’s conscious lives. Were they really conscious? Did they exist in a real sense? What were they feeling? What were their conscious experiences when I was not there to witness them? Later in life, I learnt that this was a form of solipsism, which is the view that you can only be certain that your mind exists. Nevertheless, it was a profoundly lonely experience, which I believe was the emotional driving force to find answers to very important questions in my life. This experience instilled within me that the concept of truth is very important. In my search for truth, I used to engage with my friends and ask them questions about their beliefs. I was so fortunate to have connections with people from myriad ethnicities and cultures. This was one of the blessings of being brought up in the London borough of Hackney. I felt that without knowing the truth, life seemed unreal and illusory. Many psychologists have acknowledged that human beings want to be right and seek to learn from social norms when they are unsure about things. From this perspective, the search for truth is very important as it offers the possibility of shaping who we are or the person we want to be.

Na ji cewa rashin neman gaskiya yana daidai da karya wa kai na, ko karɓar ƙarya. Saboda haka, neman gaskiya ya zama hanyar zama mai gaskiya da kai na, domin zan kasance ina neman tabbatar da gaskiyar wannan rayuwa da matsayina a cikinta. A gare ni, riƙe ra'ayin shakka game da gaskiya, wanda ke cewa babu gaskiya, ya zama yana kashe kansa. Wannan saboda ra'ayin cewa babu gaskiya da kansa da'awa ce, to ta yaya zan iya da'awar cewa shakka gaskiya ce amma kowane abu ba gaskiya ba ne? Wannan shi ne rashin daidaiton ra'ayin shakka; mai shakka zai da'awar gaskiyar shakka, amma ya musanta duk sauran gaskiyoyi. Saboda haka, ko wane matsayi na riƙe, dole ne in karɓi wata gaskiya.

I felt that not searching for the truth was tantamount to lying to myself, or accepting a lie. Therefore, the search for truth was a means of trying to be sincere with my own existence, as I would be seeking to establish the truth of this life and my place within it. For me, holding on to the sceptical view of the truth, which argues that there is no truth, was self-defeating. This is because the concept that there is no truth is actually a claim itself, so how could I claim that scepticism is true but everything else is not? This is the inconsistency of the sceptical view; a sceptic would claim the truth of scepticism, but would deny all other truths. Consequently, no matter what position I held, I still had to accept a truth.

Lokacin da na fara koyon Musulunci, abubuwa biyu ne suka burge ni. Na farko shi ne tabbacin da ke fitowa daga abokaina Musulmi. Na biyu shi ne al'adunsu na zamantakewa da na ruhaniya; duka biyun su ne suka kai ni ga karɓar Musulunci a ƙarshe. Wannan ba wuri ba ne da zan shiga cikakken bayani game da musuluntata. Duk da haka, akwai lokacin da na gamsu da hujjojin hankali na tushen Musulunci, amma hakan bai isa ya sa na rungumi addinin ba. Don haka na fara bin al'adu biyu. Na farko, na fara koyon wasu surorin Alƙur'ani cikin Larabci, na kuma fara yin wasu daga cikin sallolin yau da kullum guda biyar da Musulmi ke yi a matsayin ɓangare na ibadarsu. Lokacin da nake sujjada, wanda wani ɓangare ne na sallar Musulunci, sai in yi magana da Allah, ina neman shiryarwarTa Shi. Na yi haka ne bayan na samu wata fahimta ta ruhaniya daga wajen abokin ɗan'uwana, Amir Islahi. Yana karatun likitanci a jami'a, amma yana ziyartar harabar kwalejinmu yana ba mu shawara. Tun da ina da abokan Musulmi, ina sauraronsa; yana maimaita kalaman Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ, Amir ya taɓa cewa mutum yana kusa da Allah sosai a lokacin sujjada, don haka ka yi magana da Shi. Na ga wannan a matsayin abu mai zurfi, domin fuska tana nuna ko wane ne mu. Sau da yawa tana wakiltar son kai da girman kai, amma Musulmi suna ƙasƙantar da kansu, suna kuma yarda cewa su ba komai ba ne idan aka kwatanta da Allah. A cikin wannan mika wuya suke samun kansu da gaske; bayi ne na Wanda ya halicce su. A cikin sujjada, wadda ita ce matsayin ƙasƙanci da rashin son kai a zahiri, Musulmi suna magana da Allah. Don haka ni ma na fara magana da Shi, ina roƙon shiryarwa. Dr. Amir Islahi yanzu abokina ne, amma ban yi tunanin ya san tasirin waɗannan 'yan kalmomi da ya isar mini sama da shekaru 15 da suka wuce ba. Na biyu, na fara yawan tattaunawa da abokina na makaranta, Moynul Ahmed. Yakan zo gidana ya yi magana da ni game da Musulunci, ni kuma ina yi masa tambayoyi. Sai dai a farkon tsarin na riga na gamsu da hankali, amma zuciyata ta mutu. Ba ni da cikakken ilimin gaskiyar Musulunci da na sani ya shiga cikin zuciyata ba. A cikin wannan gwagwarmayar ta haɗa abin da na sani da abin da nake ji, na haɗu da Moynul a wajen gidana, na zauna a motarsa a ranar 4 ga Oktoba, 2002. A gaskiya, ba na tuna sosai abin da ya faɗa mini ba, amma na tuna yadda na ji. Ya bayyana wani zurfi da kyakkyawan bayani game da tabbacin mutuwa. Ba zan iya tuna ainihin kalmomin ba; yin hakan zai zama kamar kama baƙar kyanwa a cikin duhu. Duk da haka, ya buge ni sosai kuma ta wata hanya ya buɗe ƙofar da ta zama kamar an kulle, yana barin tabbacina game da gaskiyar Musulunci ya shafi zuciyata.

When I first learnt about Islam, two aspects fascinated me. The first was the certainty that emanated from my Muslim friends. The second was their social and spiritual practices; both eventually led me to accept Islam. This is not the space to go into detail about my conversion. However, there was a point when I became intellectually convinced in the rational foundations of Islam, yet it still was not enough for me to embrace the religion. So I started adopting two practices. First, I started to learn some chapters of the Qur’an in Arabic, and pray several of the five daily prayers that Muslims carry out as part of their spiritual practice. When I used to prostrate, which is a part of the Islamic prayer, I would talk to God, asking for His guidance. I did this after receiving a spiritual insight of my brother’s friend, Amir Islahi. He was studying medicine at university, but he would visit my college campus and give us advice. Since I had Muslim friends, I would listen to him; echoing the words of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Amir once said that you are closest to God during prostration, so speak to Him. I found this profound because the face reflects who we are. Many times it represents our ego and vanity, yet Muslims humble themselves and acknowledge that they are nothing compared to God. In that submission they truly find themselves; servants of the One that created them. In prostration, the physical station of humility and egolessness, Muslims speak to God. So I started talking to Him too, and begged for guidance. Dr. Amir Islahi is now my friend, but I do not think he knows the impact of those few words he conveyed to me over 15 years ago. Second, I began to have more conversations with a school friend of mine, Moynul Ahmed. He would come to my house and speak to me about Islam, and I would ask him questions. However, early on in the process I was intellectually convinced, but my heart was dead. Nothing I knew about the truth of Islam had been internalised. In this struggle to combine what I knew with what I felt, I met Moynul outside my house and sat in his car on 4 October 2002. To be honest, I do not really remember what he told me, but I remember how I felt. He expressed a profound and poetic description of the certainty of death. I cannot recall the exact words; to do so would be like catching a black cat in the dark. However, it hit me hard and somehow opened a door that seemed to have been locked, allowing my certainty in the truth of Islam to affect my heart.

Mutane ba sa jin daɗin yin tunani game da mutuwa. Tunanin mutuwa yana tayar mana da fahimtar cewa duk abubuwan da muka gina a wannan duniya za su ƙare. Abin lura shi ne, yana farkar da mu ga gaskiyar nan mai tsanani cewa ba za mu ƙara kasancewa a wannan duniyar ba. Dole ne mu fuskanci gaskiyar wani ƙarshen duniya na kanmu da babu makawa. An samu ra'ayoyin falsafa da yawa game da mutuwa. Misali, wasu masana suna ganin cewa mutuwa kamar barci ne na dindindin. Wasu kuma sun bayyana cewa mutuwa wani ɓangare ne na rayuwa, wani abu da kowane mutum dole ne ya yarda da shi domin ya rayu da kyau; wani ɓangare ne na abin da ya ƙunshi karɓar iyakar rayuwarmu. Wasu masana kuma sun bayyana cewa mutuwa miƙa ce daga wannan rayuwa zuwa lahira, wadda ta haɗa da rayuwa madawwamiya cikin ni'ima ta hanyar rahamar Allah, ko kuma azaba saboda ƙin karɓar rahama da shiriyar God.

Human beings do not enjoy thinking about death. It creates the realisation within us that all of the attachments we have built in this world will cease to be. Significantly, it awakens us to the brutal fact that we will no longer exist on this planet. We have to face the reality of an inevitable personal apocalypse. There have been many philosophical theories about death. For example, some thinkers hold the view that death is like a permanent sleep. Others have explained that death is to be considered part of life, something which every person must come to terms with in order to live well; part of what is involved in accepting our finitude. Some thinkers have claimed that death is a transition from this life to an afterlife, which includes the eternal life of bliss via Divine mercy, or pain because of our insistence on rejecting the mercy and guidance of God.

Duk abin da ra'ayinmu game da mutuwa ya kasance, dukkanmu za mu iya yarda cewa magana ce da ba ma tunani a kanta sosai. Wannan na iya zama kamar abin ƙyama, amma akwai amfani mai girma a cikin tunani game da mutuwa—yana kawo fahimtar cewa rayuwa gajera ce. Yin tunani a kan yanayin ƙarewarmu yana taimakawa wajen rage girman kanmu da son zuciyarmu, kuma sha'awoyinmu na son kai ba sa ƙara zama masu muhimmanci. Dangantakarmu ta ɗan lokaci da duniyar abin duniya ana sanya ta a cikin hangen nesa, kuma ana tambayar rayuwarmu—duk waɗannan suna ba da amfani mai girma. Kamar yadda malamin tauhidi na karni na 11, Al-Ghazali, ya ce, "…a cikin tunawa da mutuwa akwai lada da kyawun aiki." Yin tunani a kan mutuwa yana tayar da tunani kuma yana ba mu damar ganin dama don yin tunani a kan yanayin wanzuwarmu.

Whatever our views on death are, we can all agree it is a subject that we do not think about enough. This may sound morbid, but there is a profound benefit in reflecting on death—it brings about the realisation that life is short. Pondering our finite nature helps diminish our egos and our selfish desires no longer seem that important. Our ephemeral attachments to the material world are put into perspective and our lives are questioned—all of which offer great benefit. As the 11th century theologian Al-Ghazali said, “…in the recollection of death there is reward and merit.”2 Contemplating death provokes thought and gives us a window of opportunity to reflect on the nature of our existence.

Yin tunani a kan mutuwa, sai ya amsa tambayoyi game da yadda ya kamata in kalli rayuwa. Ta koya mini yadda zan auna girman muhimmancin da ya kamata in ba abubuwan duniya. Ta hanyar kallon rayuwata ta fuskar mutuwa, na shiga wani yanayi na zuciya da hankali inda zan iya tantance halin da nake ciki a wannan duniya. Ta yaya na zo wannan duniya? Me ya kamata in yi a nan? Ina zan je? Mutuwa ita ce ta motsa waɗannan muhimman tambayoyi, domin da zarar na fahimci cewa wannan rayuwa gajeruwa ce, cewa wata rana zan yi numfashi na ƙarshe, sai hakan ya sa komai ya zama a bayyane.

Reflecting on death, answered questions on how I should view life. It taught me to measure how much importance I should attach to material things. In viewing my life through the lens of death, I entered an emotional and intellectual space where I could assess my situation on this planet. How did I come to be? What should I be doing here? Where am I going? Death was the driving force behind these critical questions, because the moment I recognised that this life is short, that one day I will breathe my last, it put everything into perspective.

Don yanke fahimtar abin da na shiga, ina so ka yi tunani a kan mutuwa; ka yi tunanin kana nan a yanzu, sannan a cikin minti ɗaya kuma ba ka nan. Wataƙila ka taba rasa masoyanka, to ta yaya ka ji? Ka ji kaɗaici, fanko da rashin damuwa ga abubuwan da kake ɗauka da muhimmanci a da? Yanzu, idan za ka ɗanɗana mutuwa a wannan lokaci, kamar yadda kowane mutum zai yi a ƙarshe, me hakan zai nufi a gare ka? Me za ka canja a rayuwarka idan aka ba ka damar komawa baya? Waɗanne tunani da ra'ayoyi za ka ɗauka da muhimmanci fiye da yadda kake yi yanzu? Yaya kallonka zai kasance idan za ka sake rayuwa bayan ka fuskanci gaskiyar mutuwa mai ban tausayi?

To understand what I went through, I want you to reflect on death; imagine you are here one minute and the next you are no more. You have probably experienced loved ones that have passed away; how did you feel? Did you feel loneliness, emptiness and lack of attachment to the things you used to take so seriously? Now, if you were to taste death this instant, as every human being eventually will, what would that mean to you? What would you do differently with your life if you were given the chance to go back? What thoughts and ideas would you take more seriously? What would your outlook be if you could relive your life having experienced the tragic reality of death?

Abin baƙin ciki game da mutuwa shi ne cewa ba mu iya komawa baya ba. Wannan fahimta ta yi nauyi a zuciyata. Yin tunani sosai game da mutuwa ya kai ni ga ƙarshen cewa rayuwa gajeru ce, kuma na so in canja ta zuwa mafi kyau ba tare da wani jinkiri ba. Washegari da safe na hau tasi zuwa Babban Masallacin Landan na karɓi Musulunci. Ranar ita ce 5 ga Oktoba, 2002.

The sad thing about death is that we cannot go back. This realisation weighed heavily on my mind. Deeply reflecting on death led me to the conclusion that life is short, and that I wanted to transform it for the better without delay. The very next morning I took a taxi to London Central Mosque and embraced Islam. The date was October 5, 2002.

Bukatar da nake da ita ta sanin gaskiya ta canza zuwa sha'awar faɗa wa wasu gaskiyar. Cikin rashin sanina, ina riƙe da duk abin da na ji yana goyon bayan Musulunci da tushensa na hankali. Ina nazarin ayyukan masana falsafa Kiristoci saboda babu irin wannan abu da ake samu ga Musulmai a harshen Ingilishi—yawancin rubuce-rubucen ilimi masu zurfi game da Musulunci suna cikin harshen Larabci. Wannan ya sa tafiyar koyo ta tawa ta yi wahala. Karɓar hujjojin da masana falsafa Kiristoci suke bayarwa ba ita ce hanya mafi kyau ta shigar da akidar tauhidi ta Musulunci ba. Ko da yake addinan biyu suna da abubuwa da yawa a tare, akwai bambance-bambance masu girma da kuma masu ɓoye. A cikin shekarun da na yi a matsayin Musulmi, na koyi abubuwa ta hanya mai wuya. Na yi kuskure da laifuffuka da yawa, kuma yawancin wannan littafi ya ƙunshi darussan da na koya. Yawancin kurakuran nawa suna nan a bayyane a Intanet ga kowa ya gani. Wannan tsarin gwaji da kuskure yana da amfaninsa da kuma illolinsa. Illolin shi ne dukkan kurakurai, zamewa da sakaci na suna bayyane ga kowa ya gani. Sai dai, ta hanyar karanta wannan littafi, za ka iya koyi daga kurakurana, kuma ba sai ka koyi abubuwa ta hanya mai wuya ba. Gwaji da kuskure sun tace, sun bunkasa, kuma sun ƙarfafa hujjojin da na karɓa. Wannan tafiya ta sa na fahimci cewa haƙuri da tausayi suna cikin mafi girman dabi'unmu. Waɗannan abubuwan da na fuskanta sun kuma ƙalubalanci ra'ayoyina game da addinina, kuma sun taimaka wajen buɗe mini ƙofa don gano cewa Musulunci yana da al'adar tausayi. Ta hanyar koyarwar Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ, na fahimci cewa tausayi yana ƙawata komai.

My need to know the truth transformed into a desire to tell others about the truth. In my naivety, I would latch onto anything that I felt supported Islam and its rational foundations. I would study the works of various Christian philosophers because nothing of that sort was accessible to Muslims in the English language—most profound Islamic intellectual writings are in Arabic. This inevitably made my learning process hard. Adopting the arguments espoused by Christian philosophers was not the best way to imbibe Islamic theism. Although the two faiths have a lot in common, there are huge and subtle differences. Throughout my years as a Muslim, I have learnt things the hard way. I have made many mistakes and errors, and much of this book consists of the lessons that I have learnt. Many of my mistakes are available for all to see on the Internet. This process of trial and error has had its benefits as well as its negative consequences. The negatives are that all of my blunders, slip-ups and oversights are available for all to see. However, by reading this book, you can learn from my mistakes and you do not have to learn things the hard way. Trial and error have refined, developed and strengthened the arguments I have adopted. This journey has also made me appreciate that tolerance and compassion are among our highest virtues. These experiences also challenged my views on my own faith, and helped open the door to find out that Islam has a compassionate tradition. Through the Prophet Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم teachings, I understood compassion beautifies everything.

Na gwada ra'ayoyina da hujjoji na tare da wasu daga cikin mafi hazaka a cikin masu tunanin rashin imani a duniya. Na yi muhawara da fitattun malaman jami'a da masana falsafa masu rashin imani daga fannoni daban-daban na ilimi. Daga cikin waɗanda na yi muhawara da su akwai Farfesa Simon Blackburn, Dr. Brendan Larvor, Dr. Stephen Law, Farfesa Richard Norman, Dr. Nigel Warburton, Farfesa Peter Simons, Farfesa Lawrence Krauss, Farfesa Graham Thompson, Dr. Peter Cave da Dan Barker. Har ma na taɓa yin ɗan taƙaitaccen tattaunawa a kan titi da Farfesa Richard Dawkins, amma abin baƙin ciki an katse mu, Dawkins kuma ya yi saurin tafiya. Batutuwan da muka yi muhawara a kansu sun bambanta daga "Shin za mu iya rayuwa mafi kyau ba tare da addini ba?", "Shin za a iya bayyana sani (consciousness) mafi kyau da wanzuwar Allah?" zuwa "Musulunci ko Rashin Imani: Wane ne ya fi ma'ana?" Waɗannan muhawarori sun taimaka wajen inganta hujjoji na. Albarka ce babba, kuma waɗanda suka san aikina sun ga cewa na sauya daga kwaikwayon hujjojin masana falsafa na nazari zuwa samar da matsaya da ta samo asali daga al'adar Musulunci. Wannan ba yana nufin na "jefar da jaririn tare da ruwan wanka" ba. Kamar yadda za ku gani a cikin wannan littafi, na riƙe dukkan hujjoji masu inganci, na duniya kuma masu ƙarfi, ina ba su ɗanɗanon Musulunci, tare da inganta su don tabbatar da cewa sun dace da koyarwar addini da kuma hankali.

I have tested my ideas and arguments with some of the brightest atheist minds in the world. I have debated prominent atheist academics and thinkers from a wide range of intellectual backgrounds. Some of my interlocutors have been Professor Simon Blackburn, Dr. Brendan Larvor, Dr. Stephen Law, Professor Richard Norman, Dr. Nigel Warburton, Professor Peter Simons, Professor Lawrence Krauss, Professor Graham Thompson, Dr. Peter Cave and Dan Barker. I have even had a brief street discussion with Professor Richard Dawkins, but unfortunately we were interrupted and Dawkins made a quick exit. The topics we have debated range from “Can we live better lives without religion?”, “Can consciousness be best explained by God’s existence?” to “Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?”3 These debates have facilitated improvements to my arguments. It has been a huge blessing, and those who are familiar with my work have seen that I have evolved from mirroring the arguments of analytical philosophers to developing positions rooted in the Islamic tradition. This does not mean I have ‘thrown away the baby with the bathwater’. As you will see in this book, I have kept all the sound, universal and robust arguments, while giving them an Islamic flavour, as well as refining them to ensure that they are theologically and rationally coherent.

Kammala karatuna na digiri na biyu a fannin falsafa a Jami'ar London ya zama abin amfani matuka. Ikona ta yin suka da kuma tallafawa ra'ayoyin falsafa ta inganta. A yanzu haka ina ci gaba da karatun digiri na uku a wannan fanni, kuma niyyata ita ce in yi amfani da abin da na koya wajen gabatar da hujja mai hikima da tausayi game da Musulunci na gargajiya ga mabambantan masu sauraro. Wadannan gogewar ilimi sun tsara tare da yin tasiri ga tsarin dalili da abubuwan da ke cikin hujjojin da aka gabatar a cikin wannan littafi. Haka kuma sun karfafa ra'ayina cewa ilimin tauhidi, tunani da falsafar Musulunci, wadanda aka gina su a kan Alkur'ani da koyarwar Annabi ﷺ, suna da sauki ga fahimta, suna da daidaito a ciki, kuma suna da karfi.

Completing my Master’s degree in philosophy at the University of London has proven to be very beneficial. My ability to critically challenge and support philosophical views has improved. I am currently continuing postgraduate studies in this field, and it is my intention to use what I have learnt to articulate an intelligent and compassionate case for traditional Islam to a wide range of audiences. These academic experiences have shaped and influenced the logical flow and content of the arguments presented in this book. They have also strengthened my view that Islamic theology, thought and philosophy—grounded in the Qur’an and the prophetic teachings—are intuitive, coherent and robust.

Babu wani littafi cikin harshen Turanci da ya bayyana hujja mai hikima da zurfi game da imani da Allah a Musulunci, yana kuma magance rashin daidaiton akidar rashin imani. Ba don yabon wannan littafi nake yi ba; sai dai don nuna yadda rubuce-rubuce kan wannan batu suke da karanci. A lokacin laccoci da na gabatar a jami'o'i daban-daban a duniya, na yi mu'amala da dubban dalibai da malamai, Musulmi da wadanda ba Musulmi ba. Wadannan mu'amaloli, tare da yaduwar akidar rashin imani, sun nuna a fili cewa mutane suna matukar bukatar sanin ra'ayin Musulunci game da Allah, matsayin wahayi, da halayen Annabi Muhammadﷺ. Wannan littafi yana nufin biyan wannan bukata, ta hanyar ba wa mai karatun Turanci jerin hujjoji masu daidaito game da wanzuwar Allah, Tauhidinsa, da dalilin da ya sa ya cancanci a bauta masa, tare da hujja mai karfi game da Alkur'ani da annabcin Muhammadﷺ. Haka kuma yana amsa tare da magance manyan hujjoji da suka shafi ilimi da na jama'a wadanda ke goyon bayan musun Ubangiji.

No other book available in the English language articulates an intelligent and nuanced case for Islamic theism, while addressing the incoherence of atheism. This is not to praise this book; rather, it highlights the lack of writing on this topic. During the lectures that I have delivered at university campuses all around the world, I have interacted with thousands of Muslim and non-Muslim students and academics. These interactions, in addition to the rise of atheism, have made it quite clear that people have an intellectual thirst concerning the Islamic view of God, the role of revelation and the personality of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. This book aims to quench that thirst, thereby providing an English reader with a coherent set of arguments for God’s existence, oneness and why He is worthy of our worship, including a compelling case for the Qur’an and the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. It also responds to and addresses a wide range of academic and popular arguments and objections that favour the denial of the Divine.

Wannan littafi ya ƙunshi haɗakar hujjoji na duniya da na Musulunci game da kasancewar Allah, Alƙur'ani, da annabcin Muhammadu ﷺ. Yawancin waɗannan hujjoji an gwada su kuma an tabbatar da su tare da malamai da masana tsawon shekaru. Kowane babi yana da nassoshi na Musulunci masu dacewa don nuna tushen Musulunci na kowace hujja, wanda ke tabbatar da cewa ba wai kawai suna da ƙarfi a falsafance ba, har ma suna da daidaito a cikin Musulunci. Kusan kashi hamsin cikin ɗari na nassoshin da ke cikin wannan littafi sun fito ne daga tarihin Musulunci; wannan ya haɗa da nassoshi daga Alƙur'ani, da Hadisan Annabi ﷺ.4

This book contains a combination of universal and Islamic arguments for God’s existence, the Qur’an and the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Many of these arguments have been tried and tested with academics and thinkers over the years. Each chapter has relevant Islamic references to show the Islamic basis for each argument, which ensures that they are not only philosophically sound but Islamically coherent. Approximately fifty percent of the references in this book come from the Islamic tradition; this includes references from the Qur’an, the Prophetic Traditions4

(wanda aka sani da hadith; ahadith, jam'i) da kuma al'adar ilimin Musulunci. Wannan littafi ba ya mayar da hankali kan akidar tauhidi ta Musulunci da martani ga rashin imani kawai; yana magana kan muhimmiyar hujja ga asalin Alkur'ani daga wajen Allah, kuma yana bayyana cewa, ta hanyar duba rayuwar Annabi Muhammad ﷺ, koyarwarsa da tasirinsa, ba za mu iya kammalawa ba sai da cewa shi ne Manzo na ƙarshe na Allah. Abin lura, yana yin cikakken bayani kan dalilin da ya sa Allah ya cancanci a bauta masa, wanda shi ne dalilin wanzuwarmu.

(known as hadith; ahadith, pl) and the Islamic scholarly tradition. This book does not just focus on Islamic theism and a response to atheism; it addresses a key argument for the Divine authorship of the Qur’an and explains how, by looking at the life experiences, teachings and impact of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, we can only conclude that he was the final messenger of God. Significantly, it elaborates in detail on why God is worthy of our worship, which is the reason for our existence.

Ko kai Musulmi ne, ko masanin kimiyya mai shakka, ko kuma mai kafirci, ina gayyatarka ka karanta wannan littafi da zuciya da hankali a bude. Ina da yakinin cewa idan ka amsa wannan gayyata, daya daga cikin abubuwan da za ka cimma shi ne cewa kafirci mafarki ne na ilimi, kuma tunanin Musulunci game da Allah yana da daidaito kuma gaskiya ne. Idan ka karanta wannan littafi, za ka ga cewa kalmar 'mafarkin ilimi' tana bayyana kafirci daidai. Mafarki wani abu ne na gani da mutum kan gani sakamakon yanayin sararin samaniya. Haka nan, yanayin da ke sa a musunta Mai girma Allah yana tushe ne a kan zato marasa gaskiya game da duniya, da hujjoji marasa daidaito, da zantuttukan ilimi na karya wadanda ke boye matsalolin rai, kuma wani lokaci, son kai. Kafirci ba ya dogara ne a kan jajircewa ga hankali; ta fuskoki da dama, abokin gaba ne a gare shi (duba Babi na 3).

Irrespective of whether you consider yourself a Muslim, atheist or sceptic, I invite you to read this book with an open heart and mind. I truly believe that if you respond to this invitation, one of the conclusions you will reach is that atheism is an intellectual mirage and that the Islamic conception of God is coherent and true. Once you read this book you will see that the phrase ‘intellectual mirage’ is an apt description for atheism. A mirage is an optical illusion that we experience due to atmospheric conditions. Likewise, the conditions that facilitate the denial of the Divine are based on false assumptions about the world, incoherent arguments, pseudointellectual postulations that veil emotional issues and on occasion, egocentricity. Atheism is not based on a commitment to reason; in many ways, it is its adversary (see Chapter 3).