Rana ce mai kyau sosai da ba za mu shiga cikin ginin mu ba tukuna, don haka ni da mahaifiyata muka zauna tare a kan bangon bulo da ke kewaye da lambun makwabcinmu mai furanni. Mun zauna a Borough Park, Brooklyn (birnin New York), inda sama da kashi 90% na unguwar Yahudawa Hasidic ne, waɗanda suke da ƙwazo a addinin Yahudanci kamar yadda mu muke da shi a Musulunci. Wannan tabbas ya ƙara wa tunanin da ya cika zuciyata a lokacin damuwa, tare da ra'ayin jama'a da na ci karo da shi ko'ina, wanda ke ba da wata fahimta ta daban game da addini: cewa bai da muhimmanci. Shekaru sama da ashirin sun wuce tun wannan lokacin, amma ban manta da yadda nake jin fargaba ba a lokacin da nake zaune a wurin, ina tara ƙarfin hali don tambayar mahaifiyata tambayar nan mai ƙarfin hali.

It was too beautiful a day to go inside our building just yet, so my mother and I sat together on the brick ledge surrounding our neighbor’s blooming garden. We lived in Borough Park, Brooklyn (New York City), where over 90% of the neighborhood is comprised of Hasidic Jews, who seemed as committed to their Judaism as we were to our Islam. That must have contributed to the concerns that crowded my thoughts back then, along with the popular sentiment I encountered everywhere that offered another take on religion: that it is irrelevant. It has been over twenty years since that moment, but I have yet to forget my sense of anxiousness as I sat there, gathering the courage to confront my mother with the audacious question.

Amma nake jin ƙishirwa ga amsa, kuma ina da yarda ga tekun ƙauna da ke zaune kusa da ni, sai kalmomin suka fito daga bakina kamar harba: “Mama, ta yaya muke sani cewa Musulunci gaskiya ne?” Ta yi murmushi, ta kuma kafa idanunta a kan nawa. Na ci gaba da cewa, “Ki yi tunani a kan hakan. Kowane iyaye yana gaya wa yaronsa, ‘Wannan ita ce addini ta gaskiya,’ to me ya sa muke da tabbacin cewa mu ne ainihin masu gaskiya?” Abin da ta ce bayan haka ya kasance kamar “kawai ka yi imani.” Wannan ita ce kalmar da nake tsoron ji, musamman a matsayina na yaro mai tambaya mai shekara goma sha uku a cikin duniyar bayan-zamani, balle kuma a matsayina na Musulmi a birnin New York wanda ba da daɗewa ba zai fuskanci ƙiyayyar Musulunci da harin 9/11 ya tsananta, wanda zai faru ‘yan mil kaɗan daga nan.

But my thirst for an answer, and my confidence in the ocean of affection that sat beside me, catapulted the words from my mouth: “Mama, how do we know Islam is right?” She smiled and locked eyes with me. I proceeded to say, “Think about it. Every parent tells their child, ‘This is the true religion,’ so what makes us so sure that we are the ones who are actually right?” What she said next was something along the lines of “just have faith.” It was the very thing I was afraid to hear, especially as an inquisitive thirteen-year-old in the postmodern world, let alone a Muslim in New York City who would soon experience Islamophobic sentiments being ramped up by the 9/11 attacks that would occur a few short miles away.

Amma a duba baya, hakika shi ne daidai abin da nake buƙata don fara tafiyata ta imani da kuma jure wannan igiyar ƙiyayya da ke tasowa a kan Musulunci da Musulmi. A ƙarshe, ya haifar da wannan littafin da kake riƙe da shi, wata hanya da da ma ina fatan samuwarta lokacin da na fara binciken manyan addinan duniya, ina tsammanin cewa dukansu an karɓe su ne da makauniyar imani ba tare da togiya ba, ba su dace da tunani mai zurfi ba, kuma saboda haka ba su cancanci a riƙe su ba idan hakan ya saɓa da zamantakewa.

But in hindsight, it was exactly what I needed to embark on my own faith journey and endure that coming wave of animosity toward Islam and Muslims. Ultimately, it generated this very book you hold, a resource I wish was available when I first explored the world’s major religions, assuming they were all without exception taken on blind faith, irreconcilable with a critically thinking mind, and subsequently unworthy of being held onto when socially inconvenient.

Ina addu'a cewa wannan ƙari ga ɗakin karatu na Turanci zai iya kashe gobarar daji da ke ci a zukata da gidaje da yawa a yau.

I pray this addition to the English library can mitigate the wildfires that are ablaze in many of our hearts and homes today.

Ya warkar da wasu daga cikin raunukan zamani da sanyin imani, kuma ya kashe wasu daga cikin rashin tabbas da ke barin rayuwarmu cikin kishirwar tsaro, cikawa, da tafarki mai daidaito.

May it heal some of modernity’s wounds with the coolness of conviction, and quench some of the uncertainty that leaves our lives parched for security, fulfillment, and balanced direction.

Allah ya sani cewa saboda dalilai da yawa, rubutu littafi wuri ne mai wahala a gare ni, amma ta yaya mutum zai zauna baya yayin da kyawawan halayen ɗan adam ke ƙara taka ƙasa a ƙarƙashin ƙafafun rashin addini, kuma yayin da sha'awar ruhinmu da aka daure ke ci gaba da ƙona mu a kowane lokaci? Ina addu'ar cewa wannan littafin zai taimaki waɗanda ke fama da imaninsu ko na ƙaunatattunsu, waɗanda nake haɗuwa da su kusan kullum a aikin al'ummata ko a intanet, da kuma wasu da yawa da nake ji labarinsu ba tare da na iya isa gare su ɗaya bayan ɗaya ba. Saboda haka ne na ji kira na ƙarfafa zuciya na shiga cikin tekunan rubutu marasa saba mini, kuma ina roƙon Allah ya gafarta mini inda na yi kuskure a hanya.

God knows that for a myriad of reasons, authorship is uncomfortable territory for me, but how can a person sit idle when the virtuous hallmarks of humanity are increasingly trampled beneath the feet of nonreligion, and when the cravings of our caged spirits continue to scorch us at every turn? I pray this book offers some assistance to those who struggle with their own faith or that of their loved ones, those of whom I meet almost daily in my community work or online, and the many more I hear about and cannot reach individually. It is in this vein that I felt called to brave the unfamiliar seas of authorship, and I ask Allah to forgive where I may have erred en route.

Wannan littafi yana neman nuna buƙatar ɗan adam da ba ta ƙarewa ga annabta, da kuma hujjoji masu gamsarwa da yawa game da annabcin Muhammadu ﷺ musamman. Ta haka, yana kuma nufin bayar da wata shawara mai ma'ana game da ainihin manufar rayuwa, wadda ke kai ga natsuwar zuciya mara girgiza, wadda ba ta yiwuwa sai ta hanyar ganin alfijir na yakini da idanun mutum da kansa.

This book seeks to highlight humanity’s undying need for prophethood, and the many compelling justifications for the prophethood of Muhammad 2 صلى الله عليه وسلم in particular. By doing so, it subsequently aims to offer a coherent proposition on the true purpose of life that leads to an impregnable inner peace which is only possible through beholding the sunrise of certitude firsthand.

Ayyukan masu zaman kansu da aka rubuta kan batun dalā’il al-nubuwwah (hujjojin annabta) sun kasance a cikin al'adar ilimi ta Musulunci tun farkon karni na takwas ko na tara. Kasancewar wannan adabi ya zama ginshiki a ilimin Musulunci shaida ce mai karfi ta jajircewarsa wajen kafa tushen da'awar gaskiyarsa cikin tsanaki. Abū Manṣūr al-Baghdādī (d. 1037) ya ruwaito cewa Imam al-Shāfi‘ī (d.

Independent works written on the topic of dalā’il al-nubuwwah (the proofs of prophethood) have always been part of the Muslim intellectual tradition, from as early as the eighth or ninth century. That this literature has been a mainstay of Islamic scholarship is a powerful testament to its commitment to rigorously establishing the bases of its truth claims. Abū Manṣūr al-Baghdādī (d. 1037) reports that Imam al-Shāfi‘ī (d.

Ya kasance farkon wanda ya tattara littafi kan hujjojin da ke tabbatar da annabcin Muhammadu, saboda Brahmawa sun ƙi yiwuwar annabci ko wahayi daga Allah.3 Akwai sama da littattafai casa'in daga wannan tarin waɗanda sunayensu har yanzu ana sani, mafi shahararsu shi ne Dalā'il al-Nubuwwah na Imam al-Bayhaqī (d. 1066). Manufar waɗannan marubuta ita ce ƙara wa mumunai ƙarfin imani, kawar da shakku game da sahihancin Muhammadu ﷺ, da kuma tattara waɗannan hujjoji a wuri mai sauƙin samu ga duk wanda ke neman sanin gaskiyar annabcinsa ﷺ.

820) was the first to compile a book on the proofs establishing the prophethood of Muhammad, as the Brahmins had rejected the possibility of prophecy or divine revelation.3 There are over ninety works from this canon whose titles are known until today, the most famous of them being Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah by Imam al-Bayhaqī (d. 1066). The aim of these authors was to increase the believers in their conviction, dispel doubts regarding Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم authenticity, and consolidate these evidences in a readily accessible location for anyone inquiring about the truth of his prophethood.

Hujjar farko ta annabci shi ne Allah da kansa... (note: the original says "God", so I write the Hausa word for God, Ubangiji, which is the correct form) Hujjar farko ta annabci ita ce Ubangiji Kansa, domin shi ne ya shiryar da mu ga neman Sa a zuciyarmu, sannan mu bincika masu da'awar annabci don samun dama ta kara kusanci da Shi. Dukkan mutane an halicce su da sha'awar yin imani da wanzuwar Ubangiji, kuma suna da dabi'a ta gado wadda take motsa su su gano wannan iko mafi girma da suke ji sosai a cikin zukatansu. Ko da yake ba kowace wayewar ɗan adam ce ta kai ga sana'ar hannu ko ilimin boko ba, kowace daga cikinsu ta sadaukar da kanta ga wani nau'i na aikin addini. Mutane sun yi haka a tsawon tarihin da aka rubuta, saboda haka masana ilimin al'adun ɗan adam har yanzu ba su sami wata al'umma ta ƴan asali da ba ta da addini ba, kuma wasu masana kimiyya a yau suna jayayya cewa imani da Ubangiji ko wani iko mafi girma an rubuta shi a cikin kwayoyin halittarmu. Ko da masu kin addini kamar 'yan gurguzu sun ƙi addini, sun ɗaukaka Lenin har suka sa mutum-mutumin sa ko'ina, suka karanta ayyukansa kamar littafi mai tsarki. Haka nan, masu kin Ubangiji na zamani suna nuna tsari mai daidaituwa na halayya irin ta addini, kuma sau da yawa ana samun su suna neman wasu hanyoyin ruhaniya. Misali, kusan mutum miliyan ɗaya kawai a Amurka manya ne da suke bayyana kansu a matsayin masu bautar arna ko Wicca, amma kashi 60% na Amurkawa suna riƙe da aƙalla imani ɗaya na "New Age" kamar imani da taurari da/ko masu duban fatalwa, ko imani cewa abubuwa kamar duwatsun lu'ulu'u suna ɗauke da makamashin ruhaniya. A ƙarshe, wannan sha'awar ta ruhaniya da dukkanmu muke ji, wani ƙarfi ne mai girma na duniya, Ubangiji ne ya halicce shi a cikinmu, wanda ke motsa mu mu nemi annabawan da Ya zaɓa don shiryar da mu zuwa gare Shi. Saƙonsu game da Ubangiji, girmansa, shiriyarsa, da gaskiyar wannan rayuwa da ta gaba, yana shiga zukatanmu sosai har mu kan ga kanmu a tilas zuwa ga imani.

The primary proof of prophethood is God Himself, for it is He who guides us to intuitively seek Him out, and subsequently investigate the claimants to prophethood for an opportunity to better connect with Him. All people are instinctually driven to believe in the existence of God and have an innate impulse to discover this higher power which they sense so strongly. While not every human civilization was driven to develop craftsmanship or formal education, each one committed itself to some form of religious practice. People have done this throughout recorded history, and thus anthropologists have yet to find an indigenous society of atheists, and some scientists today argue that belief in God or a higher power is hardwired into our genes.4 Even communists who disavowed religion still deified Lenin by putting his statue everywhere and reciting his works as if they were scripture. Similarly, modern atheists exhibit a consistent pattern of quasi-religious behavior and are often found seeking alternate forms of spirituality. For instance, only about one million US adults identify as pagan or Wiccan, yet a staggering 60% of Americans ascribe to at least one “New Age” belief such as belief in astrology and/or psychics, or the belief that objects like crystals contain spiritual energy.5 Ultimately, this metaphysical yearning we all experience is a powerful, universal force, created within us by God, that drives us to seek out the prophets He elected to guide us to Him. Their message regarding God, His greatness, His guidance, and the reality of this life and the next resonates so deeply within us that we find ourselves compelled to faith.

Daga rahamar Allah ce cewa Ya aika da kowane annabi da manzo alamomi masu dacewa da zamaninsa, kuma Ya kewaye Muhammadu ﷺ da dimbin hujjoji, domin shi ne “rahama ga halittu,”9 saboda haka dole ne ya dace ba kawai da duk mutanen zamaninsa ba, har ma da duk zamanin da zai zo nan gaba. Iri-iri na hujjojin ne ke sa su dangance da kowane zamani, kowace al’ada da kowane tunani. A lokacin rayuwar Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ, wasu sun karɓi aikinsa bayan kallo guda ɗaya a fuskarsa. ‘Abdullahi ɗan Salam 10 ya ce, “Nan take na sani cewa wannan ba fuskar maƙaryaci ba ce.”11 Wani kuma ya kai ga tabbataccen imani bayan ya ji ƴan kalmomi gajeru da ke bayyana kyawawan ɗabi’un Musulunci. Ɗufailu ɗan ‘Amr ya ce, “Ban taɓa jin wani abu da ya fi wannan daraja ko daidaito ba.”12 Wasu kuma sun tabbatar da annabcinsa saboda sanannen gaskiyarsa. Shugabannin Quraishawa sun ce bayan sun zauna da shi shekara arba’in, “Ba mu taɓa samun komai daga gare ka ba sai gaskiya.”13 Wasu kuma sun yi imani bayan sun ga mu’jizozi, suna fahimtar cewa babu abin da ya saba da ya iya bayyana waɗannan abubuwan al’ajabi.

It is from God’s mercy that He sent with each prophet and messenger signs that were relevant to his context, and He surrounded Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم with a multitude of proofs, for he was God’s “mercy to the worlds,”9 and hence had to be relevant not only to all at his time but also for all time to come. The variety of proofs are what make them relatable to every era, culture, and mindset. During the Prophet Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم lifetime, some accepted his ministry after one glance at his face. ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām 10 said, “I immediately knew that this was not the face of a liar.”11 Another was brought to firm conviction after hearing a few short statements espousing the values of Islam. Ṭufayl ibn ‘Amr  said, “I have never heard anything superior or more balanced than this.”12 Others confirmed his prophethood based on his reputation for being truthful. The leadership of Quraysh said after living forty years with him, “We have experienced nothing but honesty from you.”13 Others believed after witnessing miracles, understanding that nothing ordinary could have explained these astonishing occurrences.

Ta wannan bambancin, makiyayi mai yawo a tsaunukan Himalayas zai iya bin hanyoyi marasa adadi zuwa yakini, haka ma masanin falsafa a hasumiyar ilimi, haka ma dandazon jama'a masu hayaniya a karkashin manyan gine-ginen New York City, haka ma ma'aikatan ayaba a Ecuador.

By this variety, a nomadic shepherd in the Himalayas can follow any number of pathways to certainty, as can the ivory tower philosopher, as can the buzzing hordes under the skyscrapers of New York City, as can the banana workers in Ecuador.