Uasioamini Mungu si msimamo wa kiakili unaoishi katika ulimwengu uliofungwa peke yake. Ikiwa madai yake ni kweli, basi mtu angelazimika kufikia hitimisho lisiloepukika la kiuwepo na la kimantiki ambalo ni la giza sana. Chini ya kutokuamini Mungu, maisha ni ya kipumbavu. Mjadala ufuatao huenda usitoe hoja ya kiakili kwa ajili ya Mungu, wala haufuati kwamba Mungu yupo kwa sababu tu maisha yasiyo na Mungu yanaonekana kuwa ya kipuuzi. Hata hivyo, unatoa ardhi yenye rutuba ambamo hoja za kiakili zilizomo katika kitabu hiki zinaweza kuota mizizi.

Atheism is not an intellectual position that exists in a bubble. If its claims are true, then one would have to make some inevitable existential and logical conclusions that are very bleak. Under atheism, life is ludicrous. The following discussion may not provide a rational case for God, nor does it follow that God exists simply because life without God seems absurd. However, it does provide the fertile ground in which the rational arguments in this book take root.

Kama ilivyojadiliwa katika Sura ya 1, wasioamini Mungu wengi ni wanaturalisti wa kifalsafa wanaoshikilia kwamba hakuna kitu cha kimaumbile (supernatural) na kila kitu katika ulimwengu kinaweza kueleweka kwa kurejelea michakato ya kimwili. Kutokuamini Mungu kukiunganishwa na unaturalisti wa kifalsafa ni kichocheo cha maafa ya kiwepo. Fomula yake ni rahisi: hakuna Mungu, jambo ambalo linajumuisha dhana zinazohusiana za uwajibikaji mbele ya Mungu, sawa na kukosekana kwa tumaini la mwisho, thamani na kusudi. Pia husababisha kukosekana kwa furaha ya milele na yenye maana.

As discussed in Chapter 1, most atheists are philosophical naturalists who hold that there is no supernatural and everything in the universe can be explained in reference to physical processes. Atheism combined with philosophical naturalism is a recipe for existential disaster. The formula is simple: no God, which includes the associated concepts of Divine accountability, equals no ultimate hope, value and purpose. It also leads to no eternal and meaningful happiness.

40 Hitimisho hili si msemo wa kidini uliopitwa na wakati; ni matokeo ya kufikiri kwa busara kuhusu maana za kimantiki na za kiuwepo za kutoamini kuwako kwa Mungu.

40 This conclusion is not an outdated religious cliché; it is a result of thinking rationally about the logical and existential implications of atheism.

Hakuna tumaini la mwisho.

No ultimate hope.

Tumaini linafafanuliwa kama hisia, matarajio na hamu ya jambo fulani kutokea. Sote tunatamani maisha mema, afya njema na kazi nzuri. Hatimaye, sote tunatamani kuwepo kwa maisha ya milele yenye furaha isiyo na mwisho. Maisha ni zawadi ya ajabu sana hivi kwamba hakuna mtu anayetaka kuwepo kwake kwa kufahamu kukome. Vilevile, kila mtu anatamani kuwepo kwa aina fulani ya haki ya mwisho ambapo makosa yanarekebishwa na watu husika wanawajibishwa. Cha muhimu ni kwamba, maisha yetu yakiwa ya huzuni, au tukipitia maumivu na mateso, tunatamani amani fulani, raha na faraja. Hii ni dhihirisho la roho ya binadamu; tunatamani mwanga mwishoni mwa handaki la giza, na tukiwa na utulivu na furaha, tunataka kuendelea kuwa hivyo. Kwa kuwa uasi-imani unakataa uwepo wa Mungu na mambo ya kiroho, pia unakataa dhana ya maisha baada ya kifo. Bila hayo, hakuna tumaini la raha baada ya maisha ya mateso. Kwa hiyo, matarajio ya kwamba jambo chanya litatokea baada ya maisha yetu yanapotea. Chini ya uasi-imani hatuwezi kutarajia mwanga wowote mwishoni mwa handaki la giza la uwepo wetu. Fikiria ulizaliwa katika nchi ya dunia ya tatu na ukatumia maisha yako yote katika njaa na umaskini. Kwa mtazamo wa kiatheist, umepangiwa tu kifo. Linganisha hili na mtazamo wa Kiislamu: matukio yote ya mateso yanayotokea katika maisha yetu ni kwa ajili ya kheri kubwa zaidi. Kwa hiyo, katika mpango mkuu wa mambo, hakuna maumivu wala mateso tunayopitia yasiyo na maana. Mungu anajua mateso yetu yote, na Yeye atatoa malipo (ona Sura ya 11). Kwa mujibu wa uasi-imani, hata hivyo, maumivu yetu hayana maana kama vile raha yetu isivyo na maana. Dhabihu kubwa za wema na mateso ya mwathiriwa ni kama dominoes zinazoanguka katika dunia isiyojali. Hutokea bila kheri yoyote kubwa na bila kusudi lolote la juu. Hakuna tumaini la mwisho la maisha ya akhera wala aina yoyote ya furaha. Hata kama tungeishi maisha ya starehe na anasa kubwa, wengi wetu bila shaka tungeangamizwa na aina fulani ya hatima mbaya au tamaa isiyokoma ya starehe zaidi. Mwanafalsafa mwenye mtazamo wa kukata tamaa, Arthur Schopenhauer, alieleza kwa usahihi kukosa matumaini na hatima mbaya inayotusubiri:

Hope is defined as the feeling or expectation and desire for something to happen. We all hope for good lives, good health and a good job. Ultimately, we all hope for an immortal blissful existence. Life is such an amazing gift that no one really wants his or her conscious existence to end. Similarly, everyone desires that there will be some form of ultimate justice where wrongs are made right, and the relevant people will be held accountable. Significantly, if our lives are miserable, or experience pain and suffering, we hope for some peace, pleasure and ease. This is a reflection of the human spirit; we hope for light at the end of the dark tunnel, and if we have tranquillity and joy, we want to keep it that way. Since atheism denies the Divine and the supernatural, it also rejects the concept of an afterlife. Without that, there can be no hope of pleasure following a life of pain. Therefore, the expectation for something positive to happen after our lives is lost. Under atheism we cannot expect any light at the end of the dark tunnel of our existence. Imagine you were born in the third world and spent your whole life in starvation and poverty. According to the atheist worldview, you are merely destined for death. Contrast this with the Islamic perspective: all instances of suffering that happen in our lives are for some greater good. Therefore, in the larger scheme of things, no pain or suffering we undergo is meaningless. God is aware of all our sufferings, and He will provide recompense (see Chapter 11). According to atheism, however, our pains are as meaningless as our pleasure. The immense sacrifices of the virtuous and the distress of the victim are falling dominoes in an indifferent world. They occur for no greater good and no higher purpose. There is no ultimate hope of an afterlife or any form of happiness. Even if we lived a life of pleasure and immense luxuries, most of us would inevitably be doomed to some form of evil fate or an incessant desire for more pleasure. The pessimist philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer aptly described the hopelessness and ill fate that awaits us:

"Sisi ni kama kondoo katika shamba, tukicheza chini ya jicho la mchinjaji, ambaye huchagua kwanza mmoja kisha mwingine kuwa mawindo yake. Ndivyo ilivyo kwamba katika siku zetu njema sisi sote hatujui hatima mbaya ambayo huenda ikatuandalia hivi karibuni—magonjwa, umaskini, ulemavu, upotevu wa macho au akili… Sehemu kubwa ya mateso ya kuwepo kwetu iko katika hili, kwamba Wakati unatusukuma kila mara, haturuhusu kupumua, lakini daima unatufuata, kama msimamizi mwenye mjeledi. Ikiwa wakati wowote Wakati unasimamisha mkono wake, ni pale tu tunapokabidhiwa kwenye taabu ya kuchoka… Kwa kweli, imani kwamba dunia na mwanadamu ni kitu ambacho bora kisingekuwepo, ni ya aina inayotujaza huruma kwa wenzetu. Naam, kutokana na mtazamo huu, tungeweza kabisa kuona kwamba namna sahihi ya kuitana si Monsieur, Sir, mein Herr, bali ndugu yangu mwenye mateso, Socî malorum, compagnon de miseres!" Qur'an inaashiria kukata tamaa huku. Inasema kwamba muumini hawezi kukata tamaa; daima kutakuwa na matumaini, na matumaini yanahusishwa na rehema ya Mungu, na rehema ya Mungu itajidhihirisha katika maisha haya na Akhera: "Hakika hakuna anayekata tamaa na rehema ya Mungu isipokuwa watu wanaokufuru."42

“We are like lambs in a field, disporting themselves under the eye of the butcher, who chooses out first one and then another for his prey. So it is that in our good days we are all unconscious of the evil fate may have presently in store for us—sickness, poverty, mutilation, loss of sight or reason… No little part of the torment of existence lies in this, that Time is continually pressing upon us, never letting us take breath, but always coming after us, like a taskmaster with a whip. If at any moment Time stays his hand, it is only when we are delivered over to the misery of boredom… In fact, the conviction that the world and man is something that had better not have been, is of a kind to fill us with indulgence towards one another. Nay, from this point of view, we might well consider the proper form of address to be, not Monsieur, Sir, mein Herr, but my fellow-sufferer, Socî malorum, compagnon de miseres!” The Qur’an alludes to this hopelessness. It argues that a believer cannot despair; there will always be hope, and hope is connected to God’s mercy, and God’s mercy will manifest itself in this life and the hereafter: “Certainly no one despairs of God’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.”42

Chini ya utoaji hukumu wa kiatheisti, haki kamili na ya mwisho ni lengo lisilowezekana kufikiwa—ni kama mwangaza wa udanganyifu jangwani mwa maisha. Kwa kuwa hakuna maisha ya baada ya kifo, matarajio yoyote ya watu kuwajibishwa ni bure. Fikiria Ujerumani ya Kinazi katika miaka ya 1940. Mwanamke Myahudi asiye na hatia, ambaye ameshuhudia mume wake na watoto wake wakiuawa mbele yake, hana tumaini la haki wakati anasubiri zamu yake ya kutupwa katika chumba cha gesi. Ingawa Wanazi hatimaye walishindwa, haki hiyo ilitokea baada ya kifo chake. Chini ya uatheisti, sasa yeye si kitu, ni mpangilio mwingine tu wa maada, na huwezi kumpa msamaha kitu kisicho na uhai. Uislamu, hata hivyo, unawapa kila mtu tumaini la haki safi, kamili ya Kiungu. Hakuna atakayetendewa kwa dhuluma, na kila mmoja atahesabiwa.

Under atheism, ultimate justice is an unachievable goal—a mirage in the desert of life. Since there is no afterlife, any expectation of people being held to account is futile. Consider Nazi Germany in the 1940s. An innocent Jewish lady who just saw her husband and children murdered in front of her has no hope for justice when she is waiting for her turn to be cast into the gas chamber. Although the Nazis were eventually defeated, this justice occurred after her death. Under atheism she is now nothing, just another rearrangement of matter, and you cannot give reprieve to something that is lifeless. Islam, however, gives everyone hope for pure Divine, ultimate justice. No one will be treated unfairly and everyone shall be taken to account:

Siku hiyo, watu watakuja katika makundi mbalimbali ili waonyeshwe matendo yao: yeyote aliyefanya wema wa uzito wa chembe ndogo sana ataliona, na yeyote aliyefanya uovu wa uzito wa chembe ndogo sana ataliona hilo. "Mwenyezi Mungu ameumba mbingu na ardhi kwa kusudi la kweli: kumlipa kila nafsi kulingana na matendo yake. Wala hawatadhulumiwa." Maisha, kwa mtazamo wa uasilia wa kifalsafa, ni kama mama anayempa mtoto wake kichezeo kisha akakichukua tena bila sababu yoyote. Maisha, bila shaka, ni zawadi ya ajabu. Hata hivyo, furaha yoyote, starehe yoyote na mapenzi yoyote tuliyoyapata yatachukuliwa kutoka kwetu na kupotea milele. Kwa kuwa mwenye msimamo wa kutokuamini Mungu anakataa uwepo wa Mungu na Akhera, maana yake ni kwamba starehe tulizozipata maishani zitatoweka. Hakuna matumaini ya kuendelea kwa furaha, starehe, mapenzi na shangwe. Lakini chini ya Uislamu, uzoefu huu chanya unaimarishwa na kuendelezwa baada ya maisha yetu ya duniani.

“On that Day, people will come forward in separate groups to be shown their deeds: whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it, but whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see that.” “God created the heavens and the Earth for a true purpose: to reward each soul according to its deeds. They will not be wronged.” Life, from the perspective of philosophical naturalism, is like a mother giving her child a toy and then taking it back for no reason. Life, without a doubt, is a wonderful gift. Yet any pleasure, joy and love we have experienced will be taken away from us and lost forever. Since the atheist denies the Divine and the hereafter, it means that the pleasures we have experienced in life will disappear. There is no hope of a continuation of happiness, pleasure, love and joy. However, under Islam, these positive experiences are enhanced and continued after our worldly life:

"Watapata humo kila wanachokitaka, na kwetu Sisi kuna zaidi ya hayo kwao."

“They will have therein whatever they desire and We have more than that for them.”.

"Watu waliomcha Mungu na kuishi maisha ya uchamungu watapata malipo mema na zaidi zaidi…." "Hakika wakazi wa Peponi siku hiyo watakuwa na shughuli za furaha… (Itaambiwa kwao): 'Salamun' (Amani iwe juu yenu), neno kutoka kwa Mola Mlezi, Mwenye Rehema Kuu."

“The people who lived a pious life will have a good reward and more….” “Verily, the dwellers of Paradise that Day, will be busy in joyful things… (It will be said to them): ‘Salamun’ (Peace be on you), a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful.”.

Hakuna thamani ya mwisho.

No ultimate value.

Ni tofauti gani kati ya binadamu na sungura wa chokoleti? Hili ni swali zito. Kulingana na wengi wa wasioamini kuwepo kwa Mungu (atheists) wanaokubali mtazamo wa kinaturalisti, kila kitu kilichopo ni, kimsingi, mpangilio upya wa maada, au angalau kinatokana na michakato na sababu za kimwili zisizo na fahamu na zisizo na lengo.

What is the difference between a human and a chocolate bunny? This is a serious question. According to many atheists who adopt a naturalistic worldview, everything that exists is essentially a rearrangement of matter, or at least based on blind, non-conscious physical processes and causes.

Ikiwa hili ni kweli, je, kweli lina umuhimu?

If this is true, then does it really matter?

Ikiwa ningechukua nyundo na kuivunja sungura wa chokoleti, kisha nikafanya vivyo hivyo kwa kichwa changu mwenyewe, kwa mujibu wa naturalism hakungekuwa na tofauti halisi. Vipande vya chokoleti na vipande vya fuvu langu vingekuwa mpangilio upya wa kitu kile kile: jambo baridi lisilo na uhai.

If I were to pick up a hammer and smash a chocolate bunny and then I did the same to myself, according to naturalism there would be no real difference. The pieces of chocolate and the pieces of my skull would just be rearrangements of the same stuff: cold, lifeless matter.

Jibu la kawaida kwa hoja hii linajumuisha kauli zifuatazo: "tuna hisia", "tuko hai", "tunasikia maumivu", "tuna utambulisho" na "sisi ni binadamu!" Kwa mujibu wa naturalism, majibu haya bado yamepunguzwa tu kuwa mpangilio upya wa maada, au, kwa usahihi zaidi, matukio ya neuro-kemikali katika ubongo wa mtu. Kwa hakika, kila tunachohisi, tunachosema au tunachofanya kinaweza kupunguzwa hadi vijenzi vya msingi vya maada, au angalau aina fulani ya mchakato wa kimwili. Kwa hiyo, hisia hizi za kihisia hazina msingi ikiwa mtu ni mkana Mungu, kwa sababu kila kitu, ikiwa ni pamoja na hisia, hisia kali au hata hisia ya thamani, kinatokana tu na maada na michakato na sababu baridi za kimwili.

The typical response to this argument includes the following statements: “we have feelings”, “we are alive”, “we feel pain”, “we have an identity” and “we’re human!” According to naturalism these responses are still just reduced to rearrangements of matter, or to be more precise, neuro-chemical happenings in one’s brain. In reality everything we feel, say or do can be reduced to the basic constituents of matter, or at least some type of physical process. Therefore, this sentimentalism is unjustified if one is an atheist, because everything, including feelings, emotions or even the sense of value, is just based on matter and cold physical processes and causes.

Kurudi kwenye swali letu la awali: Kuna tofauti gani kati ya mwanadamu na sungura wa chokoleti? Kwa mtazamo wa wasioamini Mungu, jibu ni kwamba hakuna tofauti halisi. Tofauti yoyote ni udanganyifu tu—hakuna thamani ya mwisho. Ikiwa kila kitu kinategemea jambo na sababu na michakato ya kimwili iliyotangulia, basi hakuna kitu chenye thamani halisi. Isipokuwa, bila shaka, mtu aseme kwamba kinachojalisha ni jambo lenyewe. Hata kama hilo lingekuwa kweli, tungewezaje kuthamini tofauti kati ya mpangilio mmoja wa jambo na mwingine? Je, mtu anaweza kusema kwamba kadiri kitu kilivyo changamano, ndivyo kinavyokuwa na thamani zaidi? Lakini kwa nini hilo lingekuwa na thamani yoyote? Kumbuka kwamba, kwa mujibu wa kutoamini Mungu, hakuna kitu kilichoundwa kwa kusudi au kuumbwa kwa makusudi. Yote yanategemea michakato na sababu za kimwili zisizo na hisia, zisizo na fahamu na za kubahatisha.

Returning to our original question: What is the difference between a human being and a chocolate bunny? The answer, according to the atheist perspective, is that there is no real difference. Any difference is just an illusion—there is no ultimate value. If everything is based on matter and prior physical causes and processes, then nothing has real value. Unless, of course, one argues that what matters is matter itself. Even if that were true, how could we appreciate the difference between one arrangement of matter and another? Could one argue that the more complex something is, the more value it has? But why would that be of any value? Remember, according to atheism nothing has been purposefully designed or created. It is all based on cold, random and non-conscious physical processes and causes.

Habari njema ni kwamba wasioamini Mungu wanaokubali mtazamo huu hawafuatilii hadi mwisho matokeo ya kimantiki ya imani zao. Kama wangefanya hivyo, ingekuwa ni jambo la kuvunja moyo. Sababu wanayoyapa uhai wetu thamani ya mwisho ni kwamba mielekeo yao ya asili, ambayo imeumbwa na Mungu, ina mwelekeo wa kumtambua Mungu na ukweli wa kuwepo kwetu (ona Sura ya 4).

The good news is that the atheists who adopt this perspective do not follow through with the rational implications of their beliefs. If they did, it would be depressing. The reason that they attribute ultimate value to our existence is because their innate dispositions, which have been created by God, have an affinity to recognise God and the truth of our existence (see Chapter 4).

Kwa mtazamo wa Kiislamu, Mungu ameweka ndani yetu hali ya asili inayotuwezesha kutambua thamani yetu, na kutambua kweli za msingi za kimaadili na kiadili (angalia Sura ya 9). Hali hii ya asili inaitwa fitrah katika fikra za Kiislamu (angalia Sura ya 4). Dai letu la thamani ya juu linathibitishwa kwa sababu Mungu alituumba kwa kusudi kubwa, na akatupendelea kuliko viumbe wake wengi. Tuna thamani kwa sababu Yule aliyetuumba amanatupa thamani hiyo.

From an Islamic point of view, God has placed an innate disposition within us to acknowledge our worth, and to recognise fundamental moral and ethical truths (see Chapter 9). This disposition is called the fitrah in Islamic thought (see Chapter 4). Our claim of ultimate value is justified because God created us with a profound purpose, and preferred us to most of His creation. We have value because the One who created us has given us value.

Sasa, hakika Sisi tumewatukuza wana wa Adam… na tumewapendelea kwa upendeleo mkubwa juu ya viumbe wengi katika viumbe Vyetu.48

“Now, indeed, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam… and favoured them far above most of Our creation.”48

"Ee Mola wetu! Hukuumba haya yote bure."49

“Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose.”49

Uislamu unathamini wema na wale wanaokubali ukweli. Unalinganisha wale wanaomtii Mungu na hivyo kutenda mema, na wale walio waasi kwa makusudi na hivyo kutenda maovu: "Je, aliyekuwa muumini ni sawa na aliyekuwa muasi? Hawalingani."50

Islam values the good and those who accept the truth. It contrasts those who obey God and thereby do good, and those who are defiantly disobedient, and thereby do evil: “Then is one who was a believer like one who was defiantly disobedient? They are not equal.”50

Kwa kuwa naturalism inakataa akhera na aina yoyote ya haki ya Mungu, inamtuza mhalifu na mleta amani kwa mwisho uleule: kifo. Sote tunakutana na hatima ileile. Basi maisha ya Hitler au Martin Luther King Jr. yana thamani gani ya mwisho? Ikiwa mwisho wao ni mmoja, basi uasi-Mungu unatupa thamani gani halisi? Si kitu kikubwa hata kidogo.

Since naturalism rejects the hereafter and any form of Divine justice, it rewards the criminal and the peacemaker with the same end: death. We all meet the same fate. So what ultimate value do the lives of Hitler or Martin Luther King Jr. really have? If their ends are the same, then what real value does atheism give us? Not much at all.

Hata hivyo, katika Uislamu, mwisho wa wale wanaomwabudu Mungu na wenye huruma, uaminifu, haki, wema na msamaha, unalinganishwa na mwisho wa wale wanaoendelea na uovu wao. Makao ya wema ni furaha ya milele, na makao ya uovu ni kutengwa na Mungu. Kutengwa huku ni matokeo ya kukataa kwa makusudi rehema na mwongozo wa Mungu, jambo ambalo kwa lazima huzaa mateso ya kiroho na adhabu. Ni wazi kwamba Uislamu unatupa thamani ya mwisho. Hata hivyo, chini ya kutoamini kuwepo kwa Mungu (uatheisti), thamani haiwezi kuhalalishwa kwa mantiki isipokuwa kama udanganyifu katika akili zetu. Licha ya nguvu ya hoja hii, baadhi ya wanaoamini kwamba Mungu hayupo bado wanapinga. Mojawapo ya pingamizi zao linahusu swali lifuatalo: Kwa nini Mungu anatupa thamani ya mwisho? Jibu ni rahisi. Mungu aliumba ulimwengu na yuko juu yake, na ana ujuzi usio na kikomo na hekima isiyo na kikomo. Majina yake ni pamoja na Al-'Alim (Mjuzi) na Al-Hakim (Mwenye Hekima). Kwa hiyo, anachothamini ni cha ulimwengu wote na cha lengo. Kwa namna nyingine ya kuangalia, Mungu ni Kiumbe kamili kabisa, yaani hana upungufu wala kasoro yoyote. Kwa hiyo, inafuata kwamba anachothamini kitakuwa cha lengo na cha mwisho, kwa sababu lengo hili ni sifa ya ukamilifu wake. Pingamizi jingine linasema kwamba hata tukikubali kwamba Mungu anatupa thamani ya mwisho, bado ingekuwa ya kibinafsi, kwa kuwa ingetegemea mtazamo wake. Hoja hii imejengwa juu ya kutoelewa maana ya ubinafsi. Ubinafsi hurejelea akili na/au hisia chache za mtu binafsi. Hata hivyo, mtazamo wa Mungu umejengwa juu ya ujuzi na hekima isiyo na kikomo. Yeye anajua kila kitu; sisi hatujui. Mwanazuoni wa kale Ibn Kathir anasema kwamba Mungu ana ukamilifu wa hekima na ujuzi; sisi tuna sehemu zake. Kwa maneno mengine: Mungu ana picha kamili, sisi tuna chembe moja tu ya picha hiyo. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Profesa wa mafunzo ya Kiislamu katika Chuo Kikuu cha George Washington, anatoa muhtasari mzuri wa dhana ya haki za binadamu na utu—ambazo hatimaye zinarejelea thamani—pale ambapo Mungu hayupo:

However, in Islam, the ultimate end of those who worship God and are compassionate, honest, just, kind and forgiving is contrasted with the end of those who persist with their evil. The abode of the good is eternal bliss and the abode of the evil is Divine alienation. This alienation is a consequence of consciously denying God’s mercy and guidance, which inevitably results in spiritual anguish and torment. Clearly, Islam gives us ultimate value. However, under atheism, value cannot be rationally justified except as an illusion in our heads. Despite the force of this argument, some atheists still object. One of their objections involves the following question: Why does God give us ultimate value? The answer is simple. God created and transcends the universe, and He has unlimited knowledge and wisdom. His names include The-Knowing and The-Wise. Therefore, what He values is universal and objective. Another way of looking at it is by understanding that God is the maximally perfect Being, which means He is free from any deficiency and flaw. Therefore, it follows that what He values will be objective and ultimate, because this objectivity is a feature of His perfection. Another objection argues that even if we were to accept that God gives us ultimate value, it would still be subjective, as it would be subject to His perspective. This contention is premised on a misunderstanding of what subjectivity means. It applies to an individual’s limited mind and/or feelings. However, God’s perspective is based on unlimited knowledge and wisdom. He knows everything; we do not. The classical scholar Ibn Kathir states that God has the totality of wisdom and knowledge; we have its particulars. In other words: God has the picture, we merely have a pixel. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, provides an apt summary of the concept of human rights and dignity—which ultimately refer to value—in the absence of God:

"Kabla ya kuzungumzia wajibu au haki za binadamu, ni lazima kujibu swali la msingi la kidini na kifalsafa: 'Kuwa binadamu maana yake nini?' Katika ulimwengu wa leo kila mtu anazungumzia haki za binadamu na utakatifu wa maisha ya binadamu, na wengi wa wanaoamini kuwa dini haina nafasi katika maisha ya umma hujidai kuwa ndio mabingwa wa haki za binadamu, tofauti na wale wanaokubali mitazamo mbalimbali ya kidini. Lakini cha ajabu ni kwamba mara nyingi mabingwa hao wa utu wa binadamu wanaamini kuwa binadamu si chochote zaidi ya nyani walioendelea, ambao nao walitokana na viumbe wa hali ya chini na hatimaye kutokana na michanganyiko mbalimbali ya molekuli. Ikiwa binadamu si kitu zaidi ya matokeo ya 'nguvu zisizo na akili' zilizotenda kazi juu ya 'supu ya awali ya ulimwengu' ya molekuli, je, kauli ya utakatifu wa maisha ya binadamu haina maana yoyote kiakili na si chochote zaidi ya usemi tupu wa hisia? Je, utu wa binadamu si kitu zaidi ya wazo lililobuniwa kwa urahisi, lisilo na msingi katika uhalisia? Na ikiwa sisi si kitu zaidi ya chembe zisizo hai zilizopangwa kwa umakini mkubwa, msingi wa madai ya 'haki za binadamu' ni nini? Maswali haya ya msingi hayajui mipaka ya kijiografia, na yanaulizwa na watu wanaofikiri kila mahali." "Sisi tuna thamani, lakini dunia ina thamani gani?"

“Before speaking of human responsibilities or rights, one must answer the basic religious and philosophical question, ‘What does it mean to be human?’ In today’s world everyone speaks of human rights and the sacred character of human life, and many secularists even claim that they are true champions of human rights as against those who accept various religious worldviews. But strangely enough, often those same champions of humanity believe that human beings are nothing more than evolved apes, who in turn evolved from lower life forms and ultimately from various compounds of molecules. If the human being is nothing but the result of ‘blind forces’ acting upon the original cosmic soup of molecules, then is not the very statement of the sacredness of human life intellectually meaningless and nothing but a hollow sentimental expression? Is not human dignity nothing more than a conveniently contrived notion without basis in reality? And if we are nothing but highly organized inanimate particles, what is the basis for claims to ‘human rights’? These basic questions know no geographic boundaries and are asked by thinking people everywhere.” We have value, but what value does the world have?

Ikiwa ningewekwa katika chumba pamoja na michezo yangu yote ninayoipenda, vifaa vyangu vya kielektroniki, marafiki, wapendwa wangu, chakula na vinywaji, lakini nikijua kwamba baada ya dakika tano mimi, dunia na kila kitu kilichomo vingeharibiwa, je, mali zangu hizo zingekuwa na thamani gani? Hazingekuwa na thamani yoyote kabisa. Hata hivyo, dakika tano ni nini, au saa 657,000 (sawa na miaka 75)? Ni muda tu. Kuishi miaka 75 hakubadilishi jambo lolote. Katika mtazamo wa wasioamini kuwa Mungu yupo, kila kitu kitaangamizwa na kusahaulika. Hali hiyo hiyo ipo katika Uislamu. Kila kitu kitafutiliwa mbali. Kwa hiyo, kwa uhalisia, dunia haina thamani ya asili; ni ya muda mfupi, ya kupita na ya kudumu kwa kitambo kifupi. Hata hivyo, kwa mtazamo wa Kiislamu dunia ina thamani kwa sababu ni makao ya kumkaribia Mungu, ya matendo mema na ya ibada, ambayo huongoza kwenye pepo ya milele. Kwa hiyo si kila kitu ni cha kuhuzunisha. Hatuko katika chombo kinachozama. Tukitenda mema, tunaweza kupata msamaha na radhi za Mungu.

If I were to put you in a room with all your favourite games, gadgets, friends, loved ones, food and drink, but you knew that in five minutes you, the world and everything in it would be destroyed, what value would your possessions have? They wouldn’t have any at all. However, what is five minutes or 657,000 hours (equivalent to 75 years)? It is mere time. Just because we may live for 75 years does not make a difference. In the atheist worldview it will all be destroyed and forgotten. This is also true for Islam. Everything will be annihilated. So in reality the world intrinsically has no value; it is ephemeral, transient and short-lived. Nonetheless, from an Islamic perspective the world has value because it is an abode for getting close to God, good deeds and worship, which lead to eternal paradise. So it is not all doom and gloom. We are not on a sinking ship. If we do the right thing, we can gain God’s forgiveness and approval.

Kuna adhabu kali katika maisha ya Akhera, pamoja na msamaha na radhi kutoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu; basi shindanieni msamaha wa Mola wenu…

“There is terrible punishment in the next life as well as forgiveness and approval from God; so race for your Lord’s forgiveness….”.

Hakuna lengo la mwisho.

No ultimate purpose.

"Sijui kwa nini tupo hapa, lakini nina hakika kwamba si kwa ajili ya kujistarehesha."53

“I do not know why we are here, but I’m pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.”53

Haya ni maneno ya mwanafalsafa mashuhuri Ludwig Wittgenstein. Kama wanafalsafa wengi, hakuwa na jibu la swali:

These are the words of influential philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Like many philosophers, he did not have an answer to the question:

Kusudi la maisha ni nini? Lakini yeye alionyesha kwamba maisha si mchezo tu. Hata hivyo, watu wengine wamesema kwamba swali hilo si la kweli. Huenda hakuna jambo tunalopaswa kulihangaikia. Tunapaswa kuendelea kuishi na tusiwe na wasiwasi kuhusu kwa nini tuko hapa. Mshindi wa Tuzo ya Nobel, Albert Camus, alieleza msimamo huu kwa njia ifuatayo:

What is the purpose of life? But he did indicate that life is not just a game. Other people, however, have argued that the question is false. There may be nothing we should be bothered about. We should carry on living and not worry about why we are here. The Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus explained this attitude in the following way:

"Hutaishi kamwe ikiwa unatafuta maana ya maisha"54.

“You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life”54.

Camus alisema kwa kiasi kikubwa kwamba jambo muhimu ni kuishi maisha yanayokufaa wewe mwenyewe, bila kujali kama kuna ukweli wowote nyuma ya kuwepo kwako.

Camus was basically saying that the important thing is to live a life that works for you, regardless of any truth behind your existence.

Kwa kuzingatia maoni haya tofauti, lazima tujiulize: Je, ni jambo la busara kuamini kwamba sisi tuna kusudi? Ili kusaidia kujibu swali hili, na tuzingatie mfano ufuatao:

In light of these differing views, we must ask: Is it reasonable to believe we have a purpose? To help answer this question, let us take the following illustration into consideration:

Labda unasoma kitabu hiki ukiwa umeketi kwenye kiti, na umevaa nguo. Kwa hiyo ningependa kukuuliza swali: Kwa kusudi gani? Kwa nini umevaa nguo, na kiti kina kusudi gani? Majibu ya maswali haya ni dhahiri. Kusudi la kiti ni kutuwezesha kuketi kwa kuunga mkono uzito wetu, na nguo zetu zina kusudi la kutuweka joto, kuficha uchi wetu na bila shaka kutufanya tuonekane wenye mvuto wa urembo. Nguo zetu na kiti ni vitu visivyo na uhai, visivyo na uwezo wa kihisia wala wa kiakili, nasi tunavipa kusudi. Hata hivyo, baadhi yetu hatuamini kuwa tuna kusudi la kuwepo kwetu wenyewe. Kwa kawaida, hili linaonekana la kipuuzi na lisilopatana na hisia za kawaida. Kuwa na kusudi kuu kwa maisha yetu kunamaanisha kwamba kuna sababu ya kuwepo kwetu; kwa maneno mengine, nia fulani na lengo. Bila kusudi kuu hatuna sababu ya kuwepo, na hatuna maana ya kina ya maisha yetu. Huu ndio mtazamo wa unaturalism. Unashikilia kwamba tunatokana tu na michakato ya kimwili iliyotangulia. Michakato hiyo ni ya kipofu, ya kubahatisha na isiyo ya kiakili. Hitimisho la kimantiki la mtazamo huu usiojali kuhusu kuwepo kwetu ni kwamba tunasafiri juu ya meli inayozama. Meli hii ya kifananisho ni ulimwengu wetu, kwa sababu, kwa mujibu wa wanasayansi, ulimwengu huu unaelekea kwenye mwisho wake usioepukika na utapata kile wanachokiita 'kifo cha joto'. Maisha ya binadamu yatangamizwa kabla ya kifo hicho cha joto, kwani Jua hatimaye litaiangamiza Dunia.55 Kwa hiyo, ikiwa meli hii itazama, nakuuliza, ni maana gani ya kupanga upya viti vya stima au kumpa bibi mzee glasi ya maziwa? Qur'ani inawakilisha msimamo wa kiasili wa binadamu juu ya suala hili: "Mola wetu Mlezi! Wewe hukuumba haya yote bure."56

You are probably reading this book sitting on a chair, and you are wearing some clothes. So I would like to ask you a question: For what purpose? Why are you wearing the clothes, and what purpose does the chair have? The answers to these questions are obvious. The chair’s purpose is to allow us to sit down by supporting our weight, and our clothes fulfil the purpose of keeping us warm, hiding our nakedness and of course making us look aesthetically pleasing. Our clothes and the chair are lifeless objects with no emotional or mental abilities, and we attribute purpose to these. Yet some of us do not believe we have a purpose for our own existence. Naturally, this seems absurd and counter-intuitive. Having an ultimate purpose for our lives implies that there is a reason for our existence—in other words, some kind of intention and objective. Without an ultimate purpose we have no reason to exist, and we lack a profound meaning for our lives. This is the perspective of naturalism. It dictates that we merely spring from prior physical processes. These are blind, random and non-rational. The logical conclusion of this indifferent view on our existence is that we are riding on a sinking ship. This metaphorical ship is our universe because, according to scientists, this universe is heading towards its inevitable demise and will suffer what they call a ‘heat death’. Human life will be destroyed prior to this heat death as the Sun will eventually obliterate the Earth.55 Therefore, if this ship is going to sink, I ask you, what is the point of reshuffling the deck chairs or giving a glass of milk to the old lady? The Qur’an represents humanity’s intuitive stance on this issue: “Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose.”56.

Hata hivyo, mijadala mbalimbali huibuka kutokana na mjadala huu. Kwanza, mtu asiyeamini kuwepo kwa Mungu anaweza kusema kwamba kutokuwepo kwa sababu yoyote ya kuwepo kwetu kunatupa uhuru zaidi wa kujitengenezea kusudi letu wenyewe. Ili kufafanua zaidi, baadhi ya wanafalsafa wa uwepo (existentialists) wamesema kwamba maisha yetu yamejengwa juu ya kutokuwa na chochote, na kutokana na utupu huo tunaweza kuunda ulimwengu mpya wa uwezekano kwa maisha yetu. Hoja hii inategemea wazo kwamba kila kitu hakina maana ndani yake, hivyo tuna uhuru wa kujitengenezea maana ili kuishi maisha yenye kuridhisha. Kasoro ya mtazamo huu ni kwamba hatuwezi kweli kukwepa maana. Kukataa kwamba kuwepo kwetu kuna kusudi, huku tukihusisha maisha yetu na kusudi la kubuniwa, ni, kwa maana yake halisi, kujidanganya. Hii haina tofauti na kusema, "Tujifanye tuna kusudi." Ni sawa na watoto wanaojifanya madaktari na manesi, makarani wa ng'ombe na Wahindi wekundu, au mama na baba. Hata hivyo, sisi sote lazima tukue na kukabiliana na ukweli kwamba maisha si mchezo tu.

Nevertheless, various disputes emerge from this discussion. First, an atheist can argue that the absence of any reason for our existence gives us more freedom to create purpose for ourselves. To further explain, some of the existentialists have argued that our lives are based on nothing, and from this nothingness we can create a new realm of possibilities for our lives. This rests on the idea that everything is intrinsically meaningless, and therefore we have the freedom to create meaning for ourselves in order to live fulfilling lives. The flaw with this approach is that we cannot really escape meaning. Denying purpose for the basis of our existence, while attributing some made-up purpose to our lives is, by definition, self-delusion. It is no different in saying, “Let’s pretend to have purpose.” This is no different from children who pretend to be doctors and nurses, cowboys and Indians, or mothers and fathers. However, we must all grow up and face the truth that life is not just a game.

Kutokubaliana kwingine kunahusu dai la Darwin kwamba kusudi letu ni kueneza DNA yetu; kama vile mwanaatheism maarufu Richard Dawkins anavyopendekeza katika kitabu chake, The Selfish Gene, miili yetu imeendelea kufanya hivyo tu. Tatizo la mtazamo huu ni kwamba unashusha uwepo wetu hadi kuwa ajali ya kubahatisha kupitia mchakato mrefu wa kibaiolojia. Hii inamfanya binadamu kuwa si zaidi ya bidhaa ya pembeni, kiumbe cha ziada kilichoibuka kupitia mgongano wa kubahatisha wa chembe na mpangilio upya wa molekuli. Mtazamo wa Uislamu kuhusu kusudi la maisha yetu ni wa wazi na wenye kutia nguvu. Unainua uwepo wetu kutoka kuwa mazao ya maada na wakati hadi kuwa viumbe vyenye fahamu vinavyochagua kuwa na uhusiano na Yule aliyetuumba (ona Sura ya 15). Ateism na naturalism hazitoi kusudi la mwisho kwa uwepo wetu.

Another disagreement consists of the Darwinian claim that our purpose is to propagate our DNA; as the famous atheist Richard Dawkins proposes in his book, The Selfish Gene, our bodies have developed to do just that.57 The problem with this view is it relegates our existence to a random accident via a lengthy biological process. This renders the human nothing more than a by-product, an incidental being that emerged via the random collision of particles and the random rearrangement of molecules. Islam’s view on the purpose of our lives is intuitive and empowering. It elevates our existence from products of matter and time to conscious beings who choose to have a relationship with the One who created us (see Chapter 15). Atheism and naturalism provide no ultimate purpose for our existence.

Hakuna furaha ya milele na yenye maana.

No eternal and meaningful happiness.

"[Na] mustakabali mwema ni wa wale wanaomcha Yeye."58.

“[A]nd a happy future belongs to those who are mindful of Him.”58.

Kutafuta furaha ni sehemu muhimu ya asili ya binadamu. Sisi sote tunataka kuwa na furaha, hata wakati mwingine tunaposhindwa kubainisha kwa usahihi furaha ni nini. Ndiyo maana, ukimuuliza mtu wa kawaida kwa nini anataka kupata kazi nzuri, pengine atajibu, "Ili nipate pesa za kutosha kuishi kwa starehe." Lakini ukimuuliza zaidi na kumuuliza kwa nini anataka kuishi kwa starehe, uwezekano mkubwa atasema, "Kwa sababu nataka kuwa na furaha." Ukimuuliza tena, "Kwa nini unataka kuwa na furaha?", atakosa jibu, kwa sababu furaha ni mwisho wenyewe, si njia ya kufikia kitu kingine. Ni kituo cha mwisho, si lazima safari yenyewe. Sisi sote tunataka kuwa na furaha, na hakuna sababu nyingine ya kutaka furaha isipokuwa furaha yenyewe. Ndiyo maana tunatafuta bila kikomo njia za kutusaidia kufikia hali hiyo ya mwisho ya furaha.

The pursuit of happiness is an essential part of our human nature. All of us want to be happy—even when sometimes we cannot pinpoint exactly what ‘happiness’ is. This is why if you were to ask the average person why they want to get a good job, they would probably reply, “To earn enough to live comfortably”. However, if you questioned them further and asked why they want to live comfortably they would more than likely say, “Because I want to be happy”. If you then asked them, “Why do you want to be happy?” They would be stuck for an answer, because happiness is ultimately an end, not a means. It is the final destination, not necessarily the journey. We all want to be happy, and there is no reason why we want to be happy other than happiness itself. This is why we endlessly seek ways to help us achieve that final happy state.

Safari ambayo watu hutafuta hutofautiana kutoka mtu mmoja hadi mwingine. Baadhi hutumia miaka kuongeza sifa za kitaaluma na vyeti vya kazi kwa majina yao. Wengine hufanya kazi bila kuchoka katika mazoezi ya viungo ili kupata umbo kamili. Wale wanaotamani upendo wa familia mara nyingi huishia kutoa maisha yao kwa kuwatunza wenzi wao na watoto, huku wengine wakitumia wikendi zao kwa sherehe na marafiki, wakitafuta mapumziko kutoka katika mzunguko usiokoma wa kazi. Orodha hii haina mwisho. Swali linaibuka: Furaha ya kweli, yenye maana, ni ipi? Ili kusaidia kujibu swali hili, fikiria hali ifuatayo: Wakati unasoma haya, unapewa dawa ya usingizi kinyume na mapenzi yako. Ghafla unaamka na kujikuta ndani ya ndege. Uko daraja la kwanza. Chakula ni cha kupendeza mno. Kiti ni kitanda bapa, kilichoundwa kwa ajili ya uzoefu wa anasa na starehe. Burudani haina kikomo. Huduma ni ya kipekee kabisa. Unaanza kutumia vifaa vyote vya ajabu. Muda unaanza kupita. Sasa fikiria kwa dakika moja, na jiulize swali hili: Je, ningekuwa na furaha?

The journey that people seek varies from one person to the next. Some dedicate years to adding qualifications and career credentials to their names. Others work tirelessly in gyms to achieve a perfect figure. Those who desire the love of family often end up sacrificing their lives to the care of their spouse and children, while some party their weekends away with friends, seeking a release from the relentless cycle of work. The list is endless. It begs the question: What is true, meaningful happiness? To help answer this question, imagine the following scenario: While reading this, you are sedated against your will. Suddenly you wake up and find yourself on a plane. You’re in first class. The food is heavenly. The seat is a flatbed, designed for a luxurious, comfortable experience. The entertainment is limitless. The service is out of this world. You start to use all of the excellent facilities. Time starts to pass. Now think for a moment, and ask yourself the question: Would I be happy?

Ungewezaje kuwa? Ungehitaji kwanza kupata majibu ya maswali fulani. Nani alikufanya usinzie? Ulipandaje ndege? Lengo la safari ni nini? Unaelekea wapi? Ikiwa maswali haya yangebaki bila majibu, ungewezaje kuwa na furaha? Hata kama ungeanza kufurahia anasa zote ulizonazo, usingeweza kamwe kupata furaha ya kweli na yenye maana. Je, mousse ya chokoleti ya Ubelgiji yenye povu juu ya sahani yako ya dessert ingetosha kuzima maswali hayo? Hiyo ingekuwa udanganyifu, furaha ya muda na ya uongo, inayopatikana tu kwa kupuuza makusudi maswali haya muhimu.

How could you be? You would need some questions answered first. Who sedated you? How did you get on the plane? What is the purpose of the journey? Where are you heading? If these questions remained unanswered, how could you be happy? Even if you started to enjoy all of the luxuries at your disposal, you would never achieve true, meaningful happiness. Would a frothy Belgian chocolate mousse on your dessert tray be enough to drown out the questions? It would be a delusion, a temporary, fake type of happiness, only achieved by deliberately ignoring these critical questions.

Sasa jiweke katika hali hii na ujiulize, je, wewe una furaha? Kuja kwetu duniani hakutofautiani na kuwa umeleweshwa dawa ya usingizi kisha kutupwa ndani ya ndege. Hatukuchagua kuzaliwa kwetu, wazazi wetu, wala mahali tunapotoka. Hata hivyo, baadhi yetu hatuulizi maswali wala kutafuta majibu yatakayotusaidia kufikia lengo letu kuu la furaha.

Now apply this to your life and ask yourself, am I happy? Our coming into existence is no different from being sedated and thrown on a plane. We never chose our birth, our parents or where we come from. Yet some of us do not ask the questions or search for the answers that will help us achieve our ultimate goal of happiness.

Wapi ndipo furaha ya kweli, yenye maana, ilipo? Bila shaka, tukitafakari mfano uliotangulia, furaha ya kweli kwa hakika iko katika kujibu maswali muhimu kuhusu uwepo wetu. Maswali hayo ni pamoja na: Lengo la maisha ni nini? Ninaelekea wapi baada ya kifo changu? Katika mwanga huu, furaha yetu iko ndani yetu, katika kujijua sisi ni nani, na kupata majibu ya maswali haya muhimu. Iwapo tunadai kuwa na furaha, lakini hatujawahi kuuliza maswali haya wala kupata majibu yoyote, basi hali yetu ya furaha si ya maana sana. Ni kama mlevi anayeonekana kuwa na furaha wakati anapojisahau kwa muda matatizo ya maisha.

Where does true, meaningful happiness lie? Inevitably, if we reflect on the previous example, happiness really lies in answering key questions about our existence. These include: What is the purpose of life? Where am I heading after my death? In this light, our happiness lies in our inwardness, in knowing who we are, and finding the answers to these critical questions. If we claim to be happy, but have not asked these questions or found any answers, then our happy state is not very meaningful. It would be like a drunken person who seems to be happy when he temporarily forgets life’s worries.

Tofauti na wanyama, sisi hatuwezi kuridhika kwa kufuata tu silika zetu. Kutii homoni zetu na mahitaji ya kimwili peke yake hakutajibu maswali haya wala kuleta furaha. Ili kuelewa kwa nini, tafakari mfano mwingine: Fikiria ungekuwa mmoja wa watu 50 waliofungiwa katika chumba kidogo ambacho hakina kutokea. Kuna mikate 10 tu, na hakuna chakula kingine kwa siku 100 zijazo. Je, nyote mtafanya nini? Mkifuata silika zenu za kinyama, damu itamwagika. Lakini mkijaribu kujibu swali, tutawezaje kuishi sote? kuna uwezekano mkubwa mtaishi, kwa sababu mtabuni njia za kufanya hivyo.

Unlike animals, we cannot be content by reacting to our instincts. Obeying our hormones and mere physical needs will not answer these questions and bring happiness. To understand why, reflect on another example: Imagine you were one of 50 human beings locked in a small room with no exit. There are only 10 loaves of bread, and there is no more food for another 100 days. What do you all do? If you follow your animalistic instincts, there will be blood. But if you try to answer the question, how can we all survive? it is likely that you will, because you will devise ways to do so.

Panua mfano huu hadi maisha yako. Maisha yako yana vigezo vingi zaidi, ambavyo vinaweza kuzaa matokeo yasiyo na kikomo karibu. Lakini baadhi yetu hufuata tu matamanio yetu ya kimwili. Kazi zetu zinaweza kuhitaji Shahada za Uzamivu (Ph.D.) au sifa nyingine, na tunaweza kula na kunywa pamoja na wenzi wetu, lakini yote hayo bado yanapunguzwa hadi silika tu za kuishi na kuzaliana. Furaha yenye maana haiwezi kupatikana isipokuwa tukitambua sisi ni nani hasa na kutafuta majibu ya maswali muhimu ya maisha.

Extend this example to your life. Your life has many more variables, which can result in almost an infinite number of outcomes. Yet some of us just follow our carnal needs. Our jobs may require Ph.Ds. or other qualifications, and we may wine and dine with our partners, but all of that is still reduced to the mere instincts of survival and procreation. Meaningful happiness cannot be achieved unless we find out who we really are and search for answers to life’s critical questions.

Hata hivyo, chini ya naturalism maswali haya hayana majibu halisi; ndiyo sababu naturalism haiwezi kamwe kuleta hali ya furaha yenye maana. Kwa nini tupo hapa? Hakuna sababu kabisa. Tunaelekea wapi?

However, under naturalism these questions do not have any real answers; this is why naturalism can never lead to a meaningful happy state. Why are we here? No reason at all. Where are we going?

Hakuna mahali. Tutakabiliana tu na kifo. Sote tunahitaji kujibu swali la msingi la kwa nini tuko hapa. Katika Uislamu, jibu ni rahisi lakini lina maana kubwa. Tuko hapa kumwabudu Mungu (tazama Sura ya 15).

Nowhere. We will just face death. We all need to answer the fundamental question of why we are here. In Islam, the answer is simple yet profound. We are here to worship God (see Chapter 15).

Lakini ibada katika Uislamu ni tofauti sana na maana ya kawaida ya neno hilo. Ibada inaweza kuonekana katika kila tendo tunalofanya. Namna tunavyozungumza na kila mmoja wetu, na matendo madogo ya wema tunayofanya kila siku. Tukijikita katika kumridhisha Mungu kupitia matendo yetu, basi matendo yetu huwa ibada.

But worship in Islam is quite different from the common understanding of the word. Worship can be shown in every act that we do. The way we talk to each other and the small acts of kindness we do each day. If we focus on pleasing God by our actions, then our actions become acts of worship.

Ibada haimaanishi tu kuelekeza matendo yetu ya ibada kwa Mungu peke yake, kama vitendo vya kiroho vya sala na kufunga. Kumwabudu Mungu pia kunamaanisha kumpenda, kumtii na kumjua Yeye zaidi ya yote. Kumwabudu Mungu ndilo lengo kuu la uwepo wetu; hutuweka huru kutoka "utumwa" kwa wengine na kwa jamii. Mungu, katika Qur'ani, anatupa mfano wenye nguvu:

Worship is not merely limited to directing our acts of worship to God alone, like the spiritual acts of prayer and fasting. Worshipping God also means loving, obeying and knowing Him the most. Worshipping God is the ultimate purpose of our existence; it frees us from the ‘slavery’ to others and society. God, in the Qur’an, presents us with a powerful example:

Mungu anatoa mfano huu: je, mtu ambaye ana kwa ajili ya mabwana wake washirika kadhaa wanaopingana wanaweza kuchukuliwa kuwa sawa na mtu aliyejitolea kwa bwana mmoja tu? Sifa zote ni za Mungu, lakini wengi wao hawajui.59

“God puts forward this illustration: can a man who has for his masters several partners at odds with each other be considered equal to a man devoted wholly to one master? All praise belongs to God, though most of them do not know.”59

Bila shaka, tusipomwabudu Mungu, tutaishia kuabudu "miungu" mingine. Fikiria juu ya hili. Wapenzi wetu, wakubwa wetu kazini, walimu wetu, marafiki zetu, jamii tunamoishi, na hata tamaa zetu wenyewe, hututumikisha kwa namna fulani. Chukua, kwa mfano, kanuni za kijamii. Wengi wetu tunafafanua urembo kulingana na shinikizo la kijamii. Huenda tukawa na mambo mbalimbali tunayopenda na tusiyopenda, lakini haya huundwa na wengine. Jiulize, kwa nini unavaa suruali hii au sketi hii? Kusema unaipenda ni jibu la juujuu tu; jambo la msingi ni, kwa nini unaipenda? Tukiendelea kuchimba kwa namna hii, wengi watafikia kukiri kwamba "kwa sababu watu wengine wanafikiri inapendeza". Kwa bahati mbaya, sote tumeathiriwa na matangazo yasiyoisha na shinikizo la marika linalotuzunguka.

Inevitably, if we do not worship God, we end up worshipping other ‘gods’. Think about it. Our partners, our bosses, our teachers, our friends, the societies we live in, and even our own desires ‘enslave’ us in some way. Take, for example, social norms. Many of us define beauty based on social pressures. We may have a range of likes and dislikes, but these are shaped by others. Ask yourself, why are you wearing these trousers or this skirt? Saying you like it is a shallow response; the point is, why do you like it? If we keep on probing in this way, many will end up admitting “because other people think it looks nice”. Unfortunately, we’ve all been influenced by the endless adverts and peer pressure that bombard us.

Katika suala hili, tuna "mabwana" wengi, na wote wanataka kitu kutoka kwetu. Wote wako "katika mivutano na kila mmoja," na mwishowe tunaishi maisha yenye mkanganyiko na yasiyotimia. Mungu, ambaye anatujua zaidi kuliko tunavyojijua wenyewe, ambaye ana upendo kwetu zaidi ya upendo wa mama zetu kwetu, anatuambia kwamba Yeye ndiye Bwana wetu wa kweli, na ni kwa kumwabudu Yeye peke yake ndipo tutajiweka huru kikweli.

In this respect we have many ‘masters’ and they all want something from us. They are all ‘at odds with each other’, and we end up living confused, unfulfilled lives. God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, who loves us more than our mothers love us, is telling us that He is our true Master, and only by worshipping Him alone will we truly free ourselves.

Mwandishi Mwislamu Yasmin Mogahed anaeleza katika kitabu chake, Reclaim Your Heart, kwamba chochote kisicho Mungu ni dhaifu na hakina nguvu, na kwamba uhuru wetu upo katika kumwabudu Yeye.

The Muslim writer Yasmin Mogahed explains in her book, Reclaim Your Heart, that anything other than God is weak and feeble, and that our freedom lies in worshipping Him:

"Kila unapokimbilia, kutafuta au kuomba kitu chochote dhaifu au kisicho na nguvu… nawe pia unakuwa dhaifu. Hata ukifikia kile unachokitafuta, hakitatosha kamwe. Hivi karibuni utahitaji kutafuta kitu kingine. Hutapata kamwe utulivu wa kweli wala kuridhika. Ndiyo maana tunaishi katika dunia ya kubadilishana na kuboresha vitu. Simu yako, gari lako, kompyuta yako, mwanamke wako, au mwanaume wako, vyote vinaweza kubadilishwa daima kwa toleo jipya na bora zaidi. Hata hivyo, kuna uhuru kutoka utumwa huo. Pale kitu ambacho unakiegemeza uzito wako wote ni kisichotetereka, kisichovunjika, na kisichokoma, hutaweza kuanguka." "Swali linalofuata ni: Tunaelekea wapi? Tuna chaguo: kukumbatia rehema ya milele na isiyo na mipaka ya Mungu, au kuikimbia. Kukubali rehema Yake, kwa kuitikia ujumbe Wake, na kumtii, kumwabudu na kumpenda, kutapelekea furaha yetu ya milele peponi. Kukataa na kukimbia rehema ya Mungu kunamaanisha kwamba tutaishia mahali pasipo na upendo Wake, mahali pa huzuni—jahannamu. Kwa hiyo, tuna chaguo. Ama tuamue kukumbatia rehema Yake au kujaribu kuikimbia. Tuna hiari ya kuchagua. Ingawa Mungu anataka mema kwetu, hatulazimishi kufanya chaguo sahihi."

“Every time you run after, seek, or petition something weak or feeble… you too become weak or feeble. Even if you do reach that which you seek, it will never be enough. You will soon need to seek something else. You will never reach true contentment or satisfaction. That is why we live in a world of trade-ins and upgrades. Your phone, your car, your computer, your woman, your man, can always be traded in for a newer, better model. However, there is a freedom from that slavery. When the object upon which you place all your weight is unshaking, unbreakable, and unending, you cannot fall.” The next question is: Where are we going? We have a choice: to embrace God’s eternal, unbounded mercy, or to run away from it. Accepting His mercy, by responding to His message, and obeying, worshipping and loving Him will facilitate our eternal happiness in paradise. Rejecting and running away from God’s mercy necessitates that we end up in a place devoid of His love, a place of unhappiness— hell. So, we have a choice. Either we decide to embrace His mercy or try to escape from it. We have the free will to choose. Even though God wants good for us, He does not force us to make the right choices.

Maamuzi tunayofanya katika maisha haya yataunda maisha yetu baada ya kufa:

The choices we make in this life will shape our lives after we die:

"…na siku hiyo itakapofika, hakuna nafsi itakayozungumza isipokuwa kwa idhini Yake, na baadhi yao watakuwa wenye taabu na baadhi watakuwa wenye furaha."61.

“…and when that Day comes, no soul will speak except by His permission, and some of them will be wretched and some happy.”61.

"Humo watadumu—makao mazuri na mahali pa kupumzika!"62

“There they will stay—a happy home and resting place!”62

Kwa kuwa lengo letu la mwisho ni kumwabudu Mwenyezi Mungu, ni lazima tuweke sawa usawa wetu wa kiasili ili kugundua sisi ni nani hasa. Tunapomwabudu Mwenyezi Mungu, tunajiweka huru, na tunajipata wenyewe. Tusipofanya hivyo, tunasahau kile kinachotufanya kuwa binadamu (angalia Sura ya 15):

Since our ultimate purpose is to worship God, we must establish our natural balance to find out who we really are. When we worship God, we free ourselves, and find ourselves. If we do not, we are forgetting what makes us human (see Chapter 15):

"Wala msiwe kama wale waliomsahau Mungu, basi Yeye akawafanya wajisahau nafsi zao."63

“And be not like those who forgot God, so He made them forget themselves.”63

Kwa muhtasari, ukafiri hauwezi kutoa majibu ya kina kuhusu kuwepo kwetu, na kwa hiyo furaha halisi yenye maana haiwezi kamwe kupatikana. Mtu akisema kwamba anafurahi akiwa mkafiri, nitasema ni aina ya furaha ya kulewa. Hujichunga tu pale wanapoanza kufikiri kwa kina kuhusu kuwepo kwao wenyewe. Hata kama wamejaribu kutafuta majibu na wakakubali kutojua, au kubaki na shaka juu ya majibu yaliyopo, bado hawatafikia furaha ya mwisho. Linganisha mtu anayejua kwa nini yupo na anakokwenda na mtu asiyejua. Hali zao si sawa, hata kama wote wawili wanadai kuwa na furaha.

In summary, atheism cannot provide profound answers for our existence, and therefore real, meaningful happiness can never be achieved. If someone argues that they are happy under atheism, I would argue it is a drunken type of happiness. They only sober up when they start thinking deeply about their own existence. Even if they have attempted to find the answers and have settled with not knowing—or being sceptical about the available responses—they will still not achieve ultimate happiness. Compare the person who knows why they exist and where they are going with the one who does not. Their conditions are not the same, even if they both claim to be happy.

Sura hii imeonyesha wazi matokeo ya kimantiki ya kukataa uwepo wa Mungu. Ingawa wasioamini Mungu wana sababu za kihisia za kuamini kwamba maisha yao yana thamani ya mwisho, matumaini, furaha na kusudi, jambo hilo liko wazi: kiakili hawana msingi wowote. Hata Richard Dawkins anakubali matokeo ya kimantiki ya naturalism. Anasema kwamba chini ya naturalism, kila kitu hakina maana na kimejengwa juu ya kutojali kusiko na huruma.

This chapter has clearly shown the logical implications of denying God. While atheists are emotionally justified in believing their lives have a sense of ultimate value, hope, happiness and purpose, the point is clear: intellectually they are groundless. Even Richard Dawkins appreciates the logical implications of naturalism. He argues that under naturalism, everything is meaningless and based on pitiless indifference:

"Bali kinyume chake, kama ulimwengu ungekuwa elektroni na jeni zenye ubinafsi tu, misiba isiyo na maana kama ajali ya basi hili ndiyo ingetarajiwa, pamoja na bahati nzuri isiyo na maana vilevile. Ulimwengu wa namna hiyo usingekuwa mbaya wala mwema kwa nia. Usingeonyesha nia zozote kabisa. Katika ulimwengu wa nguvu za kimwili zisizo na macho na urudiaji wa jeni, watu fulani watadhurika, watu wengine watabahatika, na hutapata mantiki wala sababu yoyote ndani yake, wala haki yoyote. Ulimwengu tunaouona una sifa hasa ambazo tungetarajia kama, kwa msingi wake, hakuna usanifu, hakuna kusudi, hakuna uovu wala wema, bali kutojali kusiko na huruma kulikotupu." "Ulimwengu uliofanywa kwa vitu visivyo na akili, vipofu na baridi vya kimwili hauna wasiwasi na hisia zetu. Ni Mungu pekee anayeweza kutoa msingi wa kiakili kwa mambo yanayofafanua ubinadamu wetu."

“On the contrary, if the universe were just electrons and selfish genes, meaningless tragedies like the crashing of this bus are exactly what we should expect, along with equally meaningless good fortune. Such a universe would be neither evil nor good in intention. It would manifest no intentions of any kind. In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.” A universe made up of non-rational, blind, cold physical stuff is not concerned with our emotions. Only God can provide the intellectual justification for the things that define our humanity