Je, kuna maana gani kuandika kitabu kuhusu Mungu, Uislamu na kutoamini kuwepo kwa Mungu? Wanafalsafa, wanafikra na wasomi kutoka asili mbalimbali za kidini tayari wameandika vitabu kuhusu mada zinazofanana, sasa kwa nini tuvumbue tena gurudumu? Ili kueleza hili, niruhusu nieleze kidogo safari niliyopitia maishani hadi sasa.

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.

Nilizaliwa London kwa wazazi Wagiriki. Wote wawili walifika Uingereza miaka ya sabini kwa sababu tofauti. Baba yangu alitaka hasa kukimbia maisha ya Athens. Mama yangu hakuwa na chaguo kubwa; alikuwa mkimbizi aliyefukuzwa na uvamizi wa Uturuki huko Cyprus mwaka 1974. Wazazi wangu walipitia magumu mengi, lakini kwa upendo, subira na azma, sasa wamekuwa watu wawili wenye furaha zaidi, wenye upendo, huruma na uvumilivu ninaowajua. Ninashukuru milele kuwa nao maishani mwangu. Licha ya kurudi nyuma kwao kote, jambo lililomsumbua baba yangu zaidi lilikuwa kutatua toleo lake la kile watu wanachokiita mgogoro wa kuwepo. Alikuwa akitafuta majibu ya maswali muhimu ya maisha. Safari yake ilimpelekea kukusanya vitabu vingi. Nyumbani, nilikuwa na upatikanaji wa fasihi nyingi, kuanzia The Power of Positive Thinking hadi The Science of the Mind. Baba yangu alikuwa daima amezama katika vitabu vyake na alishiriki mawazo yake nasi mara kwa mara. Mimi ni wa katikati kati ya watoto wake watatu, na hakuna hata mmoja wetu wakati ule aliyekuwa na akili iliyokomaa vya kutosha kuelewa kikamilifu alichokuwa akisema. Nikiwa nimekulia katika mazingira haya, nilichukua mateso ya kuwepo ya baba yangu, nikaanza kuuliza maswali kuhusu msingi wa kuwepo kwangu mwenyewe. Bado nakumbuka jinsi, nikiwa na umri wa takriban miaka kumi na moja, nilikuwa nikiingia bafuni na kukaa kwenye beseni kwa muda, nikilia. Nilihisi mpweke sana. Kilichonijia akilini ni kwamba mimi ndiye pekee niliyekuwa na ufahamu wa kuwepo kwangu (angalia Sura ya 7). Ni mimi tu niliyejua ilivyo kuwa mimi, iwe nilikuwa peke yangu bafuni au nikicheza na marafiki bustanini. Hili lilizua hisia ya shaka kuhusu kuwepo kwa maisha ya fahamu ya watu wengine. Je, kweli walikuwa na fahamu? Je, walikuwepo kwa maana halisi? Walikuwa wakihisi nini? Ni uzoefu gani wao wa kifahamu ulikuwa wakati mimi sikuwepo kuushuhudia? Baadaye maishani, nilijifunza kwamba hii ilikuwa aina ya solipsism, ambayo ni mtazamo kwamba unaweza kuwa na uhakika tu kwamba akili yako ipo. Hata hivyo, ilikuwa uzoefu wa upweke mkubwa, ambao naamini ndio ulikuwa nguvu ya kihisia iliyonisukuma kutafuta majibu ya maswali muhimu sana maishani mwangu. Uzoefu huu ulinijengea imani kwamba dhana ya ukweli ni muhimu sana. Katika safari yangu ya kutafuta ukweli, nilikuwa nikizungumza na marafiki zangu na kuwauliza maswali kuhusu imani zao. Nilibahatika sana kuwa na uhusiano na watu wa makabila na tamaduni nyingi tofauti. Hii ilikuwa mojawapo ya baraka za kukulia katika wilaya ya Hackney jijini London. Nilihisi kwamba bila kujua ukweli, maisha yalionekana kuwa si halisi na ya udanganyifu. Wanasaikolojia wengi wametambua kwamba binadamu hutamani kuwa sahihi na hutafuta kujifunza kutoka kwa kanuni za kijamii wanapokuwa hawana uhakika kuhusu mambo. Kwa mtazamo huu, kutafuta ukweli ni muhimu sana kwa kuwa kunatoa uwezekano wa kuunda ni nani sisi au mtu tunayetaka kuwa.

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.

Niliona kwamba kutotafuta ukweli ni sawa na kujidanganya mwenyewe, au kukubali uongo. Kwa hiyo, kutafuta ukweli ilikuwa njia ya kujaribu kuwa mkweli kwa uwepo wangu mwenyewe, kwani ningekuwa nikitafuta kuthibitisha ukweli wa maisha haya na nafasi yangu ndani yake. Kwangu mimi, kushikilia mtazamo wa kutilia shaka juu ya ukweli, unaodai kwamba hakuna ukweli, ulikuwa unajishinda wenyewe. Hii ni kwa sababu dhana kwamba hakuna ukweli yenyewe ni dai, kwa hiyo ningewezaje kudai kwamba utilia shaka ni kweli wakati kila kitu kingine si kweli? Huu ndio ukinzani wa mtazamo wa kutilia shaka: mtu mwenye kutilia shaka angedai ukweli wa kutilia shaka, lakini angekataa kila ukweli mwingine. Kwa hiyo, bila kujali msimamo nilioshikilia, bado ilinipasa kukubali ukweli fulani.

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.

Nilipojifunza kwa mara ya kwanza kuhusu Uislamu, mambo mawili yalinivutia sana. La kwanza lilikuwa uhakika uliokuwa ukionekana kwa marafiki zangu Waislamu. La pili lilikuwa matendo yao ya kijamii na ya kiroho; yote mawili hatimaye yalinipeleka kukubali Uislamu. Huu si mahali pa kueleza kwa undani kuhusu ubadilishaji wangu wa dini. Hata hivyo, kulikuwa na wakati nilipokuwa na uhakika wa kiakili kuhusu misingi ya kimantiki ya Uislamu, lakini bado haikunitosha kuikumbatia dini hiyo. Hivyo nilianza kufuata mambo mawili. Kwanza, nilianza kujifunza baadhi ya sura za Qur'an kwa Kiarabu, na kusali baadhi ya Sala tano za kila siku ambazo Waislamu hufanya kama sehemu ya matendo yao ya kiroho. Nilipokuwa nikisujudu, ambayo ni sehemu ya Sala ya Kiislamu, nilikuwa nikizungumza na Mungu, nikimwomba uongozi wake. Nilifanya hivyo baada ya kupata ufahamu wa kiroho kutoka kwa rafiki wa kaka yangu, Amir Islahi. Alikuwa akisoma udaktari chuoni, lakini alikuwa akitembelea chuo chetu na kutupa ushauri. Kwa kuwa nilikuwa na marafiki Waislamu, nilikuwa nikimsikiliza; akirudia maneno ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, Amir aliwahi kusema kwamba uko karibu zaidi na Mungu wakati wa kusujudu, hivyo zungumza naye. Nililipata wazo hili kuwa la kina kwa sababu uso unaakisi sisi ni nani. Mara nyingi unawakilisha nafsi na kiburi chetu, lakini Waislamu hujinyenyekeza na kukiri kwamba wao si kitu ikilinganishwa na Mungu. Katika unyenyekevu huo wanajipata kweli; ni watumishi wa Yule aliyewaumba. Katika kusujudu, nafasi ya kimwili ya unyenyekevu na kuacha kujikweza, Waislamu huzungumza na Mungu. Kwa hiyo nami nilianza kuzungumza naye, nikiomba uongozi. Dkt. Amir Islahi sasa ni rafiki yangu, lakini sidhani kama anajua athari ya maneno hayo machache aliyonifikishia zaidi ya miaka 15 iliyopita. Pili, nilianza kuwa na mazungumzo mengi zaidi na rafiki yangu wa shuleni, Moynul Ahmed. Alikuwa akija nyumbani kwangu na kuzungumza nami kuhusu Uislamu, nami nilikuwa nikimuuliza maswali. Hata hivyo, mwanzoni mwa mchakato huo nilikuwa nimeshakubali kiakili, lakini moyo wangu ulikuwa umekufa. Sikuwa nimeelewa chochote kuhusu ukweli wa Uislamu kwa undani wa moyo wangu. Katika juhudi hii ya kuunganisha nilichokijua na nilichokihisi, nilikutana na Moynul nje ya nyumba yangu, nikaketi kwenye gari lake tarehe 4 Oktoba 2002. Kusema kweli, sikumbuki vizuri alichoniambia, lakini nakumbuka jinsi nilivyohisi. Alieleza kwa kina na kwa lugha ya kishairi kuhusu uhakika wa kifo. Siwezi kukumbuka maneno kamili; kujaribu kufanya hivyo kungekuwa kama kujaribu kumkamata paka mweusi gizani. Hata hivyo, maneno yake yaliniathiri sana, na kwa namna fulani yalifungua mlango ambao ulionekana kama umefungwa, na kuruhusu uhakika wangu juu ya ukweli wa Uislamu kuugusa moyo wangu.

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.

Binadamu hawapendi kufikiria kuhusu kifo. Kinamfanya atambue kwamba mapenzi yote aliyojenga katika dunia hii yatakoma. Muhimu zaidi, kinamwamsha kwenye ukweli mkali kwamba hatakuwepo tena duniani. Ni lazima tukabiliane na ukweli wa maangamizi binafsi yasiyoepukika. Kumekuwepo nadharia nyingi za kifalsafa kuhusu kifo. Kwa mfano, baadhi ya wanafikra wanashikilia kwamba kifo ni kama usingizi wa milele. Wengine wamefafanua kwamba kifo kinapaswa kuchukuliwa kuwa sehemu ya maisha, kitu ambacho kila mtu lazima akubaliane nacho ili aishi vizuri; sehemu ya kile kinachohusika katika kukubali mipaka yetu ya kibinadamu. Baadhi ya wanafikra wamedai kwamba kifo ni mpito kutoka maisha haya kwenda maisha ya akhera, ambayo yanajumuisha uhai wa milele wa furaha kupitia rehema ya Mwenyezi Mungu, au maumivu kwa sababu ya kuendelea kukataa rehema na uongozi wa Mungu.

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.

Bila kujali maoni yetu kuhusu kifo, sote tunaweza kukubaliana kwamba ni mada ambayo hatuifikirii vya kutosha. Hili linaweza kusikika kama la huzuni, lakini kutafakari kuhusu kifo kuna faida kubwa—kunaleta ufahamu kwamba maisha ni mafupi. Kutafakari asili yetu ya kikomo kunasaidia kupunguza kiburi chetu na tamaa zetu za ubinafsi hazionekani tena kuwa muhimu sana. Mapenzi yetu ya muda mfupi kwa mambo ya dunia yanawekwa katika mtazamo sahihi, na maisha yetu yanahojiwa—yote haya yana faida kubwa. Kama alivyosema mwanatheolojia wa karne ya 11, Al-Ghazali, "…katika kukumbuka kifo kuna thawabu na fadhila." Kutafakari kuhusu kifo kunachochea fikra na kunatupa fursa ya kutafakari asili ya uwepo wetu.

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.

Kutafakari juu ya kifo kulinijibu maswali ambayo yalinisaidia kuona jinsi ninavyopaswa kuiangalia maisha. Kulinifundisha kupima ni kiasi gani cha umuhimu ninapaswa kuupa vitu vya kidunia. Nilipoangalia maisha yangu kupitia mtazamo wa kifo, niliingia katika hali ya kihisia na kiakili ambayo iliniwezesha kutathmini hali yangu juu ya sayari hii. Nimekuwaje hapa? Ninapaswa kufanya nini hapa duniani? Ninaelekea wapi? Kifo ndicho kilichochochea maswali haya muhimu, kwa sababu pale nilipotambua kwamba maisha haya ni mafupi, kwamba siku moja nitapumua pumzi yangu ya mwisho, kila kitu kilipata mtazamo sahihi.

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.

Ili kuelewa nilichopitia, nataka utafakari kuhusu kifo; fikiria kwamba upo hapa dakika moja, na dakika inayofuata huna tena uhai. Huenda umewahi kupoteza wapendwa wako; ulijisikiaje? Je, ulihisi upweke, utupu na kukosa mshikamano na mambo ambayo ulikuwa ukiyachukulia kwa uzito sana? Sasa, kama ungeonja kifo sasa hivi, kama kila binadamu atakavyoonja hatimaye, je, hilo lingemaanisha nini kwako? Ungefanya nini tofauti na maisha yako kama ungepewa nafasi ya kurudi nyuma? Ungeyachukulia kwa uzito zaidi mawazo na fikra zipi? Mtazamo wako ungekuwaje kama ungeweza kuishi upya maisha yako baada ya kuyapitia uhalisia wa kusikitisha wa kifo?

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?

Jambo la kusikitisha kuhusu kifo ni kwamba hatuwezi kurudi nyuma. Ufahamu huu ulizidi kunielemea akilini mwangu. Nilipotafakari kwa kina kuhusu kifo, nilifikia hitimisho kwamba maisha ni mafupi, na nilitaka kuyabadilisha kuwa bora bila kuchelewa. Asubuhi iliyofuata, nilipanda teksi hadi Msikiti Mkuu wa London na kusilimu. Tarehe ilikuwa 5 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.

Hitaji langu la kujua ukweli liligeuka kuwa hamu ya kuwaambia wengine kuhusu ukweli. Katika kutokuwa na uzoefu wangu, nilikuwa nikishikilia chochote nilichohisi kinaunga mkono Uislamu na misingi yake ya kimantiki. Nilikuwa nikisoma kazi za wanafalsafa mbalimbali wa Kikristo kwa sababu hakukuwa na kitu cha aina hiyo kilichopatikana kwa Waislamu kwa lugha ya Kiingereza—maandishi mengi ya kina ya kifikra ya Kiislamu yako kwa Kiarabu. Hili bila shaka lilifanya mchakato wangu wa kujifunza kuwa mgumu. Kukubali hoja zilizotetewa na wanafalsafa wa Kikristo haikuwa njia bora ya kuingiza imani ya Kiislamu katika Utauhidi. Ingawa dini hizi mbili zina mambo mengi yanayofanana, kuna tofauti kubwa na ndogo. Katika miaka yangu yote kama Mwislamu, nimejifunza mambo kwa njia ngumu. Nimefanya makosa mengi na makosa madogo, na sehemu kubwa ya kitabu hiki inajumuisha masomo niliyojifunza. Makosa mengi yangu yanapatikana kwenye Intaneti kwa kila mtu kuona. Mchakato huu wa kujaribu na kukosea umekuwa na faida zake pamoja na matokeo hasi. Matokeo hasi ni kwamba makosa yangu yote, mikwaruzo yangu na mapungufu yangu yanapatikana kwa kila mtu kuona. Hata hivyo, kwa kusoma kitabu hiki, unaweza kujifunza kutokana na makosa yangu na hutalazimika kujifunza mambo kwa njia ngumu. Kujaribu na kukosea kumeboresha, kuendeleza na kuimarisha hoja nilizozikubali. Safari hii pia imenifanya nithamini kwamba uvumilivu na huruma ni miongoni mwa fadhila zetu za juu kabisa. Uzoefu huu pia ulipinga mitazamo yangu kuhusu imani yangu mwenyewe, na ukasaidia kufungua mlango wa kugundua kwamba Uislamu una mapokeo ya huruma. Kupitia mafundisho ya Nabii Muhammad ﷺ, nilielewa kwamba huruma hupamba kila kitu.

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.

لقد اختبرتُ أفكاري وحججي مع بعض أذكى العقول الملحدة في العالم. وناقشتُ أكاديميين ومفكرين ملحدين بارزين من خلفيات فكرية متنوعة. ومن محاوريّ البروفيسور سيمون بلاكبيرن، والدكتور برندان لارفور، والدكتور ستيفن لو، والبروفيسور ريتشارد نورمان، والدكتور نايجل وارتبيرتن، والبروفيسور بيتر سيمونز، والبروفيسور لورنس كراوس، والبروفيسور غراهام تومسون، والدكتور بيتر كيف، ودان بارker. بل إنني تبادلتُ نقاشًا قصيرًا في الشارع مع البروفيسور ريتشارد دوكينز، لكنّ الحديث انقطع للأسف، وغادر دوكينز سريعًا. وقد تناولت المناظرات مواضيع تتراوح بين "هل يمكننا أن نعيش حياة أفضل دون دين؟" و"هل يمكن تفسير الوعي على أكمل وجه بوجود الله؟" إلى "الإسلام أم الإلحاد: أيهما أكثر منطقية؟" وقد أسهمت هذه المناظرات في تحسين حججي. كانت نعمة عظيمة، ومن يطّلع على أعمالي يرى أنني انتقلتُ من محاكاة حجج الفلاسفة التحليليين إلى تطوير مواقف متجذرة في التراث الإسلامي. وهذا لا يعني أنني "ألقيتُ الطفل مع ماء الاستحمام"؛ فكما ستري في هذا الكتاب، احتفظتُ بكل الحجج السليمة والعامة والمتينة، مع إضفاء نكهة إسلامية عليها، وصقلها لتكون متسقة لاهوتيًا ومنطقيًا.

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.

Kukamilisha shahada yangu ya Uzamili katika falsafa katika Chuo Kikuu cha London kumethibitika kuwa na manufaa makubwa. Uwezo wangu wa kupinga kwa kina na kuunga mkono mitazamo ya kifalsafa umeimarika. Kwa sasa ninaendelea na masomo ya shahada ya uzamili katika uwanja huu, na nia yangu ni kutumia nilichojifunza kueleza hoja yenye akili na huruma kwa ajili ya Uislamu wa kimapokeo kwa hadhira mbalimbali. Uzoefu huu wa kitaaluma umeunda na kuathiri mtiririko wa kimantiki na maudhui ya hoja zilizowasilishwa katika kitabu hiki. Pia umeimarisha imani yangu kwamba elimu ya theolojia, fikra na falsafa ya Kiislamu—iliyosimama juu ya Qur'ani na mafundisho ya Mtume ﷺ—ni ya kiasili, yenye mshikamano na imara.

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.

Hakuna kitabu kingine kinachopatikana kwa lugha ya Kiingereza kinachoeleza kwa akili na kwa undani hoja ya kiIslamu kuhusu uwepo wa Mungu, huku kikijibu udhaifu wa mtazamo wa kutokuwepo kwa Mungu (uasi-imani). Hili si kujisifia kitabu hiki; bali linaonyesha upungufu wa maandishi kuhusu mada hii. Wakati wa mihadhara niliyotoa katika vyuo vikuu mbalimbali duniani kote, nimekutana na maelfu ya wanafunzi na wasomi, Waislamu na wasio Waislamu. Mazungumzo hayo, pamoja na kuongezeka kwa imani ya kutokuwepo kwa Mungu, yameonyesha wazi kwamba watu wana kiu ya kielimu kuhusu mtazamo wa Kiislamu juu ya Mungu, nafasi ya wahyi, na haiba ya Nabii Muhammad ﷺ. Kitabu hiki kinakusudia kuitosheleza kiu hiyo, hivyo kumpa msomaji wa Kiingereza seti yenye mantiki ya hoja za kuthibitisha kuwepo kwa Mungu, umoja wake, na sababu ya yeye kustahili kuabudiwa, ikiwemo hoja yenye nguvu kuhusu Qur'ani na unabii wa Muhammad ﷺ. Pia kinajibu na kushughulikia hoja na pingamizi mbalimbali, za kitaaluma na za kawaida, zinazounga mkono kukataa uwepo wa Mungu.

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.

Kitabu hiki kina mchanganyiko wa hoja za jumla na za Kiislamu kuhusu kuwepo kwa Mungu, Qur'an, na utume wa Muhammad ﷺ. Nyingi za hoja hizi zimejaribiwa na kuthibitishwa pamoja na wanazuoni na wanafikra kwa miaka mingi. Kila sura ina marejeo husika ya Kiislamu kuonyesha msingi wa Kiislamu wa kila hoja, jambo linalohakikisha kwamba hoja hizo si tu zina mashiko kifalsafa bali pia zina mshikamano wa Kiislamu. Takriban asilimia hamsini ya marejeo katika kitabu hiki yanatoka katika mapokeo ya Kiislamu; hii inajumuisha marejeo kutoka Qur'an, na Hadith za Mtume 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

(hadith; ahadith, pl) na mapokeo ya kielimu ya Kiislamu. Kitabu hiki hakilengi tu uthibitisho wa Uislamu wa imani ya Mungu na jibu kwa wasioamini kuwepo kwa Mungu; kinashughulikia hoja muhimu ya kuthibitisha kuwa Qur'an ni kitabu chenye asili ya Kimungu, na kinaeleza jinsi, kwa kuangalia maisha, mafundisho na athari za Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, hatuwezi kufikia hitimisho jingine isipokuwa kwamba yeye ni Mtume wa mwisho wa Mwenyezi Mungu. Cha kipekee, kinafafanua kwa kina kwa nini Mungu anastahili kuabudiwa, ambayo ndiyo sababu ya kuwepo kwetu.

(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.

Bila kujali kama wewe unajiona Mwislamu, mtu asiyeamini Mungu au mwenye kutilia shaka, nakualika usome kitabu hiki kwa moyo na akili iliyo wazi. Ninaamini kweli kwamba ukikubali mwaliko huu, mojawapo ya hitimisho utakalofikia ni kwamba kutokuamini Mungu ni udanganyifu wa kiakili, na kwamba dhana ya Kiislamu kuhusu Mungu ina mshikamano na ni kweli. Mara utakaposoma kitabu hiki utaona kwamba neno "udanganyifu wa kiakili" ni maelezo yanayofaa kwa kutokuamini Mungu. Udanganyifu wa macho (mirage) ni jambo tunalolipata kutokana na hali za anga. Vivyo hivyo, hali zinazowezesha kukataa uwepo wa Mungu zinatokana na dhana potofu kuhusu ulimwengu, hoja zisizo na mshikamano, mawazo ya kujifanya wasomi yanayoficha masuala ya kihisia na, wakati mwingine, ubinafsi uliokithiri. Kutokuamini Mungu hakujengwi juu ya kujitolea kwa akili; kwa njia nyingi, ni adui wake (ona Sura ya 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).