Bugun ichkariga kirib ketish uchun juda go‘zal kun edi, shuning uchun onam va men qo‘shnimizning gullagan bog‘ini o‘rab turgan g‘isht supachaga birga o‘tirdik. Biz Nyu-York shahrining Bruklin tumanidagi Boro Parkda yashardik, u yerda mahallaning 90 foizdan ko‘prog‘ini xasidiy yahudiylar tashkil etardi. Ular o‘z yahudiyligiga biz o‘z islomimizga sadoqatli bo‘lganimizdek sadoqatli ko‘rinardi. Bu o‘sha paytda xayolimni band etgan tashvishlarga sabab bo‘lgan bo‘lishi kerak, shuningdek, men har yerda uchratgan, dinga boshqacha qarashni taklif etuvchi mashhur fikr ham: din ahamiyatsiz, degan fikr. O‘sha lahzadan buyon yigirma yildan ortiq vaqt o‘tdi, lekin men o‘sha yerda o‘tirib, onamga ushbu beadab savolni berishga jur’at to‘plashga urinayotgan paytimdagi xavotirni hali ham unutganim yo‘q.

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

Lekin javob izlashga bo‘lgan tashnaligim va yonimda o‘tirgan mehr okeaniga bo‘lgan ishonchim so‘zlarni og‘zimdan otilib chiqishiga sabab bo‘ldi: “Oyijon, Islom to‘g‘ri ekanini qayerdan bilamiz?” U menga qarab jilmaydi va ko‘zimga tikildi. Men gapimni davom ettirib dedim: “O‘ylab ko‘ring. Har bir ota-ona farzandiga ‘Bu haqiqiy din’ deydi, unda nima uchun biz to‘g‘ri yo‘lda ekanimizga bunchalik ishonchimiz komil?” Uning keyingi aytgani “shunchaki imonga ishoning” degan ma’noda edi. Aynan shu gapni eshitishdan qo‘rqardim, ayniqsa postmodern dunyoda qiziquvchan o‘n uch yoshli bola sifatida, hamda Nyu-York shahridagi musulmon sifatida, bir necha mil narida sodir bo‘ladigan 11-sentyabr hujumlari tufayli islomofobik kayfiyatlarning kuchayishini tez orada boshdan kechiradigan bir bola sifatida.

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

Lekin orqaga qarab, bu aynan mening o‘z iymon sayohatimni boshlashim va undan keyin Islomga va musulmonlarga qarshi kelgan nafrat to‘lqinini boshdan kechirishim uchun zarur bo‘lgan narsa edi. Oxir-oqibat, bu sizning qo‘lingizdagi kitobni yaratdi — dunyoning yirik dinlarini birinchi marta o‘rganganimda menda bo‘lishini istagan manba. O‘sha paytda men ularning barchasi istisnosiz ko‘r-ko‘rona ishonchga asoslangan, tanqidiy fikrlaydigan aql bilan kelishtirib bo‘lmaydigan va ijtimoiy jihatdan noqulay bo‘lganda ushlab turishga arzimaydigan deb o‘ylardim.

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

Men duo'o qilamanki, ingliz kutubxonamizga qo'shilgan bu asar bugun ko'plab yuraklarimizda va uylarimizda yonayotgan olov alangalarini yengillashtirsin.

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

Ishonch salqinligi bilan zamonaviylikning ba'zi yaralarini davolasin va hayotimizni xavfsizlik, to'liqlik va muvozanatli yo'nalish tashnaligidan qurituvchi noaniqlikning bir qismini so'ndirsin.

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

Alloh biladi, bu mavzuda muallif bo‘lish men uchun qiyin hudud ekanini yaxshi bilaman, lekin inson diniy qadriyatlar dinsizlik oyoqlari ostida tobora toptalayotganini ko‘rib, qanday qilib befarq o‘tirsin, va qafasdagi ruhimiz istaklari bizni har qadamda kuydirayotganini ko‘rib-chi? Bu kitob o‘z imoni yoki yaqinlarining imoni bilan kurashayotganlarga biroz yordam bersin, deb duo qilaman. Ular jamoat ishlarimda yoki internetda deyarli har kuni uchratadigan kishilar, shuningdek, men haqida eshitib, shaxsan yetib bora olmaydigan yana ko‘plab insonlardir. Aynan shu niyat bilan men muallifllik noma’lum dengizlariga jasorat qilishga chaqirildim va yo‘lda xato qilgan bo‘lsam, Allohdan kechirim so‘rayman.

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

Ushbu kitob insoniyatning payg'ambarlikka bo'lgan abadiy ehtiyojini ta'kidlashga, xususan Muhammad ﷺ ning payg'ambarligi uchun ko'plab ishontiruvchi asoslarni ko'rsatishga qaratilgan. Shu orqali u hayotning haqiqiy maqsadi haqida izchil fikr taklif etishni maqsad qilgan bo'lib, bu fikr faqat yaqiniy ilmning tongini bevosita ko'rish orqali erishiladigan mustahkam ichki tinchlikka olib boradi.

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

Dalā'il an-nubuwwa (nubuvvatning dalillari) mavzusidagi mustaqil asarlar musulmon ilmiy merosining doimiy qismi bo'lib kelgan; ular sakkizinchi yoki to'qqizinchi asrlardayoq yozilgan. Bu adabiyotning islom ilmining tayanchi bo'lib kelganligi uning haqiqat da'volarining asoslarini qat'iy isbotlashga sodiqligining kuchli dalilidir. Abu Mansur al-Bag'dodiy (vafoti 1037) rivoyat qilishicha, imom ash-Shofi'iy (vafoti

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

820 yilda birinchi bo‘lib Muhammadning ﷺ payg‘ambarligini isbotlovchi dalillar haqida kitob tuzgan kishi ham shu edi, chunki brahmanlar payg‘ambarlik va ilohiy vahiy imkoniyatini inkor etardi.3 Bu yo‘nalishdagi asarlardan bugungi kunga qadar nomlari ma’lum bo‘lgan doimiy ravishda to‘qsondan ortig‘i mavjud bo‘lib, ulardan eng mashhuresi Imom al-Bayhaqiyning (vafoti 1066) Dalo’il an-nubuvvah asaridir. Bu mualliflarning maqsadi mo‘minlarning e’tiqodini kuchaytirish, Muhammadning ﷺ haqiqiyligi borasidagi shubhalarni yo‘qotish hamda payg‘ambarligining haqiqati haqida so‘ragan har bir kishi uchun osongina topiladigan joyda bu dalillarni jamlash edi.

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

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

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

Allohning rahmatidandirki, U har bir payg'ambar va elchiga o'z davrining sharoitiga mos belgilar yuborgan va Muhammad ﷺ ni ko'plab dalillar bilan o'rab qo'ygan, chunki u "olamlarga rahmat" edi, shu sababli uning davridagilar uchungina emas, balki kelajakdagi barcha davrlar uchun ham mos bo'lishi kerak edi. Dalillarning xilma-xilligi ularni har bir zamon, madaniyat va fikrlash tarziga yaqin qiladi. Muhammad ﷺ ning hayotligida, ba'zilar uning yuziga bir qarashdan so'ng uning da'vatini qabul qilgan. Abdulloh ibn Salom aytdi: "Men darhol bildimki, bu yolg'onchining yuzi emas."Yana biri Islom qadriyatlarini targ'ib qiluvchi bir necha qisqa so'zlarni eshitgach, qat'iy ishonchga kelgan. Tufayl ibn Amr aytdi: "Men bundan yuqoriroq yoki muvozanatliroq hech narsa eshitmaganman."Boshqalar uning rostgo'yligi shuhratiga asoslanib, uning payg'ambarligini tasdiqlagan. Quraysh yetakchilari u bilan qirq yil yashaganlaridan so'ng aytdilar: "Sendan faqat halollikni ko'rdik."Boshqalar mo''jizalarni ko'rganlaridan so'ng ishongan, chunki oddiy hech narsa bu hayratlanarli voqealarni tushuntira olmasligini anglaganlar.

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

Shu xilma-xillik tufayli Himolay tog'laridagi ko'chmanchi cho'pon ham, fikrlashni ilmiy shaharda qiladigan fil'sof ham, Nyu-York osmono'par binolari ostida gavjum oqim bo'lib yuradigan odamlar ham, Ekvadordagi banan ishchilari ham yaqinlikka erishishning istalgan sonidagi yo'llarini tanlashi mumkin.

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

Alloh Muhammad ﷺ ning payg'ambarligini tasdiqlovchi dalillarni ham juda aniq qilib qo'ygan, shunda har bir samimiy izlovchi ularni tanib ola oladi. Dunyoviy narsalarga haddan tashqari berilib ketganlar, yaratguvchi Rabbiylaridan ko'ra ijtimoiy munosabatlarini ustun qo'yganlar yoki o'z nafsining kibri bilan o'z dalillarining kamchiliklarini ko'rmay qolganlar esa faqat xiralashgan hukmga ega bo'ladilar. Ko'p hollarda ularning noto'g'ri asoslari hatto o'zlaridan ham yashirin qoladi, chunki odamlar har doim o'zlarini "aks-sado xonalari"ga qamab qo'yishga, guruh fikriga bo'ysunishga va shu tariqa vijdonlarini hamda inkor etib bo'lmaydigan haqiqatni rad etishning aybini bostirib qo'yishga qodir bo'lganlar. Alloh taolo aytadi: "Agar Biz ularga osmondan biror eshik ochib, ular unga chiqa boshlasalar ham, albatta: «Bizning ko'zlarimiz faqat hayratga tushirildi, balki biz sehrlangan qavmmiz», deb aytadilar" (Hijr surasi, 14-15-oyatlar).