用一句俗语来说,互联网是“phat”的。这里有一语双关:按照俚语,“phat”意为“极好的”;而从发音上看,它也可以表示“大的、庞大的”。两层意思都适用于互联网。它可以是极好的信息来源,但也可能大到让人无法从中筛出关于某一特定主题的所有真实可靠的信息。除了其积极价值之外,它也是一片充斥着谎言、错误信息和歪曲之词的深渊。互联网还可能十分无情。我个人多次亲身经历过互联网黑暗的一面。我所有的错误、误解和失误都留在那里,供所有人取笑,但让我感到欣慰的是,它同时也为人们提供了学习的来源。我坚信要陈述相互对立的观点,因为在这种语境下,真理终将胜出。这本书实际上正是我从自己的失败和错误中学习的成果。那么,这是否意味着这本书是完美的?显然不是。然而,它确实引出了一个非常重要的观点。无论你将自己描述为哪一类读者(无神论者、怀疑论者、不可知论者、穆斯林、世俗主义者、人文主义者等),你无疑都会有更多的疑问,或希望得到进一步的说明。正因如此,我开设了一个网络平台,以便让我们的对话继续下去。你的任何问题、意见、顾虑或建设性反馈,都将在 www.hamzatzortzis.com/thedivinereality 上得到回应。这对于这类出版物而言颇为独特,因为这本书并非旨在成为一场独白,而是一场对话。这场讨论确有其伦理规则,包括不得使用粗话(除非引用他人言论以阐明某个有效观点)、不得进行人身攻击或使用贬损性言辞。除此之外,一切皆可。没有任何一本书能涵盖这一主题的全部内容,某些问题因篇幅和优先级的考虑而被略去。然而,这并不意味着伊斯兰传统缺乏答案。 我建议有兴趣的读者保持开放的心态，并真诚地投入对话。你要知道，我们的生活中有两个领域：一个是我们的戏剧，另一个是我们的现实。我们以为我们的戏剧和现实是同一回事。事实并非如此。我们的戏剧由我们负面的过去经历、有限的理智、观念和视角构成。现实就是事物本来的样子，没有任何扭曲的视角。然而，我们总是在扭曲现实，因为我们把自己的戏剧叠加在现实之上。这就是为什么我们发现很难与他人建立联系，也正因如此，我们的生活看起来就像一个巨大的圆圈，以不同的方式重复同样的错误。我们都曾这样做过。过去的几次负面经历摧毁了我们在当下与人深入联结的能力，从而用过去的基石构建未来；我们重复同样的错误也就不足为奇了。我们必须认识到，过去并不等同于未来。因此，无论你过去与宗教、伊斯兰教以及关于真主和启示的论证有过怎样的经历，我都希望你在反思本书所读内容时，不要让这些经历蒙蔽你的判断。

To use a colloquialism, the Internet is phat. There’s a play on words here, because according to slang, ‘phat’ means ‘excellent’, and phonetically it can mean ‘big or large’. They both apply to the Internet. It can be an excellent source of information, but it can also be too big to access all the authentic and valid information about a particular topic. Besides its positive value, it is also a large abyss of lies, misinformation and misrepresentations. The Internet can also be quite unforgiving. I personally have experienced the dark side of the Internet many times. All of my mistakes, misunderstandings and errors are there for everyone to laugh at, but what makes me content is that it also provides a source for people to learn. I’m a true believer in espousing contrasting views, because in this context the truth always prevails. This book is actually a product of learning from my failures and errors. Now, does that mean this book is perfect? Obviously not. However, it does lead me to a very important point. Whatever kind of reader you describe yourself to be (atheist, sceptic, agnostic, Muslim, secular, humanist, etc.) you will undoubtedly have more questions or would like further clarifications. This is why I have developed an online portal that will continue our conversation further. Any questions, comments, concerns or constructive feedback you have will be assessed at www.hamzatzortzis.com/thedivinereality. This is quite unique for this type of publication because the book is not meant to be a monologue, but a dialogue. The discussion does have ethical rules, which include no expletives (unless you’re quoting someone to make a valid point), personal attacks or degrading speech. Aside from that, anything goes. No one book covers everything on this topic, and some issues have been left out, mostly due to scope and priority. However, this does not mean that the Islamic tradition lacks answers. I would advise interested parties to keep an open mind and to sincerely engage in a dialogue. You see, we have two spheres in our life: one is our drama, and the other is our reality. We think our drama and reality are the same. This is simply not true. Our drama consists of our negative past experiences, limited intellects, ideas and perspectives. Reality is just what is, without any skewed perspective. However, we always skew reality because we superimpose our drama on it. This is why we find it hard to connect with other human beings, and this is precisely why our lives seem to be one giant circle, repeating the same mistakes in different ways. We all have done this before. We have had a couple of negative experiences in the past which destroy our ability to connect deeply with people in the present, thereby creating a future with the building blocks of the past; it is no wonder we repeat the same mistakes. We have to realise that the past does not equal the future. So whatever your experiences with religion, Islam and arguments for God and revelation, I ask you to not allow them to cloud your judgement when reflecting on what you have read in this book.

我想在本节结束时,分享一些古兰经和先知的教导,关于如何讨论、辩论以及与他人相处。真主命令祂高贵的先知穆萨,在向法老传达伊斯兰教信息时要温和地对他说话:“你们俩应当对他说温和的话,或许他会觉悟或畏惧。”606

I would like to end this section by sharing some Qur’anic and prophetic advice on discussing, debating and dealing with others. God commands His noble Prophet Moses to speak mildly to Pharaoh while conveying the message of Islam to him: “And speak to him mildly; perhaps he might accept admonition.”606

注释家古尔图比（Al-Qurtubi）解释说，这节经文暗示：如果穆萨（Musa）被命令要对法老温和柔和地说话，而法老是一个暴君，那么我们对待他人时就更应如此。他说：“如果穆萨被命令要对法老温和地说话，那么其他人在与他人交谈、劝善戒恶时，更应遵循这一命令。”607

The exegete Al-Qurtubi explains that this verse implies that if Moses were commanded to speak softly and mildly to Pharaoh, who was an oppressor, then imagine how we must speak to others: “If Musa was commanded to speak mildly to Pharaoh then it is even more appropriate for others to follow this command when speaking to others and when commanding the good and forbidding the evil.”607

真主命令先知穆罕默德ﷺ以最好的方式、用善言与人讨论：“你当以智慧和善劝，邀人遵循你主的道路，并以更优美的方式与他们辩论。”608

God commands the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to discuss using good words in the best possible manner: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.”608

语法学家阿尔-扎马赫舍里在评注上述经文时指出，这意味着我们与他人交往时必须毫不严厉：“以更好的方式与他们辩论，指的是采用最好的辩论方法，即以善意和温和的方式，不粗暴、不严厉。”609

The grammarian Al-Zamakhshari comments on the above verse by asserting that this means we must engage with others without any harshness: “Arguing with them in a way that is better means using the best method of argumentation which is the method of kindness and gentleness without gruffness and harshness.”609

在伊斯兰传统中，在交流讨论中使用善言，是最伟大的美德之一。《古兰经》以一个美丽的比喻来说明这一点：把善言比作一棵根基稳固、枝干高耸入天的好树。“你难道没有看到真主怎样设譬吗？以一句好话比作一棵好树，它的根深扎在土里，它的枝干高耸入天，它随时依其主的许可而结果实。真主为世人设譬，以便他们能够觉悟。而恶言的比喻，好像一棵恶树，已被连根拔起，离开了地面，毫无稳定。真主以坚定的言辞，使信道者在今世和后世中站稳；真主使不义的人迷误，真主所意欲的，他都能做到。”610

Using good words in the context of discussion is one of the greatest virtues in the Islamic tradition. The Qur’an presents a beautiful example of comparing a good word with a tree with perpetual fruit and firm roots: “Have you not considered how God presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And God presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the Earth, not having any stability. God keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And God sends astray the wrongdoers. And God does what He wills.”610

我个人希望，我们若能内化其中一些永恒的价值与教导，便能以善去恶，明白我们无需相互憎恨，从而即使存在分歧，也能促成亲密的友谊。

It is my personal wish that by internalising some of these timeless values and teachings, we can all repel evil with good, and realise there is no need to hate, thereby facilitating close friendships even if we disagree.

“善行与恶行不相等。你当以更好的方式去回应恶行，那时，你与他之间的仇恨，就会变成如同亲密挚友一般。”611

“And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel evil by that deed which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity will become as though he were a devoted friend.”611

这节经文的美妙教导在于：阿拉伯原文中的“驱退”一词之后并没有直接宾语。这暗示我们应当以更好的方式去应对任何事物。学者们说，这意味着我们应当以更加美好、更加高尚的方式回应任何事情。

The beautiful teaching of this verse is that in the original Arabic the word ‘repel’ is not followed by a direct object. This implies that we must repel anything by that which is better. The scholars have said that this means that we must respond to anything by that which is more virtuous and more beautiful.

让我们成为有德行的人，成为有美好品格的人。

Let us become people of virtue and people of beauty.