那天的天气实在太好了，我们舍不得立刻回到楼里，于是母亲和我一起坐在邻居花园周围的砖砌矮墙上，那里的花开得正盛。我们住在纽约市布鲁克林区的Borough Park，那里超过90%的居民是哈西德派犹太人，他们对自己的犹太教信仰之虔诚，似乎不亚于我们对伊斯兰教的信仰。当时萦绕在我心头的种种忧虑，想必也与此有关，此外还有我到处都能听到的一种流行看法，即宗教已无关紧要。从那一刻到现在已经过去二十多年，我却仍忘不了当时坐在那里的焦虑感，我正鼓起勇气，准备向母亲提出那个大胆的问题。

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.

但是我渴望得到答案，而且我对身边那片爱的海洋充满信心，于是这些话便脱口而出："妈妈，我们怎么知道伊斯兰教是对的？"她微笑着，与我四目相对。我接着说："你想想看，每个父母都会告诉孩子，'这是真正的宗教'，那我们凭什么如此确定，我们才是真正正确的人？"她接下来说的大意是"就信靠吧"。这正是我最害怕听到的话，尤其是对于一个好奇的十三岁少年，身处后现代世界之中；更何况我是纽约的一名穆斯林，不久之后，就在几英里外发生的9/11袭击，会让针对伊斯兰教的敌意情绪被进一步煽动起来。

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.

但事后回想，这恰恰是我踏上自己信仰之旅、并忍受随之而来的反伊斯兰、反穆斯林浪潮所需要的。最终，它催生了你手中的这本书——一本我希望在初次探索世界主要宗教时就已存在的资源。那时我以为，这些宗教无一例外都是盲目信仰的产物，与批判性思维格格不入，因此在社会上不便坚持时，也就不值得继续守护。

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.

愿这部新增的英文藏书，能够平息如今许多人心中与家中燃烧的野火。

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

愿它以信念的清凉抚平现代性的一些创伤，也平息那些让我们的生活因缺乏安全、充实与平衡方向而干涸的不确定感。

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.

阿拉知道，对于我而言，写作是一片令人不安的领域，原因多种多样。但一个人怎能坐视不理，眼看人性中高尚的品质日益被无宗教信仰的风气践踏，眼看我们被囚禁的灵魂所渴求的欲望时时灼烧着我们？我祈愿这本书能为那些在自身信仰或亲人信仰上挣扎的人提供些许帮助——我在社区工作中或网络上几乎每天都会遇到这样的人，还有更多的人我只是听说过，却无法亲自接触。正是出于这样的心愿，我觉得有责任踏上这片陌生的写作之海。如有失误之处，我祈求阿拉宽恕。

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.

本书旨在彰显人类对先知身份永不止息的需求，并阐明穆罕默德ﷺ先知身份的诸多令人信服的依据。由此，本书进而致力于提出关于生命真正目的的一套融贯主张，这种主张能够带来坚不可摧的内心平静，而这种平静唯有亲身见证笃信之晨曦方能获得。

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.

自八世纪或九世纪起，专门讨论“圣迹”（dalā'il al-nubuwwah，即先知身份的证据）的独立著作便已成为穆斯林学术传统的一部分。此类文献长期是伊斯兰学术的支柱，这有力地证明了伊斯兰学术坚持以严谨的方式确立其真理主张的根基。阿布·曼苏尔·巴格达迪（卒于1037年）记载，伊玛目沙斐仪（卒于

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)是第一位编写关于确立穆罕默德ﷺ先知身份之证据的书籍的人,因为婆罗门教徒曾否认先知身份和神圣启示的可能性。3这一类著作中,有九十多部的书名至今仍为人所知,其中最著名的是伊玛目al-Bayhaqī(卒于1066年)的《先知学证据》(Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah)。这些作者的目的在于增强信徒的信念,消除人们对穆罕默德ﷺ真实性的疑虑,并将这些证据汇集于一处,以便任何探究其先知身份真相的人都能便捷地获取。

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.

证明先知身份的首要证据是真主本身,因为正是祂引导我们本能地寻求祂,并随后去考察那些自称为先知的人,以便更好地与祂建立联系。所有人天生都有相信真主存在的本能,也有发现这一我们如此强烈感知到的至高力量的内在冲动。虽然并非每一个人类文明都致力于发展工艺或正规教育,但每一个文明都投身于某种形式的宗教实践。人类在有记载的历史中一直如此,因此人类学家至今未曾发现一个土著社会是无神论的,而当今一些科学家也主张,对神或某种更高力量的信仰已被植入我们的基因之中。即使是那些摒弃宗教的共产主义者,仍然将列宁神化,到处竖立他的雕像,并像诵读经典一样背诵他的著作。同样,现代无神论者也表现出一贯的准宗教行为,并且常常在寻求其他形式的灵性。例如,自称为异教徒或威卡教徒的美国成年人仅约一百万,然而高达60%的美国人至少认同一种"新时代"信仰,例如相信占星术和/或通灵师,或相信水晶等物体蕴含灵性能量。归根结底,我们所有人都经历的这种形而上的渴望是一股强大而普遍的力量,由真主在我们内心创造,驱使我们去寻找祂所选定来引导我们走向祂的众先知。他们关于真主、祂的伟大、祂的引导,以及今世与后世之真实的讯息,在我们内心深处引起如此强烈的共鸣,以至于我们不由自主地被引向信仰。

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.

我们不仅受到对真主（神）内在笃定感的驱使，并与祂相连的冲动所推动，还受到一种引人入胜的“信任”的驱使，即相信我们能够找到祂。人们或许没有意识到这一点：理性可以论证神的存在、神的智慧以及神的目的性，但它无法解释，为什么我们的心智首先就是可靠的理性工具。理性主义者勒内·笛卡尔开始其智识之旅时，便意识到无节制的怀疑会让他沉没于不确定之中。

We are not just “driven to God” by an inner surety about Him and the impetus to connect with Him, but also by a fascinating “trust” in our ability to find Him. People may not appreciate that while reason may argue for God existing, being wise, and being purposeful, it cannot explain why our minds are reliable instruments of reason in the first place. When the rationalist René Descartes embarked on his intellectual journey, he realized that unbridled skepticism would drown him in uncertainty.

蒙受真主的慈悯，祂为每一位先知和使者降下与其所处时代相适应的迹象，并为穆罕默德ﷺ赐予了众多的证据。他是真主所说的“全世界的慈恩”，因此他的证据不仅要与其时代的所有人相关，也要与此后的所有时代相关。这些证据的多样性，使其能够触动每一个时代、每一种文化与每一种思维方式。在先知穆罕默德ﷺ在世时，有人只看了一眼他的面容，便接受了他的使命。阿卜杜拉·本·赛俩姆说：“我当即就知道，这不是说谎者的面容。”另有一人，只听了几句简短的、阐述伊斯兰价值观的话语，便坚定了信念。图法伊勒·本·阿慕尔说：“我从未听过比这更卓越、更中正的言论。”还有人因他诚实的声誉而确信他的先知身份。古莱什的领袖们在与他共同生活四十年后说：“我们从你身上所见的，只有诚实。”另有人在目睹奇迹之后信仰，明白这些惊人的事件绝非寻常之事所能解释。

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.

凭借这种多样性，喜马拉雅山的游牧牧羊人可以走上多条通往确定性的道路，象牙塔里的哲学家可以，纽约摩天大楼下熙熙攘攘的人群可以，厄瓜多尔的香蕉工人也可以。

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.

真主也使证明穆罕默德ﷺ先知身份的凭据清晰明了，任何诚实求真的人都能够辨认。至于那些沉迷于物质世界的人，或把社会关系置于至高无上的造物主之上的人，或因自负而对自己论证中的缺陷视而不见的人，他们所得到的只会是模糊的判断。在许多这类情况中，他们那些站不住脚的辩解，甚至连他们自己也未必察觉，因为人们向来能够把自己封闭在回声室之中，屈从于群体思维，从而压制自己的良知，以及否认显而易见之事所带来的内疚。正如真主所说："即使我为他们开启天上的一扇门，他们持续地攀登其上，他们也一定会说：'我们的眼睛只是被迷惑了。不，我们是被施了魔法的一群人。'"14

God also made the proofs verifying the prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم crystal clear, so that any honest seeker can recognize them. As for those who obsess over the material world, or those who give precedence to their social relationships over their supreme Creator, or those whose self-conceit has blinded them to the flaws of their arguments, they will only find clouded judgment. In many of these cases, their flawed justifications may go unnoticed even by themselves, for people have always been able to lock themselves in echo chambers, surrender to groupthink, and effectively silence their consciences and the guilt of denying the undeniable. As Allah says, “And [even] if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend, they would say, ‘Our eyes have only been dazzled. Rather, we are a people affected by magic.’”14