COMMUNICATING THE WORD OF GOD

Finding Newer Horizons

THE Quran is the final and preserved message of God to humankind. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. The Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger in the noble chain of prophets. Now, no new prophet will arrive to guide humankind to the straight path. It is the Quran now that addresses human beings. This status of the Quran is mentioned thus in the Quran: Blessed be He who has revealed the criterion [the Quran] to His servant that he may warn the nations. (25: 1)

The Quran also says that it is a ‘reminder for all humankind’ (6: 90). The believers are now given the responsibility to communicate the message from God, i.e. the Quran to all human beings. The Quran says: Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and reason with them in a way that is best. (16: 125)

Since the time the Quran was revealed, believers have continued to communicate the Word of God. The ancient time was an age of traditional communication. Some would read out a portion of the Quran to their addressees. Such people were known as Muqri, i.e. readers or reciters. With the advancement of human knowledge, newer means of communication were invented. After the invention of printing press, copies of the Quran began to be translated and printed in large numbers. The message of the Quran has been continuously broadcast through radio and television in all parts of the world.

God’s Plan for the Quran
The Prophet said, “There will be no home remaining—big or small—in which God will not have entered the word of Islam.” (Musnad Ahmad) It is the solemn responsibility of the Muslims to engage in and employ those means of communication that would facilitate the Word of God reach every home on planet earth. Achieving this target was not possible in ancient times as the means of communication was still in nascent age. In fact, the true import of the relevant Quranic verses and the sayings of the Prophet was not even realized. When the modern age dawned, it became possible to envision how this task could be accomplished.

The Advent of the Information Age
We are living in the Information Age. A Wikipedia entry informs that the Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age) is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. This age is characterized by a rapid shift from the traditional industry established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy primarily based upon information technology. According to the United Nations Public Administration Network, the Information Age was formed by capitalizing on computer microminiaturization advances. These advances led to modernized information and to communication processes.

The new tools of information and communication have made global communication possible. Now, a person sitting at home can reach every place on earth through modern means of communication. The process of information transfer is now just a click or a finger press away. However controlled or difficult human movement is at any given place, one cannot hinder the movement of information. Wireless connectivity is a feature that has revolutionized this field.

Newer Horizons
We shall now present few of the newest tools that have been made available to communicate the message of the Quran. These are:

• Podcasts
• Virtual Assistant Technology
• Artificial Intelligence

A Podcast is a series of spoken-word digital audio files. Podcast can be uploaded in episodes. Podcasting is a way to share information as digital audio files. Discussion and content within a podcast can range from carefully scripted to completely improvised. Popular podcasting platforms are Google Podcast, Spotify and Apple Podcast, etc. The audio files of the Quran translations and its explanatory material are now available on these platforms.

Virtual Assistant Technology uses software that can perform tasks or services for an individual based on commands or questions. It is also known as chatbot. Virtual Assistant Technology is powered by artificial intelligence. It is primarily available on mobile and smart home devices. This technology is available on Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, etc. We can now ask our smartphone or smart speakers to read us verses, passages or the whole Quran. It works by our voice command.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans. It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. AI has become the most exciting and fondly discussed topic around the world. AI allows a computer to think like a human. When a device like computer or a robot is powered by AI, it gets the ability to respond to questions and stimuli as any human beings would respond. Now, questions about Islam and the Quran can be directed to such devices, and the device would answer as any religious scholar would reply. Gabriele Trovato is a Researcher at Waseda University. He has developed what is now called the world’s first Catholic robot named Santo. It answers existential as well as scriptural questions directed by the visitors. Major global faiths are discussing their relationship with AI, and some are starting to incorporate this technology into their worship. Robot priests can recite prayers, deliver sermons, and even comfort those experiencing a spiritual crisis. (God and robots: Will AI transform religion? October 21, 2021 BBC Video Feature)

Challenges and Opportunities
The message of the Quran is meant to be communicated to every nook and corner of the world. To accomplish such a task just a few decades ago would have been beyond anyone’s imaginations. Thanks to the latest developments in the information technology, for the first time ever in history, the doors have opened to realize this once gargantuan task. This is not a simple statement. For the believers who claim to follow the message of the Quran, this development means two things. First, they need to understand the gravity of the matter. Now that the means of global communication are at hand, they will be held accountable to God if they fail to communicate the Word of God. Second, they need to learn and employ this technology.

As is the case with human beings, these intelligent machines also throw some challenges. People throw up their doubts, questions, criticisms and objections about Islam on these platforms. Some researchers have found bias in AI. Talking about these biases, an article mentions this:

Being profoundly aware of these threats and seeking to minimize them is an urgent priority when many firms are looking to deploy AI solutions. Algorithmic bias in AI systems can take varied forms such as gender bias, racial prejudice and age discrimination. (Why Artificial Intelligence’s religious biases are worrying, Indian Express, October 13, 2021)

Another article published in The New York Times informs us thus: Researchers at an artificial intelligence lab in Seattle called the Allen Institute for AI unveiled new technology last month that was designed to make moral judgments. They called it Delphi, after the religious oracle consulted by the ancient Greeks. Anyone could visit the Delphi website and ask for an ethical decree. (Can a Machine Learn Morality? New York Times, November 19, 2021)

The Role of CPS International
The foregoing pages have made it abundantly clear about the most important field through which the Word of God is to be communicated.

Recognizing this importance at the beginning, CPS International founded by the late Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1925-2021) has undertaken the initiative. A dedicated podcast channel named Spiritual Message can be found on all podcast platforms that contains a number of episodes on the message of the Quran. English translation of the Quran with many user-friendly features is available at Amazon Alexa. This feature is named as Quran Player. The same will be available on Google Assistant soon. A team comprising of CPS members from many countries is now working to produce AI-enabled Quran.