COMMUNICATING THE WORD OF GOD

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.