Sometimes interviewers will give notice of their questions, which gives you a chance to write what you would like to say in an ideal world, bearing in mind the minimal air time available for each answer.

Then, when you are asked your question, without reading what you previously wrote, you still stand a good chance of saying the things that you wanted to say, and may even remember the brilliant impromptu witticisms that you previously spent so much time trying to think up.

And if it all goes wrong, you just have to remember that it's radio - it vanishes on the air as soon as it is set free. Not many will have heard it and many many fewer will remember it on the following day.

What's your pet religious hate?

I don't hate anything about religion itself, but if we're talking about those who see themselves as religious, I could go on all day. First of all, the hypocrites, those who say they're in it for God's sake, but are quite clearly doing it for themselves - though God is the best of judges. Then the loudmouthed ignorant - which, of course, often includes the hypocrites. Then the apathetic - who let the other two get away with it.

Why do you pray? - and how?

Because it's absolutely central to being a muslim. You do it five times a day as part of the rules, and if you do that, you realise that praying's good for you - it makes you feel better. I often say, it's like doing physical exercises - it's not always easy to do it regularly, there's something about humans that makes them dislike what's good for them, but when you make the effort you feel so much better afterwards.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

If we're talking about real inspiration, there's only Muhammad really. No one else comes close. If we're talking about religion specifically, in history there's the Prophets, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the like, and I've learned my Islam from lot's of inspiring people, many of whom I don't remember their names. On a more prosaic level, I've been inspired by great scientists and thinkers, explorers, my mum and dad, Spike Milligan, Tommy Cooper.

Does anything you read help you understand what life is about?

I read a lot, and understanding what life is about is mainly what I read for. But that doesn't just mean "religious books". I read books on science, and science fiction, and other novels, and gardening books, but over and over again, I read the Qur'an, and books of Hadith, the sayings of Muhammad - and I always discover something new - they always manage to surprise me.

If you did not have your own faith, which other religion do you think would suit you best?

I guess my reserve religion would have to be Buddhism - what I imagine might well be every westerners second choice - it seems to make so few demands - and of the assorted varieties on offer, I would have to choose some nice ascetic Zen and swap my prayer mat for a zafu. But I don't think God will want me to give up at this stage of the game - I hope I don't have to face any form of death bed conversion.

Is it ever right to fight for religion?

At the risk of reinforcing the media stereotype of the bloodthirsty muslim, of course it can be right to fight for religion, but fight for the freedom to practise your religion, not to impose your religion on others. Man's freedom to worship is an essential part of the purpose of his creation. You have to realise that without that freedom life isn't worth living. It's something you have to be prepared to die for.

As science progresses, do you think it gradually gets harder to see any mystery in things?

On the contrary. It's quite clear that the more science progresses the more mysterious it gets. Surely one of the things about science is that it tends to be driven by a sense of wonder. Trying to find a solution to problems of the unknown, and as is inevitable in an infinite universe, the more you know, the more you know how little you know. If you think there's no mystery left, try looking into particle physics or cosmology.

Be honest - do you think of God as a person with a human face?

No. I really don't feel the need. Qur'an speaks of God as having a Face, and hands, and doing human things like sitting on a throne, but that's for the benefit of human understanding. It says - "Wherever you look - there is the Face of God", and that's not like any human face I know. More like the face of your beloved, who's on your mind all the time, whatever you're doing.

Is there a place where you feel at your most spiritual?

On my prayer mat. In fact, muslims don't need a prayer mat to pray on - you just use it to keep yourself clean, as you are putting your face on the ground when you pray. So when I say prayer mat, I mean that place of prayer - I've had lots of prayer mats, and they're all the same place. The same place I prayed in last week, last year, ten years ago, twenty years ago, wherever I was at the time, rich or poor, fit or well, each time I pray it reminds me I'm still here.

Do you believe in ghosts?

That depends on what you mean by ghosts. I certainly believe in non-human beings around us on the earth, not made of clay like ourselves. I believe in angels, of course, creatures made of light, recording our actions and communicating God's will to mankind. But I think most of the stuff that scares or intrigues people, strange happenings, and weird events, is more likely to be coming from djinn. Genies - they're not all locked away in lamps and bottles.

Do you believe in miracles?

Absolutely - No problem. Qur'an says that when God wills a thing He just says to it "Be" and it is. We are surrounded by miracles. Life is a miracle. Scientists may find a way to tell you how, but they have no answers as to why. Muhammad wasn't known for doing miracles. It doesn't necessarily get people to believe your message, look at Moses and Jesus.

If you could ask God one question now, what would it be?

Asking questions is very dangerous. As philosophers know, to get the answer you want you have to make sure you are asking the right question, and then you have to be sure you are understanding the answer correctly. But if pushed, I guess I'd have to say "How am I doing."