Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity
By: Nabeel Qureshi

An honest, intellectually stimulating unfolding of Nabeel's journey from Islam to Christianity.

First of all, the author is a medical doctor, has two master's degrees and was working on a PH.D before he passed away, so you can believe that he was a well-read intellectual who did the work- research and asking hard questions. He acknowledges that, as all of us do when we are confronted with something that challenges our current beliefs, we have a tendency to only search for proof to defend ourselves rather than looking at the material from all sides with no preconceived ideas. He asserts that he took measures to keep this knowledge at the forefront when he would do his research.

Secondly, Nabeel explains the purpose of the book upfront- it is not meant to include all the details involved with some of the topics, but does cite another book he wrote for those interested in information and further investigation. His purpose was tri-fold: helping Christians understand Muslims and their perspective, contrasting the gospel with Islam using historical facts (namely in regards to Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and claim to be God vs Muhammed and the Quran), and exposing the struggle that Muslims go through when being confronted with the gospel. I feel that he accomplished these objectives excellently.

Observations:
- I really appreciated the inclusion of 'expert contributions' associated with each topic/section; it added even more credibility and insights to the material being presented

-I found it very enlightening when he described the eastern vs western approach to learning and religion. Muslims and other eastern religions are part of an honor/shame paradigm in which the authority is the leadership and obedience is honoring and asking questions and challenging the leadership is shameful. In contrast the western paradigm is one of innocence/guilt in which reason is the ultimate authority and asking questions and thinking critically sharpens authority rather than causing dissension. Recognizing this difference between cultures is helpful for me in understanding how to communicate with Muslims and see things from their perspective and framework.

- I have done my own study of Christianity (not to the extent as Nabeel) but still asking some hard questions and seeking answers to defend my faith and beliefs. Even so, there were some new facts and logical trains of thought that I had not encountered before that were very eye-opening. While addressing the trustworthiness of the Bible, Nabeel adds a disclaimer at the end acknowledging that he didn't spend a very large chunk of space discussing this topic because to a Muslim comparing the Bible and the Quran is comparing apples to oranges. The equivalent of the Quran is the person of Jesus himself- the Word incarnate. So it was more important for him to get to the truth of who Jesus really was- did he really die on the cross, did he really resurrect from the dead, and did he really claim his deity? His journey did not avoid the inerrancy of the Bible, but he just chose not to put a lot of it into this particular book.

- I was impressed by this book in many ways. It was good writing that was easy to follow. He depicted his state of mind, the data, and the emotions of each encounter well. His progression from topic to topic made sense and was well-researched. He didn't want Christianity to be true and his life's foundation to be found false- this tension is evident in his journey and confirms its authenticity. His conversion didn't happen overnight- it reminds us that friendships and relationships are paramount to helping Muslims see the truth of Christianity. It's not going to happen in one conversation. It's a periodic discussion between friends who trust each other, respect each other, and love each other. It's walking alongside someone who is struggling with something life-altering and knowing when to ask questions and when to listen. It's allowing God to show himself to them in a way they will understand and when they are ready for it. It's learning from them and about them before questioning their beliefs.

I could go on but instead I will just recommend you read it for yourself. I can guarantee you that he addresses questions you've asked as well. Learn and investigate alongside him. If he doesn't provide you with enough details in this book- go find your answers. Read his other book. Read someone else's book. Go straight to the original manuscripts. Do whatever it takes to get the truth. Truth is worth struggling for.