CONTENTS

Foreword VII

Preface xi

CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1

"Brothers, I Lost Him"

CHAPTER 2: Setting Out 9

Approaches to the Qur'an (9); An Answer to a Prayer (15); That Is the Book (16); And His Lord Turned toward Him (20); "When Will God's Help Come?" (24); Wishful Thinking (33); Except Those Who Have Faith and Do Good (35); The Most Beautiful Names (42); First Objection (50); Second Objection (54) To Live and Learn (55); Trial and Error (58); Sin as Self-Destruction (60); Three Signs (62); Life in the Womb-Life on Earth (63); Birth-Resurrection (64); Death-Sleep (65); "Except That They Should Worship Me" (66); Additional Questions (68); On Omnipotence (69); Predestination (70); On the Origins of Evil and Temptation (74); Don't We Need Another Prophet?

(78)

CHAPTER 3: The Decision 87

Islam in the West (95); Confirming Misconceptions (99); An Arab Religion (99); Melting Pot (102); Imitating the Prophet (103); Failing to Communicate (105); Superficialities (106); Religion and Culture (107); A Misogynous Religion (109); Gender Differences (113); A Fifth Column (116); Making a Hard Choice Harder (136); The Qur'an (137)

CHAPTER 4: Nourishing Faith 145

Calling to Faith (148); Bearing Witness (150); Experiencing Intimacy (158); Ramadan (165); Zakah and Spiritual Cleansing (169); Pilgrimage (174)