Light of Guidance

The responsibility of conveying Allah's message rests on every believer. This book is one man's response to that obligation, and its method is unusual: rather than argue, he compiled the statements of Allah Himself, taken from the English translation and commentary of the Noble Qur'an by Dr. Al-Hilali and Dr. Muhsin Khan.

Three Questions

• Who created this universe?
• What was the purpose of this universe?
• What will be the end of this universe?

Every person alive has some answer to these, considered or inherited. They are also the three that decide everything else — and they are questions the Qur'an addresses directly rather than by implication.

Why the Format Works

The verses are given with explanatory footnotes so the meaning is clear to a reader with no background, and color pictures relating to the verses run throughout. That combination is more effective than it sounds: a verse about the ordering of the heavens set beside an image of what is being described lands differently than the same verse in a column of text.

For da'wah the approach has a particular advantage. The reader is not being argued at by a person; he is reading what Allah said, with enough explanation to follow it. There is nothing to push back against.

"And verily, We have sent among every nation a Messenger, proclaiming: Worship Allah alone, and avoid all false deities." (Surah An-Nahl 16:36)

Who It Is For

Non-Muslims who have never read the Qur'an and would not know where to start. Muslims looking for something to give a colleague or neighbor. Da'wah tables and outreach programs. And Muslims themselves — being asked these three questions and finding the answer in front of you tends to renew a familiar Book.

Related Reading

• Magnificence of the Qur'an — the Qur'an's qualities and how to approach it
• Real Life Lessons from the Holy Qur'an — over a hundred practical life lessons drawn from the Qur'an
• A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam — the evidences for Islam, illustrated and referenced