The Rational Choice

The Rational Choice by A.S. Alam, M.D. is a thoughtful da'wah resource that invites earnest seekers of truth to reflect deeply upon life's most consequential decision: the choice of faith.

Rooted in the observation that human beings are born into families and belief systems they did not choose, the author challenges readers to examine what they hold with intellect and sincerity rather than by inheritance.

Why the Opening Observation Is So Effective

Because it is unarguable, and it applies to everyone in the room.

A person raised in one country holds one religion; the same person raised three thousand miles away would almost certainly hold another. That is a fact about how belief is distributed, and it is uncomfortable for the believer and the unbeliever alike.

The book does not use it to suggest all beliefs are equally arbitrary. It uses it to argue the opposite: that if belief matters, then it deserves to be examined rather than absorbed — and that a person who has never examined his has not really chosen anything.

Who the Challenge Is Aimed At

Everyone, including Muslims. A Muslim by inheritance who has never considered why is in the same position the book describes, and a good number of readers report finding that the uncomfortable part.

Who It Is For

Thoughtful non-Muslim readers, particularly those who consider themselves rational rather than religious. Also Muslims who want to move from inherited practice to considered conviction.

Related Reading

• The Eternal Guidance — why revelation is necessary
• Debunking the Canons of Atheism — answering the arguments of atheism
• Toward Understanding Islam — a systematic introduction to Islamic teaching