From the moment of birth a person is enveloped in an environment shaped by the religious or ideological inclinations of his family, his society and his culture. The affiliation often reaches official records, with a religion documented on a birth certificate before the person has formed any view at all.
Through childhood and into the teenage years those inherited beliefs settle deeply, and most people find they have little room to deviate. Then life introduces other beliefs, other ideologies — and questions arrive that had never previously needed asking.
The Dilemma
At that point a seeker of truth meets a genuine problem. Adherents of every religion, every sect, every ideology and every philosophy claim to possess the ultimate truth. How does anyone discern which path is the right one?
Most books assume the answer and start from there. This one starts from the question, which is where an honest reader actually is.
What Is Inside
- Monotheism explored — the Islamic principle of Tawhid, and why Allah alone deserves to be worshipped
- Rational and scriptural arguments — logical and textual evidence examining polytheistic and atheistic positions
- The attributes of Allah — what makes the Islamic conception of God distinctive, and internally consistent
Why the Approach Works
Because it applies a test rather than asserting a conclusion. A reader who is given criteria can use them on any claim, including the one being presented to him — and a case that invites that scrutiny is in a stronger position than one that avoids it.
It also disarms the most common objection. If the argument is that everyone simply follows what they were raised with, then a book that opens by conceding exactly that has already met the reader where he stands.
Who It Is For
Non-Muslims genuinely examining the question. Muslims raised in the religion who have never articulated why they hold it. Da'wah workers, campus societies and outreach programs. New Muslims consolidating what they decided.
Related Reading
