Book Reviews

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

by Stephen Kimball 
06/30/18
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Rarely does a book come along, in my view, that holds such importance to the Christian faith and apologetics as Qureshi’s book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2014 Zondervan). My wife had purchased, read and recommended the book years ago but for some reason it remained on the book shelf a long time before I decided to pick it up. She wasn’t kidding when she said it was an interesting read. Once I finally picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I am only speaking for myself here, but growing up, Muslims were barely on my radar. I hereby date myself by reminding you of the old song by the Imperials (Oh Buddha 1978) that put these lyrics to a catchy tune:

Well, Old Buddha was a man and I'm sure that he meant well
But I pray for his disciples lest they wind up in hell
And I'm sure that old Mohammed thought he knew the way
But it won't be Hare Krishna we stand before on The Judgment Day.

And that was my impression of Mohammed and Islam. With very little knowledge of the Muslim faith and very limited interaction with Muslims, for me, Islam was in a bag with all the other false religions of the world - out of sight, out of mind.

The September 11, 2001 attacks on American soil changed all that. A general sense of fear and trepidation has made many in this country overly cautious and perhaps even prejudiced of Muslims. Those events and all the news since of the terror of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have fed these feelings. However, that view would have to be anti-Christian and certainly does nothing to advance Gods kingdom on earth. It stands to reason one would be reluctant to share the love of Christ with someone that they fear and really, if being honest, wants nothing to do with.

Therein lies the reason I say this book is an important work. Qureshi, a second-generation immigrant, disarms the fear by sharing his upbringing in a deeply religious home. He unveils what we, as Americans living in a “Christian” society don’t usually get to see. It is his personal story and it gives us an understanding of what he believes and why and just how profoundly their lives are intertwined with their God and their prophet Mohammed. He covers, in detail, the heart wrenching struggle to find the truth about God. His story is one that builds a strong case for the Christian faith while simultaneously revealing the true nature of Islam and the misconceptions that many in that faith blindly believe.

This true story serves to break down the walls that have been erected toward Muslims. It equips the reader to interact with Muslim people with a better understanding of their faith and their arguments against Christianity. In summary, this book is a wealth of information that I would highly recommend to all readers who seek the truth - Christian or Muslim.