AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi is a true gift of a book.

It gives on so many levels: it is at once a poignant conversion narrative, a rare look into the inner workings of Islam, and a vivid picture of apologetics working hand-in-hand with relationship to change a life.  Qureshi himself is a man of deep passion and razor-sharp intellect.  As a Western Christian with only a cursory knowledge of Islam, this book blessed me greatly.

Qureshi tells the story of growing up in America as the only son of a devout Muslim family.  He begins the book claiming, “If my words seem Pro-Muslim, you are beginning to understand how much I loved Islam.”  I was struck by just how powerful community and family are in shaping faith as I read his story.  Qureshi’s parents are truly admirable people, and he very obviously admires them.

As Qureshi’s story unfolds we see him first repelled by Christianity, then indifferent to it, before finally being drawn into a years-long “battle of the faiths” with a good Christian friend.  The struggle is epic and deeply personal, and Qureshi does an excellent job of capturing the nuances of conversation and feeling.

The book is not directly instructive on how to reach out to Muslims with the gospel, but it is nonetheless full of great insights in this area.  I also found new, helpful insights in regards to honor/shame culture, East-West dynamics, law verse grace, Biblical apologetics, and even effective parenting practices.  There is multi-faceted value in picking this book up.

The climax of Qureshi’s narrative had me riveted, but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  Suffice to say, the hurt is deep and palatable, but so is the grace and new sense of mission—a true, resounding note of hope ends the book.  Which brings us to the narration of the audiobook version: it is the highlight of the book, in my opinion.  I’m so glad Qureshi chose to narrate the book himself.  He brings genuine emotion to the stories, with the end in particular standing out as a tour-de-force of feeling.  Also, on a practical level, it’s good to have him pronouncing the Arabic names and phrases.

Very highly recommended.

Please Note: This audiobook was gifted as a part of the Christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.  More information can be found about this and other Christian audiobooks at christianaudio.com.