Toward a Quranic Understanding of the Divine : Perspectives from Three Thinkers

We cannot consider humanity’s relationship to the Divine without asking questions. How can God exist? What lessons does He have for us? If God is omnipotent, what role is there for human free will?

Toward a Quranic Understanding of the Divine seeks the answers to these queries in the wisdom of the Quran. Only the words in the holy book are considered, free from the often-distorting lens of cultural expectations or dogma.

Authors Abdur Rab, Farouk A. Peru, and Siraj Islam start from the basic principle that seeking a path to God is humanity’s primary goal. They then explore how focusing on our real selves (nafs) helps us meet the Divine (liqa’ullah). They candidly discuss how scientific findings, including evolution, have their place in God’s natural laws and interpret scripture as spiritual lessons rather than literal accounts.

From there, the book examines the unity of God and important lessons for humanity, the difference between Divine preordination and human predestination, and the many blessed attributes found in God’s names as they appear in the Quran.

A bold, insightful exploration of Quaranic Islam, this extraordinary book reveals a loving, compassionate God and how His ideals, properly emulated, can transform our spiritual lives.

Abdur Rab is a professional economist. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Dhaka University and received his doctorate from Harvard. He has served in government and nongovernment organizations in Pakistan and Bangladesh and worked for numerous international organizations.

The author of Rediscovering Genuine Islam: The Case for a Quran-Only Understanding, Rab regularly writes articles on Islamic topics. His work can be read at www.quranonly.com. He lives with his family in Houston, Texas.

Farouk A. Peru was born in Malaysia and is pursuing a doctorate at King's College, London, with a thesis centered on Islam and postmodernity. His academic interests include the authentic philosophy of the Quran without cultural biases and the study of Islam as a civilization, culture, and identity.

Peru regularly comments on Malaysian politics and writes for the Malaysian Insider, the Malay Mail Online, and Free Malaysia. His thoughts as a Quranic Muslim are available at www.farouk.name.

Siraj Islam is a medical doctor who was born and raised in Bangladesh and now lives in London. In addition to his clinical and research work, he is interested in science, philosophy, sociology, history, literature, and comparative theology.

Islam edited two Bengali social studies journals and has authored several Bengali books. His Quran-centric reformist views are available at www.lampofislam.wordpress.com.