Resources Along the Way
Since news of my embrace of Islam has now officially gone public, my message inbox has been jammed full and my phone has been ringing off the hook. It is currently impossible to speak to everyone and to answer every question that’s been fielded to me. My time is simply limited. (Not to mention, it’s been a bit exhausting over the past 48 hours. But glory to God or all things.)
That said, I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of resources which I’ve felt were very helpful for me personally along the way — many of which have brought me to the current embrace of Islam. This list is by no means exhaustive. Even though I have been reading about Islam for over twenty years, I realize that I have not even scratched the surface. And this is true in what resources about in English. The vast majority of writing about Islamic philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, spirituality, etc. are still only available in Arabic.
I’ve listed below some main influencial sources under individual headings, with supplemental sources added in the discussion here and there.
1) The Clear Quran
There are a number of translations of the Quran available, and many very good ones. This translation of the Quran was recommended to me by a number of trusted people. It is possibly the most accessible translation of the Quran in English.
It must be noted, however, that reading the Quran is not the same as reading the Bible. A Quran in English is really just a translation of the Quran. Experiencing — and understanding — the Quran fully can really only be done in recitation and in the traditional Arabic.
Another English translation that I like to read and recommend is The Meaning of the Glorious Quran by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall. This translation is something like the ‘King James Version’ in English translations. Pickthall himself was an English convert to Islam and played an important role in promoting Islam in England in the early 20th century.
2) Islam and the Destiny of Man by Gai Eaton
Out of all the books I’ve read, there is none that more perfectly matches my own thoughts as Gai Eaton’s Islam and the Destiny of Man. Gai Eaton was an English diplomat and scholar, and he brings with him into his work deep wisdom and insight into what it means to be a Muslim in the modern world. There are some very good descriptions and reviews of the book on Goodreads, and the book is available online as a free PDF.
But again, if people with to know my own mind on the matter, I at once direct them to this book.
3) The Heart of Islam by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
In the wake of the tragedy of 9/11, respected Islamic scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr sought to write a book that would serve as a sort of ‘introduction’ to Islam for many in America and in the West who might not have any real understanding of the faith. This book is the result, and was one of the first that I read in seeking a deeper understanding of Islam.
4) Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources by Martin Lings
Perhaps the best biography of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in the English language. Lings was a renowned Oxford scholar and English convert to Islam. His biography of the Prophet (ﷺ) can be found in abridged audo form on Youtube.
Another great resource is a recording of a twelve-week course on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by Shaykh Hamza Yusef, which can be found on Youtube as well.
For personal reasons, I might also include Karen Armstrong’s Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. This was the first book I read in college on the Prophet (ﷺ) in January of 2002 and in the immediate wake of 9/11.
5) The Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks
This book is not without some controversy. I’ve included it because it personally brought me closer to Islam through its poets and mystics. There is a related title which I also bought called Essential Sufism by Robert Frager. The reason why Bark’s translation of Rumi is controversial is because, though Barks’ poetic translations are beautiful, they often stray significantly from the original text and scrub the ‘Muslim-ness’ out of Rumi.
Another influential book on Sufism for its time was called The Sufis by Idries Shah, which was published in 1964. While it was an excellent source for aphorisms and stories of the Sufi saints — most especially Mulla Nusradin — the book is mix with some of Shah’s on thoughts and philosophy, which are questionable at times. Still, this was an influencial book for me along the way.
6) The life and works of scholar and Catholic priest Louis Massignon
Louis Massignon was perhaps the single most influential figure for me during my time doing theological studies at Marquette University in 2019–2022. Works of his are a bit more difficult to recommend, as much of it is only available in academic libraries, and a great deal of it is still untranslated in French. Two good basic introductions can be found online: ‘Thomas Merton, Louis Massignon and the Challenge of Islam’ by Sidney Griffith and Louis Massignon: At The Origins of Christian-Islamic Dialogue by Massimo Introvigne.
7) Jesus Son of Mary: In the Quran and According to the Teachings of Ibn Arabi
An excellent study and resource, which was gifted to me upon taking my Shahada. From the book description:
Gloton is a major authority on Ibn ʿArabī studies in French. This book is a summary of his research on the topic of Jesus and Mary in Islam through the Akbarian perspective, using Qurʾānic vocabulary and syntax to explain the multi-layered meanings in the Qurʾān. The esoteric perspective of Ibn ʿArabī is woven into the text, providing insights into the nature of Jesus and Mary and proving the universality of the three Abrahamic revelations.
A good balance is presented between the esoteric approach and an historical and linguistic analysis of the subject.
8) Ibn ‘Arabi and the Unity of Being
The YouTube channel ‘Let’s Talk Religion’ has been an indispensable source of information about Islam over the years. Though the channel is not exclusively devoted to information and videos on Islam, a large chunk of it is dedicated to Islamic history, theology, philosophy and so on. The video entitled ‘Ibn ‘Arabi and the Unity of Being’ played a major role in introducing me to the thought of Ibn Arabi, who was an Arab Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher who was extremely influential within Islamic thought. After he died, among practitioners of Sufism he is renowned by the honorific title Shaykh al-Akbar (Arabic: الشيخ الأكبر) which the “Akbarian” school derives its name, and make him known as Doctor Maximus (The Greatest Teacher) in medieval Europe.
9) Paul Williams and Blogging Theology
Paul Williams is a force to be reckoned with. This seemingly unassuming guy pictured aboved as produced hundreds — if not thousands — are videos, articles, interviews, lectures, etc. on issues of theology and Islam. Yet another British convert to Islam, Paul as the demeanor of a humble man simply seeking the truth above all else, and following this where it will. I noticed myself slowly beginning to ‘like’ and agree with many of his videos on Islam over the years, which can be found on his ‘Blogging Theology’ YouTube channel. He also has a website, is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other media.
10) Timothy Winter (aka, Abdal Hakim Murad)
Yet another English convert to Islam, I have for a while considered myself to be a ‘student’ of Dr. Timothy Winter. There are hours and hours of excellent content on YouTube all for free from Dr. Winter’s lectures, interviews, sermons, etc. Indispensible is his over 10-hour lecture entitled ‘Understanding Islam’. Also of note are his lectures intitled ‘Is Orthodox Islam possible without Sufism’ and ‘Riding the Tiger of Modernity’.
All indispensable stuff.
11) Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Another powerhouse figure, Hamza Yusuf is a well-known and eloquent speaker, scholar, and co-founder of Zaytuna College in California. Many of his lectures, interviews, and talks can be found on YouTube.
12) Imam Chris Caras
Like many traditions, Islam is not simply to be learned in books and still less online. There is a great deal of bad information online, and it is easy to go down the wrong path inadvertently. My own imam, Imam Chris Caras, is also a convert to Islam. Apart from being a one-on-one wealth of knowledge and personal counsel, he has an excellent blog about the Islamic faith which I highly recommend.
13) Imam Abdul Aziz Suraqah
Another convert and imam in the Pittsburgh area, Imam Abdul Aziz Suraqah is a respected scholar and translator. He has personally helped to guide me into Islam. Interviews and acticles by and about him can be found online, and some of his works can be found on his Twitter page.
14) Mahdi Lock
The son of a Russian Orthodox scholar and professor, Mahdi Lock is a teacher, student, blogger, writer, and professional freelance translator of classical Arabic Islamic texts into English. He has been studying theology, law and other Islamic sciences for several years with teachers in England, North Africa and the Middle East. He is a convert to Islam, and has written both on his blog and elsewhere guides to the newly converted. In 2018 he published The Big Step: How to Survive Islam in the Anglosphere.
For the past year or so, I have been in contact with Mahdi on a regular basis, and a close brotherly friendship has formed through our shared values and outlook on the faith in society. His videos can be found on the YouTube channel ‘The Forward’.
15) Dr. Shabir Ally and Let the Quran Speak
As far as internet commentary goes, I found Dr. Shabir Ally’s ‘Let the Quran Speak’ to be some of the most ‘fair and balanced’ commentary when it comes to questions about Islam. His YouTube videos and page are highly recommended.
16) Dr. Ali Ataie
Another powerhouse hailing from Zaytuna College in California, Dr. Ali Ataie is a scholar of biblical hermeneutics with field specialties in Sacred Languages and Comparative Theology. Dr. Ataie, again, has a number of great lectures and videos online, including on ‘Blogging Theology’. His recent video on the Crucifixion of Jesus is excellent food for thought.
17) Texas Muslims
What’s more American than Texas? For a while, I have been fascinated to see how religion takes ahold in the South and in the Bible Belt. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s quite a lot of converts to Islam in Texas. In December of 2021, I watched the documentary ‘How I Became a Texas Muslim’ on YouTube, and I was both fascinated by their accounts as well as amazed at the serene joy that the Muslim converts interviewed exuded. One quote really stuck out and stayed with me for a long time after viewing the documentary. A couple times in the video, a former Baptist said, joyfully and distinctly: “Islam is everything I wanted Christianity to be.” I felt that thing rang true for me.
In a similar vein is the story of Richard McKinney, a US Marine who saw combat in Iraq, a ‘proud American’, and a self-professed hater of Islam. At one point, he had planned to blow up a local Mosque and face the consequences of Federal prison, his hatred was so strong. But then… he eventually became Muslim himself. His story can be found here. I’ve found many such cases in ‘red state’ Bible Belt America.
There’s also the Texan ‘Cowboy Muslim’ who’s video chanting the Adhan made rounds some time ago. The Cowboy Muslim also has a YouTube channel worth checking out.
And it might be a parody, but I think this song is fantastic.
18) Dune
This one is a bit more difficult to explain. The film, Dune, which came out in late 2021 was a masterpiece on multiple levels. I saw it in the theaters three times, and put it on par with film greats like Andrei Tarkovsky, whom I admire. The raw and futuristic ‘Muslim-ness’ of Dune was a topic of discussion for some time between myself and a best friend of mine, who also embraced Islam at the same time that I did. Was it aesthetics? Was it philosophy? I’m not quite sure, but somehow Dune helped to tip the balance for me in favor of Islam.
Part of the origin’s of Frank Herbert’s work came from his studies of T.E. Lawrence and warrior Muslim tribes, as well as Muslim belief systems and Arab languages and eschatology. All of this would end up deeply enriching his novel, which came to life so magnificently in 2021 under the direction of Denis Villeneuve. It is a modern masterpiece.
An excellent article on the ‘Muslimness’ of Dune can be found here.
Honorable Mention: James S. Cutsinger
As an Eastern Christian, I had known about James Cutsinger for years. Cutsinger, who reposed recently in 2020, was an author, editor, and professor of religious studies at the University of South Carolina. His works focused primarily on comparative religion, the modern Traditionalist School of perennial philosophy, Eastern Christian spirituality, and the mystical tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In the wake of 9/11, Cutsinger called together a conference on Hesychasm and Sufism in October of that same year in an attempt to find some common ground between Eastern Christian and Muslim spirituality. The result was the book Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East. Cutsinger’s own address at the conference was entitled ‘Hesychia: An Orthodox Opening to Esoteric Ecumenism’. This talk, which can be found on YouTube as well as in PDF form, helped to break down some of the barriers between my own Trinitarian understanding of the faith, and the Muslim concept of Unity.
Honorable Mention #2: The Autobiography of Malcolm X
This one might come as a surprise for some people, and it might seem like a left-field choice for a former monk. However, I spent plenty of time jogging and lifting while listening to the speeches and interviews given by Malcolm X. The magnitude, the dignity, and the sincerity of this man has always captivated me. His story is an amazing character arch of redemption, dedication, self-discovery and sacrifice.
Starting off as a common criminal, Malcolm eventually — through stages of transition — discovers the truth and beauty of Islam in that it is a faith that truly cuts through all races, nations, nationalities, and divisions until we are all brothers and sisters made in the image of God. His own honest and forthright reappraisal of things — admitting his own wrongs and mistakes — would eventually lead to the end his young and promising life.
While this book is not primarily about Islam per se, it is a profound witness about the power of God working in the life of a man. The age-old dictum to “know thyself”, coupled with a deep love of God, are the first steps towards Freedom and standing firmly for the Truth.
There is much more that could be added to this list, but among all the sources that have been personally helpful to me in my embrace of Islam, I must put these at the top of the list.
Please pray and make dua for me, brothers and sisters. Subhanallah for all things.
