The Eternal Challenge: A Journey Through the Miraculous Qur'an

by Abu Zakariya

For over 1.5 billion Muslims throughout the world, the Qur'an is the last revealed word of God and the prime source of their faith. To most non-Muslims though, the Qur'an remains a mystery. What do you know about the book that shapes the lives and eternal destinies of over a quarter of the world's population?

The Eternal Challenge: A Journey Through the Miraculous Qur'an makes it vividly clear why the Qur'an has captivated the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world. Aimed at Muslims and non-Musilms alike, this book is written in an accessible style which requires no prior knowledge of Islam. It covers what the Qur'an teaches, explores its main themes and provides compelling reasons why it is the word of God.

You can order and read this book at: http://www.onereason.org/eternalchall...

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Abu Zakariya has had a life-long interest in comparative religion. Being born in Britain and influenced by his mixed heritage of Arab and European descent, he has had a strong focus on researching Islam and Christianity.

After many years of study, discussions and led by a desire to share his experiences in discussing Islam with people of all religious backgrounds, Abu Zakariya authored the popular comparative religion blog Many Prophets One Message. He has continued his intellectual and academic pursuits by formally studying and learning from academic scholars trained in Islamic thought and theology.

Reviews

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I get into the actual review, I'd like to share that this book has traveled with me to 11 countries (UK, Germany, Czechia, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Israel, Belgium and USA). I got this book in London from a preaching Muslim man. I will never avoid a conversation about faith, even if the person in front of me clearly wants me to convert. We had a fascinating philosophical conversation and in the end, he handed me lots of books. Ultimately, I had to leave most of them in the airport but hey, this made it.

I felt like this definitely gave me some new information. It's always good to hear about a religion from someone who believes in it and I found a lot of beauty in Islam.

There's this mock philosophy style of writing here, as if the only logical path is to follow the Islam. I don't like when theology takes this route because come on, if following one religion was truly the most logical and truthful thing, everyone would be religious.

The argument style didn't convince me. Some of the claims were a little absurd (all kids are born believers?).

I was bothered by how the author speaks about Christianity and Judaism. It's not prominent but there's something so demeaning in how he claims the Quran represents Moses and Jesus better than their respective books or generally, the comparison of those religions.

He tries to claim that Islam is progressive towards women. Now, I'm all here for letting people do their own choices and a religion doesn't have to be super progressive towards women but come on, look at Saudi Arabia. It's okay if the Islam isn't known for progressiveness- it's an old religion but don't lie.

All in all, it was a nice read. I hope one day to sit down and properly read the Quran. I'm not sure if this is the book I'd recommend to read about Islam but if you come across a nice man in London who's giving free books, go for it.

What I'm Taking With Me
- Good reading for Jewish summer camp.
- I am so excited to study philosophy next year.
- Must go visit a mosque soon.

Jewish summer camp experiences:
~ I still haven't found a friend group that I truly love and like, in a way, I'm enjoying this because I can be too cliquey and if the result of 4 months of solo traveling is this, I'll take it.
~ My god, I want to punch one of my kids. I just, she reminds me so much of me when I was 15 and I truly don't understand how I had friends in that age. Simultaneously, I want to show her how you can take all of your spite and turn it into something positive.
~ Tonight I'm all alone with the kids again and after all of the catastrophes of last week, I'm very excited to remedy them.

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cuốn này dành cho những ai có niềm tin vào Thượng Đế và muốn tìm hiểu về đạo Hồi, và cho những ai cải đạo sang đạo Hổi và muốn có bản đồ chỉ dẫn trước khi bắt đầu tự đọc kinh Koran.

Cuốn sách chia thành các chương ngắn gọn dễ đọc, mỗi chương là một câu hỏi lớn. Dù có đặt niềm tin vào Thượng Đế, ai cũng sẽ có nhiều câu hỏi và hoài nghi. Tác giả đã khôn khéo đan xen các câu hỏi này vào từng chương, dẫn dắt hướng suy luận của độc giả.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alhamduillah I loved this! An amazing book for anyone who loves giving dawah and wants to learn more points to share to the world- as well as for anyone who is interested in learning more about Islam! The writing style is straight to the point- and I think that works in the books favor beautifuly. May Allah reward the author for this beautiful book 💕💕

[Angiolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hi all. I don't mean to offend anybody, but seeing the review and my personal opinion about the book. I bought it because I wanted to learn more about the Qur'an. But this book the writer is talking to Muslims. It's aggressive in the way he confirmed he has the total And the complete reason about everything he has written. In this way it will be difficult to understand the sense of faith.
I'm not Muslim and I didn't feel the written was explaining the qur'an, but he was trying hard to convince that what he was written was the only and right thing on earth.
Ex pag 29. For me...life is not a trip on plane. I cannot be happy with the Belgium chocolate but surrounded of people I love. So, if Im in that plane surrounded with people that love, enjoying moments with family and friends...YES I will be happy.
Was difficult to read for somebody out of this religion.

[Maaz Talha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read whether you are a Muslim rediscovering your religion or person interested in the faith.
The book is excellent in breaking down many key themes and concepts of Islam with all statements thoroughly backed by evidence.
A very easy to read book and highly recommended.

[razan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book honestly. It was very insightful and made me realize things in the Quran that I probably wouldn’t have payed attention to otherwise. The only problem I have with this book is that it’s not really what it’s marketed as if that makes sense. It begins saying that this is a book for everyone but throughout reading it’s clear that it’s more appropriate for someone who already has some sort of islamic knowledge and not a complete beginner since it uses biased language and sometimes draws examples that wouldn’t really make sense to someone who isn’t a muslim or from a certain area in the world.

[Yara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really amazing to learn about the beautiful Qu’ran and see how there really is nothing like it and never will be anything like it at all. Really good for those who don’t know anything about the Quran or Islam and even supporting and developing foundation of knowledge for those who do know.

[Fatima Karim]

i have started reading this book during the coronavirus. here excerpt from the book:
"God must have a purpose in mind for us too.
This is what the Qur’an tells us:
“It is God who created the heavens and earth, who has sent down water from the sky and with it brought forth produce to nourish you; He has made ships useful to you, sailing the sea by His command, and the rivers too; He has made the sun and the moon useful to you, steady on their paths; He has made the night and day useful to you and given you some of everything you asked Him for. If you tried to count God’s favours you could never calculate them.”
[Qur’an 14:32–34]

So that nagging question comes up again, what is our purpose?

Again, the Qur’an has the answer:

“I created jinn [spirits] and mankind only to worship Me.”
[Qur’an 51:56]

Now, what do you understand about ‘worship’? Most will say prayer. This is correct; however, in the Qur’an, worship is much more comprehensive than just praying. It includes all acts of obedience that are pleasing to our Creator. Even exercise and eating can be acts of worship if our intention is to stay healthy and strong!

Why perform worship? It is important to understand that our Creator does not need our worship. In fact, the Qur’an tells us that it is human beings who have a need to worship. We are more than just flesh and bone, we have a spiritual side that also needs nourishing. Many people are wealthy - materially speaking - but are unhappy with their lives because they neglect their spiritual well-being. In order for us to experience true peace, both our bodies and soul need to be in tune with our Creator:

“Truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace.”
[Qur’an 13:28]

By endeavouring to make every aspect of our lives pleasing to our Creator, we will be in a state of constant remembrance of God and our hearts will be at peace. This is a revolutionary way of thinking but practically, if someone were to do this, a lot of their actions would not change. Crucially, however, the thought process behind their actions would, and they would find the inner peace so needed in today’s society!

So, a question rises - what is the best way to worship God? To help us consider this, let us again return to the example of mobile phones. Mobile phones are obviously not as sophisticated as human beings, but we share many things in common. We both have a lifespan, we both require energy to function correctly, and we both can be damaged if we are not properly taken care of. When mobile phones develop a problem, the first thing most people do is to refer to the instruction manual for the mobile phone. Why? Because it has been made to show us the best way of using it and we rightly listen to the experts! The creator of the phone knows the best way to use that phone and they have imparted their knowledge to us in the form of instruction manuals. Similarly, then, the Qur’an is like an instruction manual for humanity as it came from the one who made us, God, our Creator, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. This is why His knowledge and His guidance for how we should live will always surpass any invented human philosophies and ways of life.

Why would an All-Powerful, All-Wise Being send us guidance? Why not just create us and leave us to our own devices? The Qur’an tells us that as well as having attributes of Power and Wisdom, our Creator is also the Most Forgiving and Most Loving:

“It is He who brings people to life, and will restore them to life again – and He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Loving.”
[Qur’an 85:13-14]

Our Creator cares about us and it is out of His mercy that He sent mankind the Qur’an.

-Belief in God Almighty:
The essence of the Qur’an, monotheism, is captured in its 112th chapter of the Qur’an:

Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.’
[Qur’an Chapter 112]

You can think of this chapter of the Qur’an as the manifesto of monotheism in Islam. It tells us that God is One. This is not one in the sense of one which can become two and two which can become three and so on. This is One and uniquely One, that cannot become two. But how can we know that our Creator is One? Why can there not be two or three? We can come to this conclusion through reason, a gift given to us by God, which allows us to ponder and reflect on the universe around us and make conclusions about it. It is like when an art historian looks at a series of paintings without knowing the name of the painter, but can identify the artist who created them based on the signature style of the painting."

source: Abu Zakariya*, The Eternal Challenge: A Journey Through The Miraculous Qur’an, pages 14-15.

*Abu Zakariya authored the popular comparative religion blog *Many Prophets, One Message*

[Ziyad Hasanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially grabbed this book because I wanted to know how shall non-arabs, and non-muslims as well, perceive (and receive) the Quran, and Muhammad. I have a hunch that the author tried to imitate the style of Muh. Abdullah Draz's book, An Naba' Al Azeem. Anyways..

The book is surely good at making out points and delivering them concisely and coherently, although I guess some of its arguments in the first chapters (belief in one god, the hereafter, etc.) were not really that strongly supported, or needed more or further arguing; however, that was a minor comment. Another issue I guess I found with several verses is the not-so-good-translations, or using more rough or blatant vocabulary for words that are actually rich in Arabic, however, the writer does seem to have his way with delivering the point despite this discrepancy.

The main chapter that caught my attention, however, was the "Relevancy" chapter. The point he made of understanding the verses that relate to the natural world or to discovering it or looking into it (Tafakkur, in Arabic) was really impressing to me. He argues that such verses used a "timeless" descriptions of the natural world, and that the Quran "addresses various levels of intellects, at various times, and has a whole host of meanings for the particular word that it uses to describe the natural world. These words can relate to the past and present understanding of the physical world, and can relate to non-scientific" (e.g., moral or spiritual) meanings too."

For example, when discussing the verse of the orbits of the planets, he says that the verse makes sense to the 7th century Arabs who can see the planets and stars moving with the naked eye, but also makes sense for the 20th century discovery of celestial mechanics. The verse also mentions that the sun moves in orbit, which makes sense to the 7th century man who thought that the sun moves around the earth, but "on closer inspection of the language of the Quran", can address the modern view that the sun has its own orbit.
This is an interesting approach to so-called scientific "facts" in the Quran; that the Quran (in itself) isn't providing scientific truths, but that its language and style is suitable and flexible enough to be understood in lights of science, and so that it doesn't contradict with it.

The rest of the book is similar to Draz's book, discussing its literary features, historical preciseness, and a case study of the style of the Quran (which might seem jumbled, but turns out is rather coherent despite being revealed over 23 years), and the social impact of the Quran; further it discusses the irrationality of claims that the Quran is translated, authored by Muhammad, or by another Arab or non-Arab.
In general, I enjoyed reading about the topic in a different language, and I'd really be intrigued to know what a non-Arabic speaker thinks of it.

[Zeina Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re read this book a couple of times.
If it brings the believer a much firm belief, then I don’t know what shall it do to the non-believer.

[Saba Aftab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve taken a lot of time to finish it if one sees the time I started and finished it, but it’s not a reason because of the book, like when you find some books boring or not liking to your current mood. The case with this book was me being busy with my personal life. Anyway, it’s an amazing read to muslims and non-muslims alike. It tries to shed light on its authenticity i.e it’s a word from the Almighty Allah. And it gives us many examples to use in case we need to defend the Quran in the most plausible way.

[Opu Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing, specially for the educated people of 21st century who look for logic and reasons to believe in the existence of God, the writer shows his intelligence in writing which is really good, this book once again proves that Qur'an is the only book on the face of earth sent by God for the whole mankind no matter who he/she is. It shows the miraculous nature of the Qur'an that amazed us throughout the history. It can be a very good gift for a non muslim friend.

[Maynerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Eternal Challenge is a book about the Quran and has one main objective: Help the reader understand the miraculous nature of the Quran. And I think on the whole, it's really done a brilliant job of it.

At the start, it attempts to introduce the reader, to Islam, Quran and belief in Allah - which is a vast topic really, and it tried to convince the reader very quickly that they were the undeniable truth. But trying to sum up this vast topic in just a chapter and a half with an objective to convince the reader of it (rather than just informing the reader of what it meant) did not do it justice - I don't think it was the best instruction, and made me wonder if I should continue reading. It was hurried and not altogether solid.

But, I read on and as the book approaches its central argument, it gets very interesting. I like that it had references for its claims (although I do wish the references were put in footnotes rather than at the back of the book) and was careful to avoid contradictions in adopting induction when it conformed with the Quran and then leaving it when it didn't by briefly explaining the relationship between inductive methods and epistemology (basically, how you know what you know).

Overall, I think this was an insightful read and I learned a lot from it. I would've liked though that, in the same way it explains induction, it also briefly touched upon how historical records are maintained and how we verify the authenticity of them.

I would recommend this to Muslims in general but especially those getting into da'wah - but not non-Muslims who know nothing about Islam. This book is not an introduction to Islam or the Quran, it's a look into the miraculous nature of the Quran. So if I did recommend this to a non-Muslim, it would be someone who is familiar with the message of Islam already. Otherwise, this book will come off as 'too preachy'.

(Also, this book is up for free download here: https://iera.org/shop/the-eternal-cha... it's completely legal, don't worry.)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of the most awe inspiring Islamic books I've ever come across! Jazaku Allah Khairan to the author, Abu Zakariya, for clearly all the hard work and research he has put into the making of this book.

The Eternal Challenge skims the surface on what makes the Qur'an such a miracle from the time it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), to this very day. It covers the main themes and miracles of the Qur'an, going as far as analyzing its composition, historic accuracy, scientific revelations and other magnificent elements.

The book was worded simply and beautifully, so that everyone can read it without difficulty. It is designed to accommodate all audiences , regardless of their exposure or knowledge to the Islamic religion. Even complex concepts were backed with plenty of metaphors and examples as well as other supporting evidence from scholars both Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

I highly recommend reading this book if your interested in reading the Qur'an but would like a little background first, or if you're simply interested in the Islamic religion itself. Also suitable for practicing Muslims that need a little boost and inspiration to loving and learning the wonderful text of ULTIMATELY the best words revealed to man.

Subhan Allah. Allahu Akbar.

[StopS · Rating 1 out of 5]

When it was released I did a detailed review in both, blog and video format. I voiced my disappointment that it basically followed an essay I had read earlier and made wild claims. Claims, which had long been refuted.
There is nothing new or original here, just a rehash of some common Islam apologetics.
It seems to be addressing Muslims to confirm their beliefs, using absurd claims, which is highly dishonest. An honest author will provide the facts and should let the reader decide what to do with them.
The author takes over all of history, all prophets and anything scientific. Anyone superficially interested in Islam has heard these claims - and their refutations.
The claim that the text is preserved and guarded has just been demolished - by Islam scholars. Historians do their part and provide alternative variants of the Koran with very different contents,at times the opposite of what we find in today's version, codified in 1924 in Cairo.
So there is very little in this short essay that is useful for anyone, but most Muslims will dutifully like it.

[Mina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely pick up books like this one, but decided to give it a read!
The overall thought is that the book was okay. It felt more like a collection and summary of different articles and books, rather than the full-on original piece. But it was enjoyable. I thought that the author focused a bit to much on the Quranic relevance to the science and inventions. Even though there are scientific facts found in Quran, it is wrong to claim Quran a scientific book. Especially because there are different interpretations of those facts among the tafseer scholars as well. There are some parts where I was more like 'agree to disagree'. (I know nothing of the authors academic background, so I can't really say much about his opinions and standpoints! If you do know, plss let me know!)
Being a theologian *in making* myself (😅) I would say the book is not aimed for those who are/have studied religion on the academic level, but more for the general public. All in all, cute book if you are looking for a spiritual boost.

[justhere · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a muslim revert and I’ll forever be grateful.

I was ,alhamdullah, born a muslim and foolishly I thought there’s not much about the religion (on a basic knowledge level) that I’d learn.
And i’ve never been more wrong, there’s so much about Islam that I’ve learnt to take at face value, since it’s the religion i’ve been brought up in. Yet there’s so many basic questions about the Quran that i’ve never thought to myself. Like the preservation of the Quran, the patterns of creation, the ring composition etc..
I also appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness of the writing style. It’s a book anyone can read.

It’s a great book. 100% recommend to anyone interested in learning about Islam wether you’re already a muslim or not.

The only reason it’s a 4 ⭐️, not 5, is because at times it did feel repetitive. As well as , at times it had a slightly mocking tone when posing a question for non-believers. Personally, I don’t believe that’s the way about explaining any theological arguments or religion.

[Farzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book covers some interesting aspects of The Glorious Quran.There is so much to the Quran that no other book past,present or future can do justice.
The author beautifully discussed what the Quran is,its teachings,main themes,stories of the Prophets(peace be upon them all),the past nations,the concept of Hereafter,why should we believe in the Quran,the Quran's concept of the One and Only True God worthy of worship Who has no partners or children,Who is unlike any of His creations.
The book continues to discuss about the perfect preservation of the Quran since 1400 years,timeless relevance,literary features,incredible accurate prediction of the future,lost knowledge from history,why it can not be imitated,the life of Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) and the Quran's impact on the society.
"Say(Prophet),if the whole ocean were ink for writing the words of my Lord,it would run dry before those words were exhausted-even if We were to add another ocean to it."-(18:109).

[James Holmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does a disservice to the Quran by concentrating on hadiths. The most harrowing of all its arguments is how it spends a detailed amount of time dismissing Christian doomsday prophecies by calling them self-fulfilled prophecies to literally, without a hint of irony, within the same chapter, proclaiming that islam is true because of a prophecy on Arabs building tall buildings in the future.

Yes, because the burj Khalifa and the clock tower in mecca were not the Arabs self-fulfilling their own prophecies.

If you want to write a book about the Quran then please write a book about the Quran.

[Fatima Sarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, easy to read book detailing the Qur'an and the general ethos of Islam.

As the author stated, it can be picked up by both Muslims and non-Muslims and the contents of the book encourages thinking. The concepts of Islam and the Qur'an are broadly touched upon, but the explanations can be very specific and thought-provoking.

This was an excellent read. It is a good remainder for a practicing believer and will act as an anchor for those doubtful in their faith. The author draws on modern science and old historical records to elaborate how the Qur'an is relevant both in 7th century Arabia and in the current period.

[İrem · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I thought this was an ok book. I can see that it might be more useful for non muslims wanting to learn a few starting facts although it is addressed to muslims so maybe not. But personally this was a good refresher and I learnt a few new facts especially about the preservation of the Quran. However, the second last chapter felt a bit repetitive and I would have liked if pbuh was written after the name of The Prophet (saw). Overall ok read. Grateful for this chance to have expanded my knowledge, Alhamdulillah.

[Muwahid · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my surprise, the book is actually decent. Well it doesn't give any heavy arguments but it's not a problem considering its targeted audience - it was made for complete laymen, yet the author can give a comprehensive explanation to make his case.
There are some crucial claims that doesn't have a reference, sadly. But overall, it's a good bok.

[عبد المهيمن · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a kind book especially in the English language dealing with the important subject , the miraculous nature of the Quran. Simply outstanding. Gives a thirsty student firm basis to expound on this topic

[Ali Ilman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that covers various aspects about the Qur’an, such as its literary structure, how it is preserved, its impact on society, to name a few.

Certain verses are spoken about in-depth. With context, we are able to grasp what the verses are about meaningfully.

[Nurhazwani Rahmat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for the 21st century readers. Alot of facts that gives you more reason to ponder upon. At the end of it, i feel like i am able to appreciate the Quran more.

[Faridha · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has really pleasant word how to describe the Qur'an. Easy to understand and connect with the facts that we, the moslem, tend to overlook.

[Sarah Asad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book for Dawah to non-Muslims~ (and the generation of Muslims-in-name-only who have reservations in their hearts)

[Emaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ

[firdaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alhamdulillah. A very good read. A lot of points backed with proof.

[Nimra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an eye opening read.