The Provocative Qur'an

Contents/Book Excerpt

PART I

VIRTUE AND SELF-BUILDING (A PROVOCATION)

 

Chapter 1: The Ideal Of Virtue

The Beginning of a Provocation

The Challenges

Some Provocative Answers

Moving On

 

Chapter 2: The Quality Of Virtue—a Rewarding Event

A Provocation: Choosing Romanticism Over Sentimentalism

An Instigation: The Nuts and Bolts of ‘Being Good’

The Challenge

Help is On the Way

The Prescription: Successful Execution of Virtue

Virtue and Self-building—The Connection

Appendices

 

Chapter 3: An Introduction to Self-Building

The Voyage

Understanding Taqwa: A Proxy for Being Good

The Greater Perspective

A Practical Approach

The Boat

Navigational Skills to Hold the Rudder

Handling the Winds: Favorable and Unfavorable

 

Part II

THE FOUR EPOCHS (AN INSTIGATION)

 

Chapter 4: Adam

Bringing Reality to a Myth

The Road Map

Corollary Concepts

Practical Pointers

Where Do We Go From Here

 

Chapter 5: Abraham

The Traditional Abraham

Abraham as a Self-Transformative Event

Abraham’s (and Our) Journey

Delivering the Goods: The Benefits of Abraham’s Worldview

Better Ways to Relate to People

Doing Things Better

Abraham’s Afterword

Appendices

 

Chapter 6: Moses

The Historical Moses

The Torah Connection

The Great Encounter

The Receipt of Credentials

The Entrustment with Missions

Doubts, Reassurance and Reaffirmation

Self-Honest Mission and the Outside World

Skepticism & Anger

A Match with Surprising Results

Housekeeping

Lost Opportunities

Self-Honesty and Loved Ones

So What are We to Do?

A Connection; Moving Beyond Moses

Appendices

 

Chapter 7: Jesus

The Formative Years: A Miracle With a Purpose

The Story

New Horizons

The Gospel

An Outlook Faithful to Self-honesty

Rethinking Ourselves; Self-Discovery Through the Gospel

The Great Paradox

The Qur’anic Connection

The Gospel Heralds the Qur’an

Appendices

 

PART III

UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY (PRESCRIPTION)

 

CHAPTER 8: A TALK ABOUT TRUTH

A Common Pursuit

A Hollow Truth   

An Alternate Truth

Self-Honesty Delivers

A Truthful Conclusion

Abraham’s Model

 

Chapter 9: History Revisited

Paradise Promised: The Purpose of Traditional Religion

Paradise Lost: The Problem with Traditional Religion

Paradise Regained: Abraham’s Cure

Traditional Judaism: The Promise of the Torah

Traditional Christianity

Traditional Islam

 

Chapter 10: The Present Dilemma

Where Do We Stand?

Where should we be going?

How do we Get there?

 

Chapter 11: Rewriting the Future

Self-Empowerment

Complementing the Selected Religion

Equal Opportunity for all Creeds, Ethnic groups and Races

Unity in Diversity

 

Chapter 12: Conclusions

Appendices

Glossary