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There are few things more powerful for touching our lives than stories. We, humans, created civilization by sharing stories to communicate ideas and inventions for millennia before someone thought of a way to preserve them. In “Finding God,” her book seeking to expand knowledge of Islam and the strength and peace its believers realize from it, Claudia Azizah Seise has wisely chosen to begin, then, with stories from those who sought and found what was missing from their lives.
I looked for stories that also conveyed important spiritual teachings which, when we implement them in our everyday lives as Muslims, can become a reason for others to embrace Islam.
Her storytellers are emotional and psychological wanderers, knowing something important is missing in their lives but not what that something is. So, the first part of “Finding God” might be considered a travel guide where the many paths to faith are described by those who have journeyed before, beginning with the author herself. They are as different as the storytellers, yet there is a common thread that binds them together.
That thread is that there is something about Islam that resonated with these particular seekers deeply. Their backgrounds range from outright atheism to a former Jehovah’s Witness and everything in between, yet all found their epiphany in the Quran and its teachers. For that reason, having a more in-depth discussion of what that thread is might have made these personal narratives more compelling. “God found me” is fine to a point, but at that point, it doesn’t quite satisfy as the only explanation.
The second half of the book is a kind of tutorial for those considering exploring the path described in the first half. Each point addresses an aspect of the conversion experience, usually as a reassurance that what one may feel is a natural part of the process. For example:
Converting to Islam means you become a lifelong learner.…Find people you feel comfortable with and whom you feel you can trust in your journey of studying Islam.
Basically, “Finding God” by Claudia Azizah Seise is a quick reference for beginners—an Islam FAQs guide, if you will. Following the basic requirements can meet with significant challenges, especially in Western cultures where the history of this religion is usually unknown to most. The second half of the book provides ways to deal with those challenges. It’s a commendable introduction to the subject for those who literally know nothing about it, and well worth reading.
