About the Author

From a young age, I have been fascinated by the universe and the laws of nature. I read extensively about the cosmos and constantly asked myself how everything works from a physical perspective. At the same time, I received an Islamic upbringing, through which I became familiar with the Qur’an and the principles of the faith. This combination of scientific curiosity and religious formation has had a lasting influence on my way of thinking.

Over the years, I came to realise that my knowledge of the Qur’an was less thorough than I would have liked. I thought I knew what the Qur’an said without having actually verified it. That realisation led me to ask how many people are able to substantiate their convictions in substance, and why they regard the Qur’an as truth. In my view, a lack of substantiation does not do justice to the strength of the Qur’an, the central authoritative book for Muslims.

By nature, I am critically minded and strive to convey a message on the basis of logic and careful investigation, without sensationalism or exaggerated claims. From that standpoint, I began to explore the frequently mentioned scientific ‘mysteries’ of the Qur’an. Not because they are literally mysterious, but because it is remarkable that the Qur’an describes certain phenomena long before modern science arrived at comparable insights.

At the same time, I have examined commonly voiced criticisms of the Qur’an and verses that are often presented as problematic or contradictory. Both alleged similarities and alleged tensions were investigated according to the same methodology.

Turan Zahir