If the Oceans Were Ink - Carla Power - 2015 - Henry Holt - 336 pages

Rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★

If the Oceans Were Ink tells the story of a year-long journey through the Quran. Carla Power, a secular Western journalist, engages with Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi, a madrasa trained Islamic scholar. It ranges wide in geographic scope, engagement with the arts and literature, life and culture, and of course religious and philosophical perspectives. It is not as much a conversation between Christianity and Islam as it is between Western culture and Islamic culture, while incorporating an accessible introduction to Islamic thought and belief. While Carla Power does not become an adherent of Islam in the course of the book, she acknowledges the profound impact made on her by her time spent in the study of the Quran, and clearly also the impact of Sheikh Akram.

As a practicing Christian, I found the book worth reading and informative. One conversation in particular stood out to me. It starts on p. 281, where Carla asks the Sheikh about her eternal destiny. His reply affirms an exclusive belief in Islam, the way of the Quran, and worship only of Allah. The conversation continues in a discussion of the nature of doubt, certainty, faith, and the need and privilege of choice. As does Christianity, so also faith in Islam requires a choice and believes that choice to exclude other options and to have lasting importance.

While my choice of a path for life (and for eternity) is different than that of either Carla or the Sheikh, those who are interested in knowing more about the Quran and some of its adherents would benefit from reading this book.