Thabiti Anyabwile, Moody, 2010, 177 pages, 3 of 5 stars

It is important to know where each Christian book on Islam fits. A Christian Guide to the Qur’an will help you interpret Islam’s holy book. James White’s books are more scholarly and help you prepare for debates. This paperback by Anyabwile is short, irenic, and personal—the kind of book you could give to your Muslim friend.

For those thinking, “I don’t even know where to start with my coworker Malik”, this book is simple and practical. It is first and foremost evangelistic. He even has a whole chapter on hospitality (“you coffee table should have an abundance of pastries…”).

Remember that Muslims accept Jesus as a prophet, I consolidated some of Thabiti’s thoughts into three introductory questions for Muslims:

1. Jesus said in Mark 9:12-13 that he did not come for the healthy but the sick, not for the righteous but sinners. How does that verse apply to you?
2. Jesus said in Matthew 16:15, “Who do you say I am?” How would you answer?
3. Jesus prays in John 17 and asks the Father to glorify him “with the glory I had with you before the world began” (v.5). By Jesus’ words, is He eternal or created?

When Muslims object that Jesus dying for sinners is unfair, Anyabwile responds with Romans 3:25-26 and says: “The cross is not a ‘problem’ for the Christian; it is the solution to the charge that God is unfair!”

The Qur’an itself accepts the Torah and Gospels as revelations from God. Anyabwile hammers this point relentlessly:

The Qur’an…expressed such confidence in [the Torah, Psalms of David, and the Gospels] that it called people to judge the truth using the Bible (Sura 3:93-94; 5:47; and 10:94). And nowhere does the Quran teach that the Bible was corrupted or changed, only that some have covered its meaning, misunderstood it, or forgotten the message (20).

Thabiti stays centers on the gospel with grace and skill. For that reason, I would recommend the book.