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“Then in a new world among people whose mien and bearing were outlandish at first but in time brought forth a new familiarity and a new feeling of being at home; then in stranger and ever stranger landscapes, in cities as old as the mind of man, in steppes without horizon, in mountains whose wildness reminded you of the wildness of the human heart, and in hot desert solitudes; and the slow growth of new truths - truths new to me - and that day in the snows of the Hindu-Kush when, after a long conversation, an Afghan friend exclaimed in astonishment: 'But you are a Muslim, only you do not know it yourself...!' And that other day, months later, when I did come to know it myself; and my first pilgrimage to Mecca�

Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) was an Austrian convert from Judaism to Islam in the early 20th century. Asad had many journeys in his life (you have to read the autobiography to know). He started as a young aspiring journalist in Vienna and ending up as Pakistan's first ambassador to the UN upon creation of the state. His writing is riveting, the people he meet, his thoughts spiritually and the cultures he encounters.

He travels through many many countries, and provides insight into what life was like. Throughout his travels he provides broader reflections on his view of Islam as a Westerner, and explains his thoughts, and ultimately his decision to adopt the faith, and a new identity as a Muslim. His observations about Islam was incredible to read about. His honesty and clarity of his writing was brilliant, and he covers many heavy topics.

The book has a timeless quality, it's exciting, brilliantly written and history in itself.