Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri provides a lucid and inspiring account of life, death and the hereafter, according to an Islamic Sufi perspective. The book opens with a wide-ranging sweep of death and dying as viewed in other cultures and religions - from ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Zoroastrian sources through to Judaism and Christianity. Based on the Quran and the Prophetic message, this book offers a splendid collection of revelations and spiritual teachings that map a basic path towards a wholesome way of living without forgetting death. There is both physical and spiritual death, and death in both instances is seen as a natural bridge from the suffering and delusions of this life to a unifying and clear abode. As the reader is led from birth of the ephemeral self on earth through an unfolding progression towards higher consciousness and awakening to the eternal soul within, constant awareness of one's intimate dual nature takes away much of the fear of death and makes it seem like a familiar companion.

The Essential Message of the Qur'an captures the spiritual significance of the sacred text of Islam and how it inspired countless millions across the ages. Shaykh Haeri invites the reader into a deeper understanding of the major themes of the Qur'an that can offer insight into our present challenges. With brevity and insightful intelligence, our relationship with God, the sacred unity in all creation, the path of the heart and earthly life and the hereafter, all addressed with brevity and insightful intelligence, linked with a selection of Qur'anic revelations illustrating these themes. Muslim or not, the reader will appreciate the accessibility of this illuminating text. This is truly a book for our time.