In this extraordinary and beautifully-written autobiography, Asad tells of his initial rejection of all institutional religions, his entree into Taoism, his fascinating travels as a diplomat, and finally his embrace of Islam.

Muhammad Asad, born Leopard Weiss in the Polish city of Lvov in 1900, was the grandson of an orthodox Rabbi. By this early twenties he could write and read German, Franch and Polish languages. He took to journalism and travelled Middle East as the correspondent of 'Franfurter Zeitung' of Germany.

After his conversion to Islam, he again travelled and worked throughout the Muslim world, including Arabia, Iran, Jordan, North Africa and Pakistan, In 1953 he was appointed as Pakistan's plenipotentiary to the United Nations. He moved to Morocco where he completed his magnum opus, the 'Message of the Qur'an.' He later settled in Lisbon where he died on 20th February 1992.

Asad's other works include 'Islam at the Crossroads', Principles of State and Government in Islam', and 'Sahih Bukhari: Early Years of Islam.'