Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. In your overall impression of the book, did you find the informational and apologetic material more interesting, or were you more interested in the personal narrative of the memoir?

2. How does Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus compare to other conversion narratives you may have read? In what ways is Qureshi’s account similar or different?

3. Did you find anything in Qureshi’s portrayal of Muslim faith and culture surprising? How did the book expand upon your previous understanding of Muslim culture?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Consider how Qureshi portrays the costs of conversion. Have you ever faced a situation, in either a religious or non-religious context, where you felt compelled to make a radical change of belief or position? How did your experience compare to Qureshi’s?

2. Qureshi writes at length early in the memoir about how his parents helped shape and guide his faith and values. What impact, if any, did your own family have in matters of faith and identity?

3. Qureshi shows a keen interest in the importance of interfaith dialogue. What do you think the healthiest model for interfaith relationships is? Should one attempt to convert others? Why or why not?

4. For you, is faith more a matter of intellectual truth or of intuitive spiritual experience? How are your views and experiences of faith different or similar to Qureshi’s?

5. Put yourself in the position of Qureshi’s parents. If your child or another loved one revealed that they had discarded an important part of your familial identity, how would you feel, and how would you try to address the situation?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Qureshi’s experience illuminate the challenges faced by second-generation immigrants in Western societies? How does he contribute to current discourses around navigating between inherited religious traditions and the broader culture of one’s adopted country?

2. In our current cultural moment, how relevant is his evidence-based approach to faith? What are the strengths and limitations of relying primarily on rational arguments in matters of religious belief?

3. In an era of rising religious tension, how can Christian communities engage in an honest appraisal of their disagreements with Islam while actively opposing prejudice and discrimination against Muslims? What does Qureshi’s approach offer in finding this balance?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Spiritual conversion narratives often follow recognizable patterns. How does Qureshi work within or against the conventions of this genre?

2. Compare Qureshi’s book to a more conventional work of popular Christian apologetics, such as Timothy Keller’s The Reason for God or C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. How does the inclusion of Qureshi’s memoir-narrative structure affect the transmission of apologetic arguments when contrasted with non-narrative apologetic works?

3. Qureshi organizes his memoir into distinct parts that trace his intellectual and spiritual journey chronologically. How does he use foreshadowing, particularly in the early chapters about his childhood and family life, to prepare readers for his eventual conversion?

4. Analyze the rhetorical and literary techniques Qureshi uses in the text to create narrative momentum or in trying to move or persuade the reader. What are some of these techniques? How do they impact the narrative tone and structure?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to create a painting that captures the mood of this book’s story-arc, what would it look like? What colors would you use, and what variations of darkness or light?

2. Imagine creating a dramatic stage-play based on this book, with Qureshi engaging with someone who has converted from Christianity to Islam. What arguments might the other character use against Qureshi’s assertions? In what ways might their conversion stories be different or similar in your telling?