Amazon Kazi Publications Category:  Spirituality Publisher: Kazi Publications ISBN-10:  1871031451 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 242 Copyright: Sep 1 1999 The image of the crossroads refers to the encounter of modern science and traditional knowledge, two parallel worldviews that have converged and now intersect in unexpected ways today. This work questions the hidden faith in the assumptions that define the modern scientific inquiry and highlights the explanatory power of the traditional perspective with its reliance on a transcending faith that bridges the gap between proven facts and cosmic mysteries. The stark image of modern man at this crossroads emphasizes the dilemma of rational intelligence and sacred emotion, of mind and heart, that confronts every person today who must face the truth within him or herself in order to uncover the truth at the heart of the universe. It has become increasingly clear to many "modern" individuals today that the paradigm of knowledge that is set forth by modern science as the prevailing worldview, while it bedazzles us with its intricacy, its precision, and its technological edge, has led to a crisis of identity and fails on fundamental levels to answer the perennial questions that lie at the heart of man's being. In the present work, the author surveys the traditional knowledge of the religions and the findings of modern science in the light of the two prevailing questions of our time, namely the Origin of Life/Man and the true nature of the Reality and Final End. Part One, The search for Knowledge, is concerned with the meaning of the modern scientific outlook in terms of its identity, purpose, and significance as a global paradigm of knowledge. Part Two, The Search for Origins, is concerned with the origin of life generally and the origin of the human species in particular, in order to better understand the exact positions of both science and religion concerning how organic life and humankind have originated. Part Three, The Search for Synthesis, focuses on the traditional perspective and the search for a more profound meaning that could be realized through a more effective interaction between religion and science, resulting in an "encounter" that could be beneficial rather than antagonistic. This work explores the unspoken and hidden assumptions that define every aspect of modern scientific knowledge and shape every facet of the modern world, assumptions that amount to a kind of secular "faith" that the scientific elite rely on to bridge the gap that exists between proven facts and unprovable mysteries. The search for an understanding of the truth and for a universal synthesis of knowledge must reach beyond the edge of a strictly provable and "scientific" knowledge. This search must also express a willingness to cross unknown frontiers and expand inner horizons in order to come to terms with the essential knowledge of God that lies within the human heart as well as the heart of the universe. This book is indeed an exploratory effort in that direction. Excerpt "The moment of departure has arrived and the moment of decision is at hand. Modern man finds himself suspended between two distinct and dynamic alternatives that have the power to transform lives and change perceptions of self, each offering alternatives that create a division between these two separate worlds and that will lead future man in opposite directions if these worlds are left to proceed on separate parallel tracks. One is the path of the cerebral mind; the other is the path of the intelligent heart. Both paths demand our attention with their exotic myths of the origin of man and the true nature of reality, and both they lay claim to the topography of the mind, will, and heart of man with an tenacity that is hard to resist."

Can We Know Our Origins?
The writer, John Ahmed Herlihy, attempts to answer this question, using the traditional knowledge contained in the Quran and the Islamic traditions, to bring the reader back to the edge of time or what modern science calls the Big Bang when the universe itself began to unfold. What makes this book a fascinating read, in addition to its breadth of knowledge and depth of style, is the clear, well-thought presentation of the traditional scientific point of view which examines the facts of demonstrable science and then puts these facts into a spiritual context in which the Reality itself shines through as the ultimate truth. The author deftly lays out the latest discoveries of the origins of the universe, the origins of life and the origins of man, and then puts these facts within a universal context that is both enlightening and revealing. This is a profound work that you will want to read more than once in order to absorb its moving message.