"The Forbidden Rumi" and I Rumi is a great Muslim mystic and poet. His faith in God does not deter him from riding the winds of dangerous thinking and free expression. His most audacious poems were published in a collection called "The Forbidden Rumi." I have chosen one of them and interspersed its verses between the chapters of my book. I wanted to let some fresh air in my dry discussion of the Quranic text. You see, the fifth chapter of the Quran was the last one to have been composed. It discusses theological questions and lacks the poetic rhythm of the much shorter chapters of the early...