This text seeks to answer criticism brought against Islam by presenting the point of view of Islam. The author outlines the essential aspects of the Islamic belief. Drawing on the Qur'an, the hadith and the works of some contemporary Western scholars, he presents the Islamic spiritual and intellectual tradition in the light of contemporary modern thought.

This work, written by the foremost authority on the subject, includes an in-depth survey of the individual Islamic sciences from cosmology, philosophy, theology to alchemy, physics, mathematics, astronomy and medicine, concluding with a chapter on the gnostic tradition.