“Sheikh,” I opened hesitantly, “I’ve never actually read the Quran.” I waited for the gravity of my confession to sink in. Admitting as much at this stage in my career felt shameful, akin to a literature professor revealing she’d skipped Homer and Hamlet. “Most Muslims haven’t read it either,” Akram said brightly, buttering his scone. “And even if they have, they don’t understand it. The Quran is alien to them. Usually, they’ll just go to the books of law. Or if they’re interested in piety or purifying the heart, they’ll read Ghazali”—a philosopher—“or Sufis like Rumi.”
