On the Godless Pilgrim

"As I struggle through these final surah (of the Qur'an - ed) I am aware of a sense I do not possess, a gaping hole inside my soul that renders me unable to fully appreciate what I read. I have reached the limits that constrain all outside observers of Islam, crept to a boundary beyond which I cannot, or dare not, step. I know already that this boundary will remain, no matter how long I make this journey, no matter how much I learn. it is impossible to fully understand Islam without being a Muslim, impossible to fully comprehend al-Lah without believing in him. I can hope to come close, but full conquest is beyond me."

Andrew Dowling, The Godless Pilgrim, p. 65-66