Dr. Laurence B. Brown and Abdur-Rahman Abou Almajd in dialog about the Religious studies

Dr.  Laurence B. Brown.

Graduate of Cornell University, Brown Medical School, and George Washington University  Hospital residency program, is an ophthalmic surgeon, specializing in cataract and refractive surgery. A retired Air Force officer, he is the medical director of a major eye center in Saudi Arabia. He divides his time between America, England, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. He is also an ordained interfaith minister with a doctorate in divinity and Ph.D. in religion.

Dr. Brown is also the author of two previous books of comparative religion, "The First and Final Commandment" and "God'ed", as well as a book of fiction entitled The Eighth Scroll , best known for the 2007 novel, The Eighth Scroll.

Dr. Brown and his wife live in Al Madina Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia with their daughter.

Dr. Brown redirected his focus to religious study, including his conversion to Islam in April of 1994. The results of his study are outlined in his non-fiction books.

He also has written a number of articles. His books include MisGod’ed and God’ed. The former exposes the shortcomings of the Judeo-Christian theology and the latter, which concludes the former, examines the Islamic claim of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the foretold Final Messenger, and the Qur’an as the completion of God’s revelation to mankind.

I am amazed at his abilities for such intricate analysis of the bible(s) and the Quran and his ability to transcribe it in a way that can easily be followed. A deep and satisfying analysis, obviously much effort has been put into the making of his great books and for that Dr. Brown deserves many great prizes.

Q: Since April of 1994, you became a Muslim, what did help you  to become a Muslim?

Dr. Brown: The biggest help is certainty. Allah puts certainty into the hearts of those He guides, and that is the greatest gift. Since I have been Muslim, I have seen many converts leave the religion, and many non-Muslims who seemed blind to the truth of Islam. Verily, whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever Allah leaves astray, none can guide.

Q: How did you prove the chosen religion is Islam?

Dr. Brown: When I studied the Abrahamic faiths, it became clear to me that Judaism and Christianity were stepping stones to Islam. When I analyzed the continuity in the chain of revelation,  is was clear to me that Allah sent Muhammad as the final messenger, and the Holy Qur'an as His final revelation.

Q: Your great work "Bearing True Witness" is very strong, comes this indispensable Islamic primer but do you agree with me it is very short?

Dr. Brown: Bearing True Witness is intentionally short. This book is meant only to introduce the Muslim convert to the correct understanding of the Islamic controversies that plague our Ummah. I did not want to overwhelm the reader, so I kept the book short on purpose.

Q: In "The First & Final Commandment" and "A search for Truth in Revelation within the Abrahamic Religion" the thoughts are simple and easy to understand. And though the entirety of this book deals with serious matters of religious comparisons, you always make his points clear with provided evidences either from either the bible or the Koran, Could you elaborate on that statement?

Dr. Brown: Basically, I take the approach of showing Jews and Christians the truth of Islam in their own scriptures. The average Christian, for example, might not respect teachings taken from the Holy Qur'an. However, they will respect teachings taken from the Bible. Hence, if you can show them Islam in their own bibles, that is a very powerful argument to Christians.


Q: I remember William Beattie said : I converted to Islam seven years ago, and have had an on going discussion about religion with my Christian mother for many years. I came across this book in a bookshop in Cairo, Egypt. It has profound insights into the realities of the Christian religion. I purchased a copy of this book for my mother from Amazon as a gift. Two weeks later she professed, None has the right to be worshipped but God, and Muhammad is his last messenger.

Alhamdulillah, there is no compulsion in religion, and only Allah (SWT) can guide to the straightest path; those whose hearts are sincere and seek guidance. May Allah (SWT) reward Dr. Brown for this lively book" No doubt you helped many American men and women to convert to Islam , the number is going up so quickly, could you tell us how many within few weeks and does your great book "Bearing True Witness help them?

Dr. Brown: I don't count conversions. My duty is just to invite, and Allah guides whom He chooses. Al Hamdulillah, my books have steady sales, and I hear nice stories from people who have bought them, but I have no way of calculating success in terms of how many readers have converted. By far, my most powerful books are The First and Final Commandment (second edition), MisGod'ed, and God'ed.

Q: The Dead Sea Scrolls are used as tools of historical truth which contradicts many teachings and the author elaborates upon that premise.

The Eighth Scroll is supposed to be the long-lost ancient scroll written by the apostle James. This scroll has been hidden for centuries, it is supposed to be the final edict of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Could you elaborate on that statement?

Dr. Brown: My book, The Eighth Scroll, is an action/adventure novel that uses the Dead Sea Scrolls controversy to introduce the audience to religious concepts. The Dead Sea Scrolls teach us some critical facts about early Christianity, such as the excommunication of Paul and the conflict between The Teacher of Righteousness and his antagonist. They provide the perfect foundation for a fascinating and exciting adventure.

Q: I am amazed at your ability for such intricate analysis of the bible(s) and the Quran and his ability to transcribe it in a way that can easily be followed. A deep and satisfying analysis, obviously much effort has been put into the making of your great book and for that you deserve great prizes, haven’t you got one yet?

Dr. Brown: I don't chase prizes. In fact, I prefer to live a quiet life. If someone nominates me for a prize and I win, I'm sure I'll accept it, but for now the only prize I really want is Allah's acceptance of my work for His glory, and the reward of Jannah (Paradise) that only He can give.

Q: You are a novelist ,wrote in mystery fiction, author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2007 novel, why is the Sorat of Joseph the best story?

Dr. Brown: For this question, I just have to say that each reader has to search his or her own heart. Why is it the best story? Allah knows best.

Q: You're the author of two previous books of comparative religion,"The First and Final Commandment" and "God'ed", as well as a book of fiction entitled The Eighth Scroll, why don’t you write a great book about the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him?

Dr. Brown: Actually, I don't think I could improve on the biographies that have already been written. I specialize in writing about things that have not been covered in other works. In other words, I try not to repeat work that has already been done. I only write when I feel it fulfills a need nobody else has yet addressed.