A beautiful book written by a former Jewish Journalist of Austrian origin who travels to the middle east and stands in admiration at the lifestyle of the Muslims in the Arabian peninsula.

Although his embrace of Islam is not immediate he comes to understand the beauty of this religion and finally embraces it while in Europe. He later decides to move to live in Arabia by giving up completely his western lifestyle and past, the story focuses on many various events and I found it quiet impressive as to the amount of famous persons Mr. Asad has come accross in his journey in the middle east, some of which are: King Ibn Saud (founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), the president of the world Zionist organisation (who is later to become the first president of Israel), the Shah of Iran, the famous Lybian Mujahidin Omar Al Mukthar, the King of Jordan Abdullah and many other.

Although the book is quiet old, as it recounts of events which occur in the 1920's, it is very well written and beautifuly explains the beauty of the life in Arabia in those times, it gave me a nice image and picture of the life of the beduins, their hospitality and gratitude from life and it's simplicity but how the people live it full of happyness. I was quiet impressed as well with the many events which have occured during the travel of Mr. Asad, in his attempt to help the King Ibn Saud to understand how the rebels operated against the King in order to prevent the Kingdom from successful establishment, to his travel to Lybia to meet Omar Al Muhtkar for possible assistance on providing additional support to continue the rebellion against the Italians.

In overall, the story is quiet beautiful, gives us a nice feeling of the Arabian desert and most of all the discovery to Islam of Mr. Asad is an impressive story to read.

This book is a very enjoyable read. Asad's stories of adventure and his search for personal fulfillment provide constant historical, cultural, and religious lessons for the reader. A wonderful way to learn and understand other people and their ideas, which may or may not be different from your own.

I have always felt a longing for the desert. This is the first time I have ever read someone putting these feelings into words. Simply awsome!

I read this book a while ago and can still remember some of the most thrilling parts of the book. Even thought the book is an autobiography it almost reads like a thriller. I reccomment this book to all Muslims. MUhammad Asad is truly an example for all.

M. Asad has written a truly inspiring work with "The Road to Mecca". As a foreign journalist in the Middle East, he was in a unique position to truly experience the culture and religion of the area and express his experiences in a way in which only a journalist could. What caught my eye was what happened when he returned to Europe where he suddenly felt like an outsider who was surrounded by people simply sleepwalking through their lives. It was after this revelation that he truly grasped the draw that so many feel towards Islam awakening within himself. As a muslim convert myself, I felt that this was something that I could closely relate to. Nonetheless, I believe that M. Asad's novel was not only inspiring but also a useful, insightful resource into understanding the countries and cultures of the Middle East; something which is useful to muslims & non-muslims alike. I would highly recommend this book to all.

The Road to Mecca is a travel narrative by Muhammad Asad about his travels and experiences in the Middle East following his conversion to Islam.
I read this book for a college course, and it was the most enjoyable work of the semester. It is enjoyable to read. At points it is relaxing, at points it challenges one to examine one's own convictions.
As far as what Asad's purpose is in writing the book, it can best be described by two passages:

"[Asad has] set out to exchange one world for another - to gain a new world for yourself in exchange for an old one which you never really possessed." (pg 48)

and:

"The meaning of all my wanderings lay in a hidden desire to meet myself by meeting a world whose approach to the innermost questions of life, to reality itself, was different from all I had been accustomed to in my childhood and youth." (pg. 50).

All in all, a great read. Highly recommended.

I had The Road to Mecca in my bookcase for more than a year before I finally opened it; and I have never stopped reading and rereading since.

It's not a usual theoretical book on religion; instead it is a travelogue, a journey of a mind, a cultural awareness of a people and a nation, and a rare insight and understanding into faith, psychology, development sociology, and world affairs.

Muhammad Asad starts off with a journey towards Makkah, spiritual home of Muslims, and through the trip we travel back and forth in his mind and through his conversations and communications with people, about his past; his journey from a young Austrian journalist into a Muslim. We move through Arab lands, meet people, explore ways of life and philosophies, understand history, and most of all, gain a rare insight into Islam and what it means. Asad shows us all aspects of life in those lands; through bazaars to palaces, along risky journeys and enthralling adventures, meeting Kings and bandits. His understanding is rare and gifted and the socio-political-religious world has not been explained better elsewhere.

For Muslims and non Muslims alike, it is a must read, capturing but not imposing, exploring and understanding.

I had heard about Muhammad Asad from his articles that he wrote on the vision of Pakistan. I was always intrigued by the clarity with which he wrote his ideas (Pakistan is no where close to how he envisioned it). I wanted to find out more about him. This book provided just that. Its a short summary of his prime years as a young man, how the Arab culture inspired him to study Islam and how his logical/analytical thinking guided him to truth. The way story has been laid out it is very captivating and eye opening from start to end.