Jay R. Crook (Md. Nur) was born in upstate New York, the second son of a clergyman, but spent his formative years in the New York metropolitan area. A chance acquaitance awakened his interest in Islamic culture and civilization, and he soon embraced Islam. After completing his military service and saving some money, he traveled to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to study for a few years. He wound up spending most of his working life in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hired by the Peace Corps as a field representative, he finished in 1971 as Deputy Director in the Iran program. He then enrolled in the Doctoral Program of Persian Literature for Foreigners at Tehran University and received his Ph.D. in 1978. His doctoral thesis was A Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible.  Much revised and expanded, it has become the core of The New Testament: an Islamic Perspective and its companion volume The Old Testament: an Islamic Perspective. Subsequent to leaving Iran in 1980, he worked as an English teacher in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 1997. He now resides in Arizona and has translated several books from Persian into English, including Kashifi’s The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry and Ghazzali’s The alchemy of Happiness. 

The Old Testament: An Islamic Perspective

The New Testament: An Islamic Perspective

The entire text and contents of The Old Testament: An Islamic Perspective and The New Testament: An Islamic Perspective are also available separately in a series format as

The Bible: An Islamic Perspective. Its constituent volumes are: Introduction to the Old Testament From the Creation to the Flood

Abraham

Jacob and Joseph

Moses

From Judges to Monarchy

David and Solomon

From Monarchy to Hellenism

Introduction to the New Testament

Jesus

Paul and Early Christianity

Armageddon (chapter from Jesus)


Translations:


The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry (Kashifi)

The Alchemy of Happiness (al-Ghazzali)


Translations/Adaptations as Muhammad Nur Abdus Salam:

The Stories for Young Adults series:


Attar Kalilah and Dimnah

Rumi Saadi


The Bible: An Islamic Perspective (Series)


by Jay R. Crook


Introduction to the Old Testament: Foreword to the Old Testament, Islamic Setting, Judaeo-Christian Literature in Hejaz at the Time of the Prophet, Origin of the Jews of Hejaz, Stories in the Quran, Oral Literature, Stories in Surabadi’s Commentary, From Canaan to Palestine, the Bible, the Old Testament Text and Canon, Higher and Lower Criticism, Non-Canonical Writings, Other Sources; Maps, Glossary, Bibliographies (Coded and Alphabetical), Index.


From the Creation to the Flood: The Creation, the Mesopotamian Genesis, Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Enoch-Idris, Harut and Marut, Noah, the Flood, Noah’s Son; Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Abraham: Abraham, the Idols and the Fire, Sarah, Isaac, Ishmael, the Sacrifice, Moriah, Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, Nimrod, Hud, Saleh; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Jacob and Joseph: Jacob and Esau, Jacob’s Sons, Tribe of Benjamin, Joseph in Canaan and Egypt, Zulaykha, Potiphar, the Famine. Joseph and Jacob reunited, Genesis Afterword; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Moses: Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, Haman, the Tower of Babel, Esther, Jethro, the Theophany and Commission, the Mountain of God, the Kenite Hypothesis, the Plagues, the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, the Golden Calf, Al-Samiri, the Journey, Korah, Balaam, Joshua; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


From Judges to Monarchy: Job, Samson, Samuel, Saul, the Philistines, the Ark of the Covenant, the Rise of David, Goliath; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


David and Solomon: The Rise of David, Goliath, David the King, the Psalms, Bathsheba, Solomon, the Temple and Palace, Solomon’s Carpet, his Wisdom, the Ants, his Sedition, the Queen of Sheba, Asaph, Solomon’s Death; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


From Monarchy to Hellenism: Elijah, Jonah, Ezra, Nebuchadnezzar, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Dhul-Qarnayn, Alexander the Great, Gog and Magog, Luqman, Afterword to the Old Testament, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Introduction to the New Testament: Foreword to the New Testament, the Islamic Setting, Hejaz at the Rise of Islam, the Stories in the Quran and in Surabadi’s Commentary, Oral Tradition, Palestine in New Testament Times, Societal Factions, New Testament Text and Canon, Extra-Biblical Writings, Gospel of Barnabas; Maps, Glossary, Bibliographies (Coded and Alphabetical), Index.


Jesus: Jesus, Son of God or Prophet? Biblical Life of Jesus, Titles, the Trinity, Mariolatry, Mary, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Birth and Infancy of Jesus, Mary’s Scandal, Miracle Stories, Mary Magdalene, the Passion and Disappearance of Jesus, the Second Coming, the Paraclete, Millenarianism and Armageddon; Maps, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Paul and Early Christianity: Paul in Christianity and Islam, Conversion, Stoning of Stephen, Paul and the Law, Circumcision, Immaculate Conception, Paul and the Apostles (Peter, James, John, and Barnabas), Paul’s Death and Legacy, Doctrinal Disputes; Companions of the Cave, Companions of the Inscription, Barsisa, Companions of the Ditch, St. George, Afterword to the Bible; Map, Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


Armageddon: The Second Coming, the Paraclete, Millenarianism and Armageddon (from Jesus above, published separately); Glossary, Coded Bibliography, Index.


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Jay R. Crook