Thank you again for this thoughtful and very erudite follow-up.

I love the passages you have chosen-I find myself particularly moved by the line you quote from the 94th chapter of the Qu'ran, 'And when the Lord tested Abraham with commands, he fulfilled them'. It puts me in mind of a line I like to ponder privately-'He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the Father of many nations' (Romans 4,18).

The way you talk about doubts being a potential catalyst for spiritual growth is surely something that doubles as food for thought for all of us.

In conversation with Muslim friends, I have always been inspired and I can assure you that I found myself both humbled and enlightened by this exchange.