illuminating the Darkness is about the status of blacks and North Africans in Islam. The book is divided into two sections: Part l of the book explores the concept of race, 'blackness', slavery, interracial marriage and racism in Islam in the light of the Qur'an, Hadith and early historical sources. Part ll of the book consists of a compilation of short biographies of noble black and North African Muslim men and women in Islamic history including Prophets, Companions of the Prophet صلی الله علیه وآله وسلم and more recent historical figures. The reader is given a fascinating glimpse into the lives of truly noble characters, from luminous scholars to leaders of whole African civilisations. The reader needs no other discrimination while reading this book than the one the author strives to make clear throughout: the din of Islam is not only free of racism but is utterly opposed to it as the most aberrant form of jahiliyyah (ignorance).