What is the beginning and end of this universe? Is there a life after death? And, if there is, what sort of a life is it? These are some of the fundamental questions common to religion, philosophy and civilization. In searching for an answer to these questions, the author discussed materialistic, intellectual and mystic civilizations the world has seen and comes to the conclusion that they proved man’s efforts to solve these problems through these sources were futile.

Turning to the other sources of knowledge, the author discusses man’s experiences of civilization brought by prophets of God. This is the subject matter of this small volume, compiled from a series of lectures he delivered at Jamia Millia, Delhi in 1942.