At a time when the United States was involved in two wars against Islamic nations, the artist Sandow Birk wanted to understand the Qur'an as it has always been intended: a universal message to humankind. To do so, he needed to comprehend what Islam's holiest book means to an American today—how the Qur'an relates to us, in this time. Birk transcribed the entire Qur'an, as done in centuries past, using traditional colors, inks, and formatting. He then set it against a backdrop of illustrations from everyday American life. Welcomed by the Muslim community, his newly published book American Qur'an unites two cultures with its transcendent power. Birk is in conversation with writer and editor Gary Dauphin.