The great secret of Islam

This site was created to spread and distribute “The Great Secret of Islam,” a book Odon Lafontaine has been working on since 2012. The first French edition was published in 2014, with a significant updated edition released in 2020. English edition was published in 2024. Arabic and Persian editions are also available.

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Why did Odon Lafontaine write this book?

While exploring the Quran, the life of Muhammad, the traditional Islamic narrative, and through his discussions with Muslims, Odon Lafontaine encountered a series of contradictions that led to his confusion and unease. Eager to understand the roots of these inconsistencies, Lafontaine delved deeper into the origins of Islam, which led him to the works of Édouard M. Gallez. Their subsequent collaboration allowed Lafontaine access to many fascinating historical studies. However, the complexity of these studies and their sensitive nature meant that they remained largely within scholarly circles and dense academic publications. How could this knowledge be shared with the greater public? This question prompted Lafontaine to publish Le grand secret de l’islam with Édouard M. Gallez, which achieved significant success in France. What follows, that being The Great Secret of Islam, is its updated English adaptation.

Who is Odon Lafontaine?

Odon Lafontaine is a popular historian specializing in the early history of Islam. Born in 1978, he has a background in business strategy which honed his critical thinking and analytical skills, employing the scientific method—also used by scholars studying the origins of Islam—which informed his writing of The Great Secret of Islam. Odon also presides over EEChO, a French scholarly society dedicated to studying the origins of Christianity (www.eecho.fr). Since 2010, Odon has been studying Islam as an independent researcher under the mentorship of Édouard M. Gallez. He has developed a comprehensive and synthetic approach to understanding its emergence, further enhancing his research through collaborations with other scholars.

Who is Édouard Marie Gallez?

Born in 1957, Édouard M. Gallez, C.S.J., holds a Ph.D. in theology and history of religions from Strasbourg’s University, France. He is the author of pivotal works in Islamology, including Le Messie et son Prophète [The Messiah and his Prophet] (2005) and Le malentendu islamo-chrétien [The Christian-Muslim Mis-understanding] (2012)[1]. His scholarly contributions also extend to various academic journals such as Oriens Christianus and Inârah, as well as online publications. A trained exegete, he is also an accomplished scholar on early Christianity and a co-founder of EEChO.

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[1] Édouard Marie Gallez, Le messie et son prophète, Studia Arabica vol. I & II, Éditions de Paris, 2005-2010, Versailles & Le malentendu islamo-chrétien, 2012, Salvator, Paris.