In this sci-fi fantasy, a scientist is ordered to master the challenges of space travel in order to satisfy the political schemes of an ambitious leader.

Though the Great Awakening spread the teachings of Islam throughout the universe more than a thousand years earlier, no ruler has yet attempted to rule the Muslim Empire. Until now. The sultan Alpha Centauri is ready to claim the Caliph title, but he cannot do so without making the necessary pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. With human knowledge of interplanetary travel still limited, the sultan engages the help of Abdul Hamid-Jones. Abdul may be a fugitive from the law, but he's also one of the few men smart enough to rise to the challenge. But soon after being immersed into the world of astrophysics and court politics, Abdul understands that his only option is to succeed with the sutan's plan. For the fate of the entire solar system depends on it.

Donald Moffitt (1931-2014) was born in Boston. A former public relations executive, industrial filmmaker, and ghostwriter, he wrote fiction on and off for more than twenty years, often under one of many pen names. In 1977 he published his first full-length science fiction novel, The Jupiter Theft, under his own name.
Moffitt was a visionary novelist, praised for his scientific accuracy and his high-speed, high-tech stories. He lived in rural Maine with his wife, Ann, until his death in December 2014.