An event that had a profound effect on Muhammad Shaikh occurred on 15th December, 1986, when some armed criminals broke into his office in Karachi. Soon a struggle ensued and one of the men pulled the trigger, but miraculously Shaikh was not hit. It was at this point in time, he recalls, that he closed his eyes and prayed to Allah deep in his heart, that if his life were spared, he would dedicate it to His cause – it was as if his prayer was heard, that the armed men all of a sudden broke loose and fled, leaving him physically and psychologically drained at the ordeal. After this near death experience he would decide to study and teach the Qur’an fearlessly and take a firm stand on what was stated within its pages irrespective of the status quo opinions. This near death experience, the spiritual experiences gained during the Hajj and dialogues with Christian missionaries while on sea voyages would motivate him to defend his faith and learn the Qur’an in more detail so as to answer allegations. All of this would eventually pave the way for an organized mission to promote the Qur’an.