Another blog post, another launchpad! This is the last blog post in my mini-series called “Launchpads.” In this series, I have been writing about what God used to draw me to the mission field. My first two blog posts in this series were about missiology and apologetics & evangelism. I am finishing out the series by looking at my country’s main religion: Islam.
In 610 CE in Saudi Arabia, a man named Muhammad began receiving divine revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. Gabriel tells Muhammad “Recite!” and Muhammad is given the first surahs (chapters) of the Quran. Muhammad is given prophet status by Allah (“God” in Arabic), and the religion of Islam was born (Islam Timeline – PBS). In the 1400 years since, Islam has spread throughout the Middle East and into North Africa, Europe, and southeast Asia.
Islam in Arabic means “submission” and the way to heaven is submitting to the will of Allah. Muslims believe that two angels sit on every person’s shoulders, one on the left and one on the right. The angel on the left shoulder records the person’s bad deeds, and the angel on the right shoulder records the person’s good deeds. They earn “points” for good deeds by following the five pillars of Islam, which include daily prayer, giving to the poor, and fasting. On the day of judgment, if the person’s good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they go to heaven.
The lives of Muslims are measured in good deeds and bad deeds, and their right standing before Allah is based on what they do. We as Christians know that we can’t earn our way to heaven. God sent his son Jesus to this earth to do what we could not do. We can’t do enough good deeds to earn salvation, it is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Today, there are nearly two billion Muslims, and they make up 24.8% of the world population (The Traveling Team). Muslims are the second largest religious group in the world, only behind Christians, who comprise 31.2% of the population. Islam is growing around the world and by 2050, Muslims are expected to outnumber Christians (PEW).
But praise be to God, Muslims are turning to Christ in unprecedented numbers! Muslims around the world are meeting Jesus in dreams, being physically healed, interacting with Christians who live a faithful, Christian lifestyle, and reading Scripture for themselves (A Wind in the House of Islam). All these things - and more - have brought thousands of people out of Islam and into freedom through a relationship with Jesus. Something special is happening in the Muslim world; the Holy Spirit is moving!
However, there are millions of Muslims around the world that have never heard the good news of Jesus. What can we do? How can we be involved in bringing Muslims to Christ? We can pray, go, send, and befriend.
First pray for the Muslim world! Pray for Muslim-majority countries, political figures, war torn countries, etc. Pray that God would intervene in each Muslim’s life. No move of God is void of deep prayer and intercession. Second, we can go. Most of the Muslim-majority countries are unreached. We need more Christians to go to the unreached Muslim world to invest in the lives of people there. Next, we can send. If going is not possible, we can help send those who are going to reach Muslims through prayer and financial giving. Lastly, we can befriend. Many Muslim countries have been devastated through war and violence and as a result, many Muslims have immigrated to the United States. Muslims often come to Christ through a close Christian friend, and we have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people who would otherwise never hear the Gospel.
Looking back on my past two years studying missiology, apologetics, evangelism, and Islam, I have seen how God has prepared me to move to the Middle East. When I first began reading about God at work through missiology, I had no idea that He would lead me here. But looking at the bigger picture of my life, I can’t help but see God’s hand in leading me here. I don’t have any other way to describe this feeling, other than it just makes sense. I have peace knowing I am where God wants me. God’s plan is so much bigger than mine.
As my big move gets closer, I am eagerly anticipating all that God is going to do. He is a big God moving mightily all around the world, and I am excited to see what He is doing in my country. Join me in prayer for my country, the Muslim world, and for God to pave the way for salvation!
Resources:
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi (book): This is my go-to book recommendation for anyone interested in reading a personal testimony of God at work. Nabeel was the son of Pakistani immigrants in the U.S., grew up in an Islamic household, and met Jesus through his Christian roommate in college. I heard Nabeel speak live at my church when I was in middle school and God has used his story to move my heart for Muslims.
Defying Jihad by Esther Ahmad (book): This book is also a testimony of a Muslim coming to Christ, but it is from a woman in Pakistan. Esther has an action-packed story of how she met Christ in her hour of deepest need. Defying Jihad is a great book to read after Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus because of the different settings and experiences of Nabeel and Esther. They have such different stories but both concluded that the God of the Bible is the true God.
A Wind in the House of Islam by David Garrison (book): If you are more interested in the study of religion and sociology, this book is for you! David and his team interviewed Muslim-background believers from 14 countries and shared the findings of the study in this book. It gives a great overview of what is happening in the Muslim world at large.
No God But One by Nabeel Qureshi (book): Another Nabeel Quereshi book, but a good one. Nabeel examines the theology and doctrines of both Christianity and Islam and directly compares the two religions. In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel shares that he and his roommate David studied Islam and Christianity together, but No God But One details exactly what they studied. From their research, Nabeel concluded that Allah and Jesus cannot compare; Jesus is far greater.