This blog post aims to teach the Seven Aspects of Receptivity among Muslims in South Asia. While some of these same principles may apply in other areas of the world, a few aspects are particular to South Asia.
The heart behind this article is that there are more than 600 million Muslims in South Asia and relatively few working among them. We should ask, “How can we maximize our gospel impact among the Muslims of South Asia?”
Another way of approaching this question is to say that we should seek to identify the lowest-hanging fruit among South Asian Muslims. If a group of ten laborers went to harvest an apple orchard with many thousands of trees, they could not possibly pick all the apples before they went bad. The smart move would be for them to maximize their impact by going after the most accessible fruit to pick. The apples at the top of the trees or in hard-to-reach areas might be neglected to get more of the lowest-hanging fruit.
The same principle can be applied to our situation. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few among South Asian Muslims. Therefore, wisdom dictates that we should focus a significant amount of our energy on the lowest-hanging fruit of the Muslim community.
Therefore, here are seven aspects of receptivity that can guide us in identifying the lowest-hanging fruit among South Asian Muslims. Please note that these
Aspect #1 – Rural versus Urban
History clearly shows that those in rural areas in South Asia are coming to Christ much more quickly than those in urban areas. One evidence of this phenomenon is that many are now asking how to begin seeing what God is doing in rural areas happen in urban areas.
There are many reasons that rural areas have generally been more receptive than urban ones. First, rural areas are more communal in nature. Therefore, when one person comes to Christ in a rural area, the chances of the gospel spreading throughout their relational network are much higher. Second, there is a missiological axiom, “the slower the culture, the faster the gospel.” This axiom means that areas with a slower pace of life provide more availability for people to hear the gospel. In rural areas, people are ready and willing to give significant time to listen to the gospel and to respond to it. They then have more time to go and share the same with others. Third, rural areas tend to have higher concentrations of folk religion, higher poverty, and lower education/literacy, all of which appear to increase receptivity. Fourth, those in rural areas tend to be less educated about their own religion. More details about each of those aspects will be shared below.
In South Asia, we need people to pioneer ministry in each segment of society that is less receptive to the gospel. Urban areas are one of those. However, Muslim peoples are also less receptive to the gospel, so when we focus primarily on urban Muslims, we are trying to do two hard segments at the same time! So, by the lowest hanging fruit principle, we should prioritize our efforts among rural Muslims rather than urban ones.
On a side note, there are many Muslims living in urban areas that are essentially rural Muslims who live in the city for work. While those rural Muslims living in the city have less time than in rural areas, it seems that one effective urban strategy might be to focus on rural Muslims living in urban areas.
Aspect #2 – Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal (click here for another post on casteism in South Asian Islam)
The caste system is alive and well in South Asian Islam, even if it is more subdued than in Hinduism. I began to encounter these casteist ideas by reading Muslim authors. It was common for Ashraf-background authors to speak derogatorily of lower-caste Muslims.
At the same time, I began to recognize a veneration among South Asian Muslims of certain castes, especially of the Sayyid, who claim descendency from the Qureshi tribe (some claim descendency from Muhammad). For example, I remember going to the shrine of a Sufi saint who had been a Shia Muslim. I was surprised to find many Sunni Muslims there. I asked a group of respectable men at the shrine why they, as Sunnis, came to a Shia man to help them with their prayers. They said, “It does not matter if he is Sunni or Shia. He is Sayyid.”
In fact, many Muslims have been working to obscure their caste background in what is called ashrafization. Studies have shown that most Muslim community and religious leaders come from Ashraf backgrounds.
Let me back up for a minute and discuss these terms.
- Ashraf are the descendants of foreign Muslims who emigrated to South Asia, such as Arabs, Persians, or Mongols. They are considered to be high-caste Muslims.
- Ajlafs are descendants of Hindu converts to Islam who are indigenous to South Asia. They are considered to be a much lower caste than the Ashraf, and some perceive the gap between the two as quite large.
- Arzal are descendents of Dalit converts to Islam who are indigenous to South Asia. They are considered the lowest on the ladder.
In general, the lower the caste, the more receptive Muslims are to the gospel. We should not be surprised since the same is true among Hindus. In fact, there are certain areas where Dalit-background Hindus are coming to Christ in large numbers. In those same areas, there are many Dalit-background Muslims (Arzal) who are from the same castes. In a few cases, significant numbers of Arzal Muslims have come to Christ as those movements have spilled over from reaching Hindus to reaching Muslims.
One issue is that it can be difficult for outsiders to understand the complexities of casteism in South Asian Islam. In fact, I have asked many Muslims about these three terms, and they do not know them. But when I explained the meaning behind the terms, they said that these issues are alive and well in their community. Casteism, where higher caste individuals receive more benefit and lower caste individuals are suppressed, is common in South Asian Islam.
I was recently part of a study of various Muslim castes in a South Asian region. I was surprised to learn that virtually all the Muslim background believers (MBBs) of that area identified as “mid-caste.” I began to specifically ask if anyone had come to Christ from various low-caste groups, and we could not find anyone. So, I challenged the MBBs in that area to try. They were surprised that the lower-caste Muslims were very receptive, resulting in many baptisms.
Probably, the only way to identify and engage lower-caste Muslims is to disciple some MBBs long enough that they understand why we would want to try doing so. Then, have open dialogue with them about the caste realities in their areas to develop action plans. It seems virtually impossible for outsiders to identify these peoples by themselves.
One last note on low-caste groups. Arzal and Ajlaf Muslims tend to have lower education than Ashrafs. As a result, they tend to be poorer and more Folk Muslim in orientation. This combination leads to higher receptivity but can lead to significant issues in discipleship and leadership development. Sometimes, individuals from this background are slow to understand Scripture and can incorporate many folk practices into their new faith. Therefore, while these individuals might be the lower-hanging fruit to bring into the kingdom, there are questions about the difficulties of developing strong leaders from these communities.
Aspect #3 – Orthodox, Folk, and Secular Islam (click here for another post on these three types of Islam)
I have written quite a bit on the topic of the three poles of South Asian Islam, so let me be brief here. Folk Muslims tend to be the most receptive and the most numerous of South Asian Muslims. Rural folk Muslims are really the broadest target among the low-hanging fruit that are most easily identified among South Asian Muslims.
In brief:
- The orthodox pole of South Asian Islam emphasizes that Muslims should study the Qur’an and Hadith and obey them.
- The secular pole of South Asian Islam emphasizes the solidarity of South Asian Muslims while focusing efforts on improving education among Muslims to improve their quality of life through better jobs.
- The folk pole of South Asian Islam emphasizes Muslims having their spiritual needs met through pirs and various rituals. Those living in this corner tend to be Sufi mystics (pirs) who at least claim they are seeking unity with Allah. Folk Islam has a wide variety of folk practices and superstitious beliefs. (for more on folk Islam, read here)
The ordinary Muslim is caught somewhere between these three poles. Historically, the folk Islamic pole has been dominant in South Asia. While that pole is still the strongest, the secular and orthodox poles are gaining significant strength. For example, large reform movements like Tablighi Jamaat and the Deobandi movement have contributed to South Asian Islam growing increasingly orthodox. At the same time, more and more Muslims (especially among the youth) are identifying more and more with the ideals of Western secularism. I have met many South Asian Muslim youth who have basically told me, “I am a Muslim since I come from a Muslim family, but I do not believe in Allah, the Prophet, or the Qur’an. I still do namaaz and fast to make my family happy, but I do not believe any of it.”
Historically, most of the ministry in South Asia to Muslims has focused on debate with Muslim religious leaders. That style of ministry is clearly focused on the orthodox pole. In recent years, a significant number of those working among Muslims have shifted their focus to folk Muslims. The effects of that shift have been significant. Every movement of Muslims coming to Christ in South Asia that I have encountered so far has focused primarily on rural folk Muslims.
Aspect #4 – Education and Literacy
Low education/literacy corresponds to the rural, poor folk Muslims that I have already maintained are the most receptive. In many places in South Asia, where many Muslims are coming to follow Jesus, they are largely illiterate. One MBB leader recently told me that more than 80% of the MBBs in his churches are functionally illiterate. In another area, where thousands of Muslims have come to Christ, one leader estimated that as many as 90% of their MBBs might be functionally illiterate. It should not come as a surprise that low literacy and education correspond to folk beliefs and practices and poverty.
Ministry to illiterate or low-literacy Muslims requires ministry methods that emphasize orality. In particular, those seeing significant fruit in these contexts emphasize using audio materials for ongoing evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development. If someone wants to go after the lowest hanging fruit among Muslims, they must prepare by creating a discipleship path using oral methodology.
Aspect #5 – Rich versus Poor
Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of heaven is yours” (Luke 6:20). God’s heart for the poor is evident throughout Scripture. History shows that the poor have often been the most receptive. They are the most oppressed and in the greatest need. The significant burdens of their lives lead to greater receptivity.
One of the terms that I often use for rural, illiterate, folk Muslims is “prosperity Muslims.” In other words, their worldview is usually such that they participate in Islamic rituals with the hope of getting blessings out of those rituals to meet their practical needs. As prosperity Muslims come to Christ, they usually make the decision that they think Jesus might be better at giving them stuff than Muhammad. We need to be careful to fight those presuppositions.
When working with prosperity Muslims, we need to be clear that we are not paying them or inducing them to come to Christ through financial means. There is often a misperception in Muslim communities that Christians pay Muslims to convert to Christ. We need to use methods of evangelism that do not perpetuate those rumors and misconceptions.
So, when a prosperity Muslim comes to Christ, they usually become a “prosperity Christian.” We should not be offended by this when it occurs. However, we must develop discipleship strategies to help new believers move past properity theology to understand the true gospel. It seems that themes along those lines need to be incorporated into audio discipleship materials that we develop for these illiterate audiences.
Aspect #6 – Proximity to Movements to Christ
Experience shows that when others come to Christ in an area, Muslims are more open to the gospel. For example, if a Muslim knows others whose lives have been changed by Jesus, they are more likely to hear the gospel when they have the opportunity. Persecution is also often reduced when others have come to Christ because it simply raises the societal acceptance of those following Jesus.
In some areas of South Asia, Muslims are coming to Christ in significant numbers. In those areas, we often see multiple ministries seeing fruit among Muslims. It seems that as each group sees some Muslims come to Christ, it lowers the inhibitions for Muslims to come to Christ in general. Therefore, the barriers to following Jesus are significantly reduced, which increases fruitfulness.
In many rural areas, Muslims, Hindus, and others have come from the same low castes. When Hindus or others come to Christ, Muslims from the same caste can often be quickly impacted if basic training in cross-cultural evangelism is provided. This way, the gospel can spill over from one community to the next.
Aspect #7 – Social Makeup of Community
Muslims are usually coming to Christ most quickly in areas that have mixed communities. Let me give two completely different examples.
Muslims have come to Christ in the thousands in one area of South Asia. That area has about a ten percent Muslim population. As a result, most Muslims in that area are not well-educated in Islam. As they come to Christ, the small Muslim population has difficulty putting social pressure on them to stop them from following Jesus. This rural area is the epitome of rural, illiterate folk Muslims from low castes. Hindus who live in that same area are coming to Christ even more quickly than Muslims. Areas like these should become a significant focus for Muslim ministry.
Muslims have also followed Jesus in the thousands in another area of South Asia. It has about a 95% Muslim community. The remaining five percent are Sikhs and Hindus. We have not heard about many of those Sikhs or Hindus following Jesus. However, the Muslim community itself has significantly different communities. There are a large number of both Shias and Sunnis. When a Shia follows Jesus, they are not persecuted by the Sunnis, Hindus, or Sikhs and can thus find some protection. When a Sunni follows Jesus, they are likewise not generally persecuted by the Shias, Hindus, or Sikhs. At the same time, the Sunni population, which is the majority, is fractured by multiple different Islamic sects. Those from one sect consider the other sects to be unbelievers. Islamic cults, like the Ahmadiyyas, are also strong in that area. The result is that many different groups are evangelizing this community, which results in some level of protection. There are now multiple ministries seeing significant fruit in this area.
Conclusion
In your field of service, where are the areas of lowest-hanging fruit among Muslims? How can you identify them? What might be the impact if you shifted your focus onto those communities and places that might be most receptive?
If you want to process these issues, please email me at nocousinsleft@protonmail.com.
No Cousins Left 