Discipling MBBs through Persecution

This blogpost was written for a training manual. Therefore, it is in a bullet point style. This blog post is a continuation of special issues in discipling Muslim-background believers (MBBs).

For the previous post on helping MBBs go public in their faith, click here.

  • Persecution is normal for MBBs. The Bible describes persecution as a normal experience for followers of Jesus. Therefore, MBBs should be taught that persecution is normal as they begin to follow Jesus. Efforts to completely eliminate persecution lead to unbiblical compromise. Jesus told His disciples, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves” (Matt 10:16a). When He sent them, He knew that most of His closest disciples would die for obeying His commands. But our Lord sent them anyways. Persecution is a normal part of the Christian life. Paul told Timothy, “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). There are a few ways we need to apply this to our lives.
    • First, if we share the gospel with Muslims, we must know that the people we share could face persecution – even death – because of the gospel we brought to them. However, if the gospel is true (and it is!), then it is the only hope for Muslims to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. To share the gospel with Muslims, we must fully believe that it is better to have eternal life with Christ than have a long life on earth.
    • Second, if we want to call Muslims to follow Jesus, we need to be ready to stand with them and face persecution. 
  • Persecution should be avoided and reduced when possible. While persecution is a normal experience for MBBs, not all persecution is necessary or helpful. While Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them as lambs among wolves, He finished that verse by saying, “be shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16b). Sometimes, foolish actions by MBBs or those working with them lead to excess persecution. We need to be shrewd and innocent as we disciple MBBBs in the early stages. Here are five activities that can invite undue persecution:
    1. Unforgiveness or bitterness in MBBs. Some MBBs are angry with Islam when they first follow Jesus. I was introduced to one young believer who was facing significant persecution as a new believer in Jesus. As I talked to him, I realized that he had considerable anger in his heart towards his father and the whole Muslim community for deceiving him. As a result, he had significant bitterness that led him to disrespect his father and the leaders of his childhood mosque. The young man asked me to help him flee from his family and community. Instead, I mentored him to help him walk through his bitterness. When he forgave his father, he was able to confess his own shortcomings to his father. The result was that he was restored in fellowship with his family and lived publicly as a follower of Jesus in his family’s home. As the character of MBBs is transformed, their family will notice. As they live holier and holier lives, their society is less likely to attack them.
    2. Changes in behavior that move MBBs outside of cultural norms. Many years ago, I was in Central Asia when some young Muslim college students repented and believed in Jesus. In our foolishness, we did not adequately think through cultural issues. Within a few weeks, these young men began wearing Western clothes, even shorts, to class. They took on not only Christ but also many aspects of our Western culture. When it became known that these young men had been baptized in Jesus’ name, a significant part of the offense was how Westernized the young men had become. Instead, MBBs should retain their culture while separating from Islam religiously.
    3. MBBs attacking Islam, the Qur’an, or Muhammad. The brother above, with the unforgiveness issues, took out his anger by sending an article to his Muslim friends that Muhammad was demon-possessed and an immoral man. His friends passed that article to their imam, which eventually led to a fatwa being written against the young man. If the young man had been trained in better ways to proclaim Jesus to his friends, the offense would have been reduced. The persecution would likely have also been reduced, or perhaps not have occurred. 
    4. Financial help, especially from foreigners. Years ago, my MBB friend was attacked by others in his village, resulting in a broken arm. Unfortunately, there was no medical care available in that brother’s village. His fellow villagers told him that he should ask Jesus to help him, and they refused to help him go to the hospital. I offered to go pick up this MBB brother and get him appropriate medical care. But this MBB brother was wiser than me. He said, “If you come to pick me up from my village, I will never be able to come back. Then who will bring the gospel to my people?” I prayed with grief for this brother daily for about a week. Then, this MBB brother called me and told me, “The village elders made a decision. They said that I was living like a better Muslim than the rest of the village. They made the men who beat me publicly apologize, take me to the hospital, and even pay for my medical care!” If I had swooped in and helped, then this brother might not be a witness to his own people today.
    5. Being baptized by outsiders. In some contexts, outsiders, especially foreigners, baptizing MBBs has led to MBBs being rejected by their community. Ideally, MBBs or near culture workers baptize MBBs. 
  • Persecution and MBB evangelism. MBBs often face persecution as they go public in their faith and proclaim Jesus as Lord (read here about MBBs going public in their faith). This persecution of MBBs can be reduced as they are trained in ways to share the gospel that are culturally sensitive (here is how we train MBBs to share the gospel). However, the gospel is ultimately offensive to many Muslims! If an MBB is genuinely transformed by the power of Christ, they will also want their families to follow Jesus. Evangelism should not be discouraged by new MBBs to avoid persecution. Instead, efforts should be taken to prepare MBBs to stand in the persecution that comes from sharing Christ.
  • Levels of persecution against MBBs through analysis of persecution in Pakistan. In 2005, Edward Evans wrote a study about 70 Pakistani Muslims (63 men; 7 women) who came to Christ in Pakistan from 1947-1998 whose decision to follow Jesus became public to their families (buy the Kindle book here). The two tables below provide a snapshot of the severity of persecution during a particular period in one context. Table 1 rates the severity of persecution of those 70 MBBs. Table 2 describes the eventual outcome of the faith of those MBBs in relationship to their families. 
    • A few reflections on Table 1:
      • Only one of 63 male MBBs in this study died for their faith. In contrast, 42% of women were killed. Women in Pakistan faced great difficulty being the first in their families to follow Jesus.
      • 50% of MBBs in this study faced only moderate persecution or less, and 33% faced severe persecution. This means that 17% faced death or life-threatening persecution for their faith.
    • A few reflections on Table 2:
      • The ideal is that the first believer will result in others from their family repenting and believing. However, this only occurred in 23% of cases.
      • An additional 49% of MBBs either fully reconciled with their family or developed a truce with them. Adding this to the 23% who were evangelistically effective in their families, 72% of MBBs were able to live in their community after faith.
      • Only 8% had families that remained antagonistic.
      • Since 50% of cases were severe, life-threatening, or resulted in murder, many who initially faced significant persecution were able to eventually reconcile with their families. 
Severity of PersecutionNumber of Cases% of CasesDescription
Murder46%Killed for their faith in Christ. 3 of 7 women were killed for their faith. 
Life-threatening811%Attempt made to kill believer, usually by male family member(s)
Severe2333%Range of issues, such as physical beatings, deprived of food/needs, lost job, expelled from family, etc.
Moderate2434%Intense emotional pressure from close family members and boycott from the wider circle of relatives
Mild69%Family disapproval
Neutral57%No reaction. All five were Sindhis
Positive00%No positive reactions were recorded
TOTAL70  
Table 1. Severity of Persecution of 70 MBBs in Pakistan from 1947-1998.[1]Table 1. Severity of Persecution of 70 MBBs in Pakistan from 1947-1998.[1]
Eventual Relationship with FamilyNumber of Cases% of Cases
Some family members became followers of Jesus1123%
Follower of Jesus was fully reconciled to family, but family remained Muslim816%
Family maintained a “truce” with neither hostility nor full acceptance1633%
Family remained antagonistic towards the follower of Jesus48%
Follower of Jesus reverted to Islam or at least outwardly conformed to Islam1020%
TOTAL49 
Table 2. Eventual outcomes of family relationships off MBBs with their families in Pakistan from 1947-1998.[2]
  • Practical steps for dealing with persecution. Evan’s described seven levels of intensity of persecution. Our response to the persecution of MBBs should be different based on the level of persecution.
    • Murder. When an MBB is murdered for their faith, the results are often significant. Murder often leads to government investigations, more widespread persecution, and believers retreating in fear. There are two prominent martyrdoms in Acts, Stephen (Acts 7:57-60) and James (Acts 12:1-2). Stephen’s persecution led to “a severe persecution” against the church in Jerusalem, leading to believers being scattered in many areas (Acts 8:1). As they went to new locations, they shared the gospel, and the kingdom of God advanced (Acts 8:4-5; 11:19-21). However, the fear of the believers was significant enough that they were not ready at first to accept Paul as a believer after his encounter with Jesus (Acts 9:26). The murder of James led to Peter being arrested (Acts 12:3). After God delivered Peter, he hid so that Herod could not find him (Acts 12:19). Even when believers, like Stephen, were murdered in Acts, God used these circumstances for kingdom advance.
    • For those facing life-threatening or severe persecution, there is a biblical precedent for temporarily leaving the circumstance. Paul was lowered by a basket from the walls of Damascus (Acts 9:25). Peter went into hiding (Acts 12:19). Paul often fled from persecution. The ideal is that MBBs do not permanently flee from their homes. In the Pakistan study, many were able to reconcile with their families after significant persecution. In those circumstances, families were initially upset. Still, MBBs were eventually able to reconcile or build a truce with their families. An MBB fleeing from their family should be considered an extreme response and avoided in all but urgent cases. However, we need to be ready for when MBBs need to flee from a dangerous situation. I have personally told a few MBBs that if they face a circumstance where they feel significantly threatened to get out immediately and call me to help them. Even though none have taken me up on the offer, knowing that they are not alone is a great help to these believers. 
    • MBBs facing mild to severe persecution need support from followers of Jesus. In Evans’ study, 67% of MBBs faced persecution ranging from family disapproval (mild) to being boycotted by their family (moderate) to severe forms of persecution, like beatings or losing their job. In most cases, MBBs will face difficulties for their new lives in Christ, and we need to be ready to be their family as we lead them to Christ. 
    • Persecution and the family of MBBs. Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34). He then went on to describe how the gospel would divide families in such a way that “a man’s enemies will be the members of his household” (Matt 10:36). MBBs should follow Jesus’ commands to love their enemies and pray for those persecuting them (Matt 5:44). These commands should first and foremost be followed in the family. In this way, MBBs are “innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16) regarding their families. 
    • Facing persecution with love. Turning the other cheek (Matt 5:39) is not a position of weakness. Instead, it is a position of strength to be able to face persecution with love. After all, Jesus gave the greatest model, saying, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34. Of course, He made that statement as He was being killed. While the bar is high, the Holy Spirit is powerful and can empower us also to love our persecutors. MBBs who have the honor of joining with Christ in His sufferings in this way perhaps have an opportunity to understand the gospel that is greater than most Westerners ever have a chance. 

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[1] For complete details, see Edward Evans, “’Coming to Faith’ in Pakistan,” in From the Straight Path to the Narrow Way: Journeys of Faith, ed. by David Greenlee (Waynesboro, GA: Authentic, 2005), Kindle locations 1621-1635.

[2] Ibid., 1605-1614.

The Muslim Triangle: A Tool for Evaluating and Engaging the Diversity of South Asian Islam

We use this diagram in our trainings to help South Asian Christians understand the diversity of Islam in South Asia. Discussing this diagram helps us to have clear conversations about the different types of Muslims they are likely to meet.

South Asia contain the greatest concentration of Muslim lostness on the planet (read here). South Asia also has the greatest diversity of Islam in the world.

The Muslim Triangle is a simple training tool for helping people understand the diversity of South Asian Islam. Those with significant experiences will realize that this diagram is insufficient to capture the complexities of South Asian Islam. However, it is a helpful tool for understanding the broad strokes of diversity among Muslims in South Asia.

The Muslim Triangle has three poles: (1) orthodox, (2) folk, (3) secular. By far, the folk Muslim pole is dominant in South Asia. Here is a brief description of each pole. 

Orthodox Islam is the view that Islamic belief and practice should be derived by reading the Qur’an and Hadith and obeying those texts. Orthodox Muslims focus on proper Islamic theology and practice. Usually, when people think about Islam, orthodox Islam is the picture that comes to their mind. However, in South Asia, orthodox Muslims are in the minority.

Folk Islam is a local variety of Islam that blends Sufism, local traditions, and other elements to develop a practical Islam to address their particular “needs.” The primary focus of folk Islam is to develop a spirituality that can provide practitioners blessing (answered prayers, good crops, high test scores, etc.) and protection (from accidents, evil spirits, etc.). Folk Islam usually looks very different than orthodox Islam. However, sometimes folk Islam looks like orthodox Islam but has a significant amount of folk Islamic belief just below the surface. The easiest way to understand South Asian folk Islam is to study its rituals. Click here to go to the first of a series of articles about folk Islamic rituals in South Asia. For those familiar with the prosperity gospel, folk Islam can be understood as “prosperity Islam.”

Secular Islam is familiar to most Westerners. Secular Muslims blend secular thought and materialism with Islam. Secular Islam has different flavors in South Asia but tends to focus on education, career advancement, and/or politics.

When training on the Muslim triangle, seek to find a local sect or place to use for each of the three poles. For example, in some areas of South Asia, many people understand Deoband, Ajmer, and Aligarh as places for these three poles. However, in other areas of South Asia, these three areas are relatively unknown. Discuss this triangle with a few people and discover the best ways to describe this tool in your area. 

Let me describe these three places that we use to describe the poles of the Muslim Triangle.

  1. Deoband (Orthodox Islam pole). Deoband is a small city in the Saharanpur District of Uttar Pradesh in North India. Deoband is home to Darul Uloom, which many consider to be the second most prominent madrassa in the global Muslim movement (with Al Azhar in Cairo being the most prominent). Darul Uloom was founded in 1866 as part of Islamic reform movements in the subcontinent. Its formation was partially in protest of British rule in India. At present, Darul Uloom has an impressive campus with more than 5,000 students in residence. This seminary has spawned a series of Deobandi madrassas across the subcontinent and the world. Many mosques and madrassas across South Asia are led by graduates of Darul Uloom or one of the many other madrassas that spun off this institute.
  2. Ajmer (Folk Islam pole). Ajmer is a city in Rajasthan in North India. Ajmer is home to the tomb of a Sufi saint who is commonly known as Kwaja Garib Nawaz (meaning “the benefactor of the poor”). Kwaja Garib Nawaz is the first of the four great Sufi mystics who spread Islam across South Asia. The tombs of these four remain important places of pilgrimage for Folk Muslims until today. It is common that Muslims (or others!) will go on pilgrimages to these tombs in search of help. Perhaps a family member is sick, or demon possessed, or there is a financial problem in the family. They believe that these mystical saints can help them from their tombs. The four most prominent mystics in South Asia are:
    • Kwaja Garib Nawaz (d. 1236 AD), buried in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
    • Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (d. 1235 AD), buried in Mehrauli, Delhi, Inda. He was the primary disciple of Kwaja Garib Nawaz.
    • Baba Farid (d. 1266 AD), buried in Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan. He was the primary disciple of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki.
    • Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (d. 1325 AD), buried in Nizamuddin, Delhi, India. He was the primary disciple of Baba Farid.
  3. Aligarh (Secular Islam pole). Aligarh is a city in Western Uttar Pradesh in India and home to the famous Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). AMU was started in 1875 by Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan (d. 1898). Sir Sayyid believe that Muslims in South Asia had fallen behind in society because of a lack of education. Therefore, he started AMU to develop Muslim doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals. AMU continues to be a prominent university in South Asia for developing Muslim professionals.

The purpose of this training is to help Christians understand folk Islam and to see that these kinds of Muslims should be the focus of our ministry. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • In the middle of the diagram is the Ordinary Muslim. What I mean is that the ordinary Muslim is pulled by all three poles in South Asia, however the common Muslim is closest to the pole of folk Islam. For example, a young Muslim man desires to get a good education so that he can get a good job to have a good life. These goals sound like secular Islam. However, he goes to the dargah to ask the blessing of a saint to help him in his studies and gets an amulet there to help him have the saint’s blessing to achieve his goals. At the same time, he watches the videos of Zakir Naik, an orthodox Muslim, on YouTube. This ordinary Muslim is affected by all three types of Islam.
  • Many ministries seeking to engage Muslims in South Asia focus on reaching orthodox Muslims. They focus on learning the Qur’an and Hadith, learning apologetics, etc. This triangle allows us to celebrate the work of those ministries and show that they are reaching orthodox Muslims, which are a significant group of South Asian Muslims.
  • However, folk Islam is the dominant pole in almost every area of South Asia (you must determine if this is true for your context). Phil Parshall asserted that 70% of Muslims globally are Folk Muslims (Bridges to Islam, 2). In South Asia, my experience is that this is true here as well. However, a major shift is occurring causing more Folk Muslims to become orthodox or secular. Therefore, more laborers need to be trained to engage folk Muslims.
  • Near-culture workers (i.e., Christians in South Asia who are trying to reach South Asian Muslims – click here for more) often struggle to reach orthodox Muslims in South Asia. They are often much more adept at reaching folk Muslims. The reason is that Hindus and folk Muslims share a similar underlying worldview. Reaching folk Muslims requires much less knowledge about Islam and the Qur’an, making the barrier less for equipping near-culture workers.

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Covid Vaccines, Freedom, and Imitating Paul

Photo by Hakan Nural on Unsplash

If you are on social media, you have undoubtedly heard numerous appeals to freedom and personal conscience regarding being vaccinated from Covid-19. Many argue that freedom means that they, not the government, should choose whether they should take these vaccines. More than once, I have seen Galatians 5:1 invoked in this context, 

“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

I am not writing to evaluate whether those arguing for such freedom are right or wrong in the Western context. I will leave that for leaders serving in the Western church to discuss. Instead, I am writing to discuss covid vaccines and personal freedom in the context of frontier missions. One missions leader recently tweeted that 23 countries now require vaccinations for entry and 29 countries place additional restrictions for entry on those unvaccinated. It appears that the number of countries requiring vaccines for entry will continue to increase. Last week, I heard a story of a missionary being refused entry to their country of service because they were not vaccinated.

In this blog post, I am also not writing about missionaries who voluntarily choose vaccination. Many missionaries have chosen vaccination, believing it to be the best health decision for themselves and their family. Some countries have inadequate medical facilities, so missionaries have taken the vaccine pre-emptively to avoid significant medical issues. To be honest, I am one of those who voluntarily took the vaccine for these reasons. Instead, I am talking about those missionaries who desire not to be vaccinated.

In light of these global realities, some are debating whether missionaries should take Covid vaccines if it is required to maintain access to their country of service. I have heard of a few missionaries who returned to their passport countries rather than taking the Covid vaccine. Missions agencies are beginning to either require their missionaries to be vaccinated or strongly encouraging vaccination. Facing the pressure to vaccinate, some missionaries wonder whether they should leave the field or take the shot. 

My question in this blog post is how Christian missionaries should consider their freedom regarding vaccination. 

In short, my answer is that we should imitate Paul in giving up our freedom for the gospel.[1] Paul modeled becoming all things to all people so that by every possible means he might save some (1 Cor 9:22). Therefore, missionaries today should follow Paul in giving up their freedom for the advancement of the gospel. 

Regarding Covid vaccines, this means that Christian missionaries should give up their personal freedom, as Paul did, and take the shot. 

Meat Sacrificed to Idols and Christian Freedom

When Paul wrote First Corinthians, the saints in Corinth were very interested in a matter of personal freedom. In particular, their question was whether it is permissible for Christians to eat meat sacrificed to idols? (1 Cor 8:1)

Paul gave two answers to this question. First, Paul said that the Corinthian believers could eat the meat or not eat it. This decision was a matter of personal conscience. He wrote, “Food will not bring us close to God. We are not worse off if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat” (1 Cor 8:8). In other words, Paul’s first answer was that whether to eat meat or not was a matter of personal freedom.

Second, Paul said that the Corinthian saints needed to stop looking to their own desires and look to the needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ instead. Some fell into idolatry because their brother or sister in Christ flaunted their freedom in front of them.  Paul wrote, “if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother or sister to fall” (1 Cor 8:13). 

Paul said that his desire to not cause his neighbor to stumble was greater than his desire to exercise his personal freedom. Therefore, he was willing to lay aside personal rights (i.e., the right to eat meat) to advance the gospel. Personally, I would rather take a vaccine than give up meat. 

Paul’s Example of Giving up Freedom

In 1 Corinthians 9:1, Paul asked, “Am I not free?” He then advanced his argument about giving up freedom for the gospel by providing examples of how he gave up his freedom personally.

Here are a few examples of freedoms that Paul gave up for the gospel:

  • The right to eat and drink what he chose (9:4)
  • The right to marry and take along a family (9:5)
  • The right to take support for his ministry (9:6-14)
  • The right to live according to his cultural preferences (9:19-23)

Paul wrote, “I have used none of these rights” (1 Cor 9:15). He said, “Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone in order to win more people” (1 Cor 9:19). A free man making himself a slave would have been a graphic picture to the believers at Corinth. There was no greater picture in their context of loss of rights than being sold into slavery.

In summary, Paul willingly and consciously gave up his rights for the advancement of the gospel. In this context of discussing giving up freedom for the advance of the gospel, Paul commanded, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).

So, Paul said he was imitating Jesus’ example of giving up personal freedoms. How did Jesus give up His personal liberties? To start, Jesus left his place of authority in heaven to live as a child on earth. Jesus gave up the right to an easy life. For example, He said, “foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” (Matt 8:20). The King of Kings and Lord of Lords gave up His freedom for us. Lastly, Jesus gave up His right to life, dying a horrible death as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Paul said that he saw himself following Jesus’ example of giving up freedom.

Missionaries and Personal Freedom

Many missionaries exemplify Paul’s statement, “I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some” (1 Cor 9:22). 

Here is a partial list of freedoms that my family has given up for the advancement of the gospel:

  • The right to clean air.
  • The right to access to American healthcare. 
  • The right to have our kids live near their grandparents. 
  • The right to our personal preferences in language, food, clothes, and a host of cultural preferences.

Our personal preferences have shifted as a result of living abroad. We have taken on more and more of our host culture. In some ways, we are less American now than before being sent. Our personal desires have shifted closer to Jesus’ plans for our life. However, it is not our preference to live in a megacity with significant pollution and congestion. I prefer a cooler climate to the extreme heat we often face here. My wife loves wearing her American clothes on vacations. Still, she chooses to wear local clothes to advance the gospel while in our country of service. 

My point is that it is normal for missionaries to give up personal freedom to advance the gospel. It is part of our calling. I am not saying that we have done anything extraordinary. Indeed, Jesus and Paul gave up far more freedoms than we have. In fact, it is with great joy that we serve in the role that Christ has called us. To summarize, missionaries are called to give up their personal freedoms and preferences in order to win more people (1 Cor 9:19-23). 

Considering Paul’s example and the standard expectation of missionaries to give up their freedom for gospel advance, how should we view the Covid vaccine? 

I believe that the answer is self-evident. Just as we missionaries have given up many other freedoms to advance the gospel, we must also be willing to give up any liberty regarding our preferences about the vaccines.[2] As many more countries require Covid vaccines, missionaries should vaccinate before non-vaccination becomes an inhibition to their ministry. 

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[1] It is my conviction that God has provided Paul as the ideal missionary model in the New Testament. Therefore, modern missionaries should study his life and emulate his missionary model.

[2] I know some will ask “What about…” type questions when reading a blogpost like this one. So, I thought I should respond to the question, “What about those with medical issues that make taking the vaccine unwise?”First, I am not a medical doctor. If someone has a complication making vaccination higher risk, my thoughts in this post are still valid. However, medical complications should also be considered. The reality is that most missionaries struggle with the fact that living in their contexts is not the best decision for their health and the health of their children. For example, most workers in South Asia face much higher pollution than they do in their passport countries. Also, various tropical diseases and parasites are much more common in South Asia than in the West. Health risks are part of the job of being a missionary. Therefore, a slightly higher risk in an individual who might take the vaccine does not mean that they should not take it. It is simply one more factor to consider, and their consideration should be taken with medical advice.

Three Responses to the Gospel: Red, Yellow, and Green Lights

Photo by Francis Desjardins from Pexels

A few months ago, a South Asia Christian told me that before we trained him to share the gospel with Muslims, every Muslim rejected his message. In reality, those Muslims did not reject his message; instead, they rejected the language and culture he used to present the gospel. So, we helped this brother learn some spiritual words in Urdu. We then taught him to share the gospel in a contextual way that was meaningful to Muslims (click here for our method in sharing the gospel). 

After training, the same brother told me that 90% of the Muslims he told about Jesus listened to the gospel and wanted to hear more. However, this brother did not know what to teach these Muslim seekers next. It is helpful to use the analogy of a stoplight to talk about three types of responses we hear to the gospel. Even in the villages of South Asia, more and more people are familiar with stoplights. 

The three colors of the light represent three responses to the gospel.

Red light means stop. A red light is someone whose heart is closed to the gospel. They are not interested. So, what should we do? We should be kind and respectful to them and leave to find someone else whose heart is open. If you get a lot of red lights, you should evaluate how you are sharing the gospel! Perhaps you need to learn the language more or find a better way to share (click here for our method in sharing the gospel).

Green light means go! A green light is ready to repent, believe, and follow Jesus. When you find a green light, stop everything else and give them as much time as you can for a few days to teach them how to follow Jesus. It is ideal if you can teach them your whole basic discipleship package their first few days of faith so that they can stand in Jesus.

Yellow light means to look. A yellow light is interested in the gospel but not ready to follow Jesus. What should we do with yellow lights? We should begin meeting with them to explain the gospel more and help them become followers of Jesus.

Think about Muslims you have told about Jesus. Were they red, yellow, or green lights?

In my experience, a yellow light strategy is necessary for Muslim ministry. When evangelists become skilled at sharing the gospel with Muslims, usually more than 50% of Muslims who hear are yellow lights. Muslims often take more than one visit to comprehend the gospel, repent, and believe. More Muslims are coming to Christ in areas where more follow-up occurs with yellow lights. When follow-up to yellow lights is neglected, fewer Muslims come to Christ. 

Our Yellow Light Strategy

Most rural folk Muslims are yellow lights when they first hear the gospel. They are curious and open but have questions. In Muslim ministry, it is essential to continue to follow up with those Muslims who are curious about the gospel. Over time, these Yellow Lights will become either Red or Green. If they become Red, then we move on. However, we should pray and expect that some will become Green.

Our yellow-light strategy centers on using five stories from the Gospel of Matthew that show the uniqueness of Jesus. We call these stories the Five Unique Things about Hazrat Isa al-Masih. 

Five Unique Things about Hazrat Isa al-Masih

1. Birth: Matthew 1:18-25

2. Miracles: Matthew 9:1-8

3. Word: Matthew 7:24-27

4. Death: Matthew 27:32-54

5. Resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10

We use these five stories for follow-up with Muslim seekers who are not ready to follow Jesus but are interested in learning more. Here is more of our method. 

• If they are literate, read the story from the Injeel Shareef (i.e., New Testament) with them. If they are illiterate, either tell them the story or read it from the Injeel. 

• Repeat and re-tell the story until they understand and remember the story.

• Ask – What do we learn about Hazrat Isa al-Masih from this story?

• The purpose of this tool is to help Muslims understand Jesus and the gospel. So, make sure to share the gospel each time you meet.

Another way that I use these five stories is when I meet a Muslim seeker, I will continue in these Bible studies by WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. I ask them if they are willing to study the Injeel Sharif with me. If they say yes, I copy and paste the Bible passage for the first story into our chat. Then by text or voice message, we discuss what we should learn about Jesus from that story. After answering their questions, we move on to the next story. Then when we meet face-to-face, we discuss these things in more depth. In this way, I can determine if their hearts are open to learning from the Injeel Sharif about following Hazrat Isa al-Masih!

Even as I write this blog, I am working through this process with two men I met last week. One seeker and I are discussing Matthew 7:24-27, and the other is on Matthew 1:18-25. Both are asking questions and are open to learning more. The man studying Matthew 7:24-27 is so open to the gospel that I introduced him to a mature Muslim background believer. That introduction was also by phone to hear the MBBs testimony of what it means to follow Jesus. One of these men lives about 1.5 hours from me; the other lives about 5 hours away. Conduct follow-up virtually helps me to expand my reach in follow-up. 

What is your plan for following up with Muslim yellow lights? In Muslim ministry, it is essential to have a plan for working with seekers like these! 

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The Sacrifice of Christ: A Gospel Tool for Muslims

We must be become experts at sharing the message of Jesus with our Muslim friends.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In this blogpost, I am sharing how I normally share the gospel with Muslims in South Asia. Before I begin, I want to share a few notes. First, there are many, many footnotes that provide theological and cultural details for this story. Second, we often only use the center box, which shares five unique things about Jesus: (1) birth, (2) miracles, (3) teaching, (4) sacrifice, and (5) resurrection. If you have any questions or suggestions about this presentation, please e-mail me at nocousinsleft@protonmail.com.

In the beginning, God[1] created the heavens and the earth. He made everything that we see in the world. Last, he made Hazrat Adam PBUH[2] and his wife Howa PBUH. He placed them in a beautiful garden and gave them authority over everything in the garden.[3] But he gave them one command. He said, “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:17).[4]

When sharing the gospel with Muslims, it is often helpful to begin with the creation story since our beliefs on that topic are similar.
These diagrams are how we train others to remember the parts of the story. The world in the box at the bottom reminds us that God created the heavens and the earth.

But what did Hazrat Adam PBUH and his wife do? They ate from the tree and broke God’s command. Because of this one act of disobedience, this one sin, their relationship with God was broken. If we have even one sin inside of us, we cannot go into the presence of God. Just like Hazrat Adam PBUH, we are also sinners.[5] God’s Word says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). This includes each one of us. Every person has this same problem that they are sinners and cannot go into God’s presence because of their sin.[6]

The story of the fall of Adam and Even can be used to help Muslims understand the truth that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
The second picture represents the gap of sin between Hazrat Adam PBUH and God.

Since we are sinners, how can we enter again into God’s presence? A good idea is to look to the example of the man called the friend of God,[7] Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH. What is Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH famous for? God called him to give his son as a sacrifice.[8] Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH heard God’s command and was about to obey by sacrificing his son when God stopped him. God provided an animal for Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH to sacrifice in place of his son. 

The story of Abraham's sacrifice can be used to help Muslims understand the need for sacrifice for the forgivingness of sins.
The third picture reminds of the example of Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH making sacrifice.

So, why did Hazrat Ibrahim PBUH make a sacrifice? What is the purpose of sacrifice? Many people do not have a satisfactory answer to these questions. However, when we look at the examples of the prophets, many of them made sacrifice. Hazrat Nuh PBUH made sacrifice. Hazrat Musa PBUH made sacrifice. Hazrat Dawood PBUH made sacrifice. Therefore, we need to know the purpose of sacrifice. To understand the meaning of sacrifice, we should look to the writings of Hazrat Musa PBUH in the first heavenly book, Taurat Sharif.[9] In that book, we are shown that if we sin, we must make sacrifice for our sins.[10] In one place, God’s word says, “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). And that is why Hazrat Ibrahim made sacrifice. This is why Hazrat Musa PBUH made sacrifice. All the prophets made sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.[11]

The teachings of Moses can be used to help Muslims clearly see a biblical theology of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The fourth picture reminds us of the Taurat Sharif which teams us about sacrifice.

But this teaching about sacrifice creates a problem for our lives. When we look at society around us, we see that sin is common. When we look at our own lives, we see that we are also sinners and that we often break God’s commands. One sacrifice per year is not sufficient for our daily sins.[12] For this reason, God sent other prophets who spoke about a Masih (Ur. for “Messiah”) who would come and offer one perfect sacrifice. The prophets taught that the Masih’s sacrifice would be sufficient for the forgiveness of the sins of the whole world.[13]

One day Hazrat Jibril[14] came from heaven with an announcement to Hazrat Miriam PBUH, saying, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name Isa” (Luke 1:31). When she heard this, Hazrat Miriam PBUH was amazed and said, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) Hazrat Jibril responded, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). And it happened just as Hazrat Jibril announced.[15] Now, is the birth of any other prophet this special? Did angels announce the birth of any other prophet?[16] Was any other prophet born without a father?[17]

The story of Jesus' birth shows His uniqueness. Since Muslims and Christians agree on this story, for the most part, it is a great gospel bridge.
The arrow coming down in the fifth box reminds us how Hazrat Isa al-Masih came into this world.

Hazrat Isa al-Masih[18] is also famous for his miraculous works. He healed the sick. He gave life to the dead.[19] Once, he walked on top of water. Another time, Hazrat Isa al-Masih fed 5,000 people through five pieces of bread and two fish.[20] The power of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was great. Was any other prophet able to do such powerful works?[21]

The miracles of Jesus are a powerful way to show His uniqueness to your Muslim friend.
The spark in the fifth box reminds us of the miracles of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

Hazrat Isa al-Masih had the most unique birth of any prophet. He also did the greatest miracles. The teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was also special. Every other prophet said, this is the way of God, walk on this path. However, Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Hazrat Isa al- Masih’s teaching was special since he himself is the path for us to gain access to God. All the other prophets merely taught about a path, while Hazrat Isa al-Masih became our path. 

The teachings of Jesus are powerful, for Muslims, especially the fact that He described Himself as the way and the truth and the life.
The book in the fifth box reminds us about the special teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was special. His miracles were special. His word was special. But that is not the most special thing about his life. The most special thing that he did was to give a sacrifice for our sins. Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave the sacrifice of his own life. A perfect sacrifice. A blameless sacrifice. He gave his life upon a cross for our sins.[22] And do you know what happened three days later? He came back from the dead! Have you ever met anyone who was in the grave for three days and came back from the dead?[23]

It is vital that we describe the cross of Christ to our Muslim friends. Without this teaching, we are not sharing the gospel.
The cross in the fifth box reminds us of the sacrifice of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

Know this. Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was special. His miracles were special. His word was special. His death was special. And his resurrection was special. And where is Hazrat Isa al-Masih today? He went to heaven. He remains in heaven today in the presence of God. Every other prophet, every other teacher or spiritual leader remains in a grave. We know where many of these graves are today, and people still visit them. However, one grave is empty because Hazrat Isa al-Masih was great enough to walk out of his grave and ascend to heaven.[24]

The empty tomb of Jesus demonstrates the power of Jesus to Folk Muslims who venerate saints who are still in their tombs.
The upwards arrow in the fifth box reminds of the resurrection and ascension of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

A day is fixed when Hazrat Isa al-Masih will return to give judgment. He will establish justice in this world.[25]We must be ready for this day of judgment by walking on the path of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. We do this by repenting of our sins and believing on Hazrat Isa al-Masih and becoming his disciples. If we do this, we will be ready for the day of judgment. If we do not, we will end up in the fires of hell. This is the choice that we have today when we hear the message of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

The day of judgement is also a powerful gospel bridge for sharing the gospel with your Muslim friend!
The final picture reminds us off the day of judgement.

When you share the gospel with Muslims, you need to be ready to take next steps with them to help them follow Jesus. Read here about how we help Muslim seekers to learn more about Jesus!

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[1] In Urdu, there are two general terms for God, Khuda and Allah. There are differences of opinion about which of these two terms is best to use. The term Khuda comes from Persian and is utilized in most Urdu Bibles. It means something like the one creator God. Muslims use the term Khuda, but less often than Allah. There is a trend in South Asia, especially among orthodox Muslims, to prefer Allah over Khuda. In South Asia, the term Allah is more closely associated with Islam. However, it was used by Christians and others before the time of Muhammad and continues to be used by Christians in worship in several countries, especially Arab speaking countries. Therefore, it seems that either the term Khuda or Allah is permissible to use for God in evangelism among Muslims. In practice, I prefer the term Khuda since I want to make sure that those whom I am evangelizing do not mistake me for a Muslim. I have found it is more common that Muslims mistake me for a Muslim when I use Allah. Etymologically, the term “Allah” is related to the Hebrew term for God, “Elohim.” In the Hebrew Bible, the plural “Elohim” is commonly used, however, the singular “Elah” is also used in some places (e.g., Deut 32:15; Isa 44:8; Psa 50:22). Since both Hebrew and Arabic are in the Semitic language family, it is easy to see how the singular “Elah” and the Arabic “Allah” are related. Also, many Muslims use rhyming titles or words to add to names and words. This gives respect to the name to which another word is affixed. One example of this is that many South Asian Muslims say, “Allah Tala,” which has a rhyming rhythm. As a result, some also add Tala to Khuda, even though it does not rhyme. Thus, “Khuda Tala.” 

[2] There are several issues in using the names of prophets in Muslim evangelism. First, it is best to use the Urdu names of the prophets. Otherwise, the people we are evangelizing will not understand who we are talking about. Second, Muslims in South Asia usually place the term “Hazrat” before the name of a prophet and say “alayhi salaam” after the name of the prophet. In evangelism, it is generally helpful to follow this custom. Here the Urdu/Arabic “alayhi salaam” is noted by PBUH (peace be upon him). Muslims use these terms for respect. Hazrat is an Urdu/Persian word meaning “honored.” There is certainly no issue in using this term. Alayhi salaam means “May the peace of Allah be upon him.” Note that the term Hazrat seems to be peculiar to South Asia and is not used throughout the Muslim world.

[3] Most Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were initially placed in a garden paradise in heaven (Ur. jannat). When they ate of the tree, they literally were banished from heaven by God.

[4] Four heavenly books (Ur. Asmani Kitaben) are mentioned in the Qur’an as being from God: Taurat of Hazrat Musa, Zaboor of Hazrat Dawood, Injeel of Hazrat Isa, and Qur’an of Muhammad. The Taurat is generally considered comparable to the Torah/Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Zaboor is generally considered to be the Psalms. The Injeel is understood to be either the Gospels in the New Testament or the full New Testament. Most Muslims have never encountered any of these books, but they have heard that they are heavenly books. The majority (but not all) Muslims in South Asia have been taught that these books have been corrupted and that only the Qur’an is uncorrupted. However, the veneration of these books in Islam causes many Muslims to be open and curious to these books and their teachings.

[5] Some include a first sacrifice story to the Adam narrative. They base this on Genesis 3:21 that states that “God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them.” However, this verse does not clearly demonstrate that a sacrifice was made. Moreover, it is generally assumed that God is the one who made the sacrifice here. However, this would be significant since the only other sacrifice that God made in Scripture is the sacrifice of Christ. Since this is not a clear part of the Genesis narrative, it is my preference to exclude a sacrifice made by God for Adam.

[6] Many Muslims see themselves as having made mistakes (Ur. galti) rather than sin (Ur. gunnah). This conception of mistakes versus sin can be quite profound and causes many South Asian Muslims to take their sin less seriously than the Bible would instruct them to. For many Muslims the concepts of purity (Ur. pak) and impurity (Ur. napak) can be a bridge for understanding sin and forgiveness. The Bible often portrays sin and forgiveness in terms of ritual purity and sanctification (Titus 2:14; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:3). Therefore, this is a biblical way to express our need to be cleansed by God. Note that purity and impurity are deep cultural issues for Muslims. Pakistan is literally “the land of purity.” Muslims ritually wash before praying. Halal food is of the utmost importance to Muslims. Purity rules are some of the strongest cultural markers in South Asian Islam.

[7] In both the Bible and the Qur’an, Abraham is called the friend of God (James 2:23; Qur’an 4:125). It is common to hear Abraham called Khalilullah (Arabic for “friend of Allah”) in South Asia. Since this term is used in the Bible as well as in the Qur’an, it is an acceptable term. 

[8] This story is very well known in Islam and is the basis for the annual festival, Korbani Eid (or Eid al-Adha or Bakra Eid – bakra is Urdu for male goat). In the Qur’an, there are some differences in this story. Therefore, it seems best to leave this story somewhat general at this point to avoid falling into an apologetic conversation about the Qur’an versus the Bible. Our goal is to preach Christ and Him crucified in initial gospel conversations. Many points of doctrine and belief need to be discussed but are better addressed in subsequent discussions. Instead, this story should be used as a bridge to cause Muslims to see the importance of the concept of sacrifice in their own religious system. Here are the most noteworthy differences between the Biblical and Islamic teachings regarding this story. First, Islamic tradition teaches that Abraham almost sacrificed Ishmael, while the Bible teaches that it was Isaac. Therefore, it is best at this point to keep it general as “Abraham’s son.” Also, Islamic tradition includes a story that God asked Abraham what was most precious to him. When Abraham said his son was most precious, then God called him to sacrifice his son. This story is not contained in the Bible. Therefore, it is best to leave it out of our gospel presentation. Additionally, many folk stories have emerged from the story of Abraham’s sacrifice. For example, I have been told many times that Abraham threw his knife after making the animal sacrifice. This knife then flew into the ocean and cut gills on the fish. Therefore, fish have gills today.

[9] Sharif is Urdu for “noble.” Just as South Asian Muslims affix terms like Hazrat to the prophets to give them respect, they often affix terms like Sharif to the heavenly books. 

[10] There is no specific verse in mind here, but rather the whole sacrificial system of Leviticus 1-7, 16-17. Hebrews 9-10 offer much clearer teaching about the purpose of sacrifice and a comparison of the Levitical sacrificial system with the sacrifice of Christ.

[11] Note that a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins has no value unless the hearer believes that they are a sinner. Therefore, it is usually not helpful to progress to the topic of sacrifice until those you are evangelizing agree that they have sinned and are separated from God by their sin.

[12] See Hebrews 10:1-10 for a comparison of why the regular sacrifices of the Law of Moses could never take away sin but the final sacrifice of Christ could.

[13] See especially Isaiah 53. Another commonly used story about a prophet pointing to the sacrifice of Christ is John the Baptist (Ur. Hazrat Yahyah). Seeing Jesus, John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, 36). Hazrat Yahyah is known and respected in Islam. 

[14] Most of the Urdu names are self-explanatory. However, Jibril is sometimes confusing. Jibril is the Urdu/Arabic name for the angel Gabriel. 

[15] The miraculous birth of Jesus is told twice in the Qur’an (Qur’an 3:42-55; 19:16-34). There are many differences between these stories in the New Testament and Qur’an. However, my experience in sharing this story is that they respond, “this is our story about Hazrat Isa!” 

[16] I use rhetorical questions like these throughout my presentation of the life of Jesus. My goal is to cause the Muslim I am evangelizing to compare Jesus to Muhammad and other prophets naturally and to see that Jesus is better. The Muslim you are sharing with will naturally ask themselves these questions. Often at the end of the presentation, a Muslim will declare that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet. If I feel that the person I am sharing with is somewhat receptive, I will sometimes ask these questions more directly. Like, “Did Muhammad have such a special birth?” “Did Muhammad heal the sick?” “Is not Muhammad’s body still in the tomb in Medina?” “Did Muhammad die for our sins?” 

[17] In Islam, the answer is “yes.” Adam was also born/made without a father. When a Muslim points this out to me, I simply agree with them and then state that even Adam did not have angels come to announce his birth. Generally, this has caused Muslims to agree that Jesus had a better birth even than Adam. 

[18] There is disagreement about which term to use for Jesus in Muslim evangelism. Some argue that only the name Yeshu should be used (e.g., Khudawand Yeshu, Yeshu Masih). Others use Hazrat Isa alayhi-salaam. Whether to use Isa or Yeshu in Muslim evangelism in India depends on the type of Muslim you are trying to reach and the evangelistic style you are using. Many who prefer to use Yeshu focus on apologetic and polemical debate with educated, orthodox Muslims. Therefore, using a different term for Jesus helps create a clear boundary between Islamic and Christian teachings on Jesus. Most who are engaging ordinary (or folk) Muslims prefer to use Isa. Using Isa helps the evangelist to enter the world of the person they are evangelizing. The goal is to reinterpret Isa from merely a prophet to Savior/Son of God/God for the Muslim listener. Since Hazrat is a Persian term for “honored,” there is no issue in attaching that prefix.

Some have objected to using alayhi-salaam (Ar. for “May peace be upon him”) in reference to Jesus, since he is the Prince of Peace. I have found it best to use “al-Masih” as a suffix to Jesus’ name. Using al-Masih is a clear indication to my listener that I am emphasizing something different about Jesus. Also, it has helped reduce confusion in evangelism about whether or not I am a Muslim or Christian. When they hear the term “al-Masih,” they assume that I am a Christ (Ur. Masihi). Regarding the etymology of the name Isa, there is no clear information. However, the following etymology is possible. In Greek, the name for Jesus is “Iesou.” In Syriac this became “Essa.” Since Syriac had an influence in the Middle East, it is not unreasonable to assume that the Syriac “Essa” became the Arabic “Isa.” Certainly, the term “Isa” is closer to the Greek name for Jesus than the English “Jesus” is. 

[19] These two miracles are also mentioned in Qur’an 3:49. Jesus is the only prophet mentioned as a healer in the Qur’an. Some Muslims believe that Jesus was the healing prophet. 

[20] These last two miracles are not mentioned in the Qur’an. I like to mention miracles of Jesus that are not from the Qur’an to promote a desire in Muslims to learn more about Jesus from the Bible. 

[21] In South Asia, many Sufis are also reported to have done miraculous works like these. Some Sufis were reported to fly or levitate or miraculously feed others. Since Sufis are so highly regarded in South Asia, this has sometimes been a barrier to causing Muslims to see the uniqueness of Christ. Often, folk Muslims wonder if Jesus or the Sufis have more potency for miracles. 

[22] My experience is that many Muslims will agree with me here (especially folk Muslims), but more educated or orthodox Muslims may argue. One verse in the Qur’an seems to say that Jesus did not die on the cross (Qur’an 4:157), while other verses discuss his death (Quran 3:54; 19:33). There is a whole field of Muslim apologetics related to discussing whether or not Jesus died on the cross. In Islam, the story of the Gospel of Barnabas often comes up here. In the Gospel of Barnabas, God made Judas to appear in the form of Jesus and it was Judas who was crucified in the place of Jesus. However, literary evidence within the Gospel of Barnabas indicates that it was a fifteenth-century European writing. The story of Judas becoming like Jesus on the cross is not found in the Qur’an or Hadith.

[23] The empty tomb is one of the most convincing aspects of the life of Jesus for folk Muslims. The reason is that they often go to tombs of respected Sufi pirs. Jesus’ greatness over these pirs is evident in that he was able to come out of his tomb while these others remain in their tombs. A pir is a type of Muslim religious leader who acts as a mediator for their followers. Pirs are both living and deceased. For example, Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi is a deceased pir. His followers say that Nizamuddin is alive and active inside of his tomb in Delhi and able to act as a mediator of those who come to him. At Hazrat Nizamuddin’s tomb, there are living pirs, generally descendants of Nizamuddin who pray for those in need, cast out demons, and give spiritual direction. Pirs come typically from the Sayyid caste, meaning that they are reputed to be descendants of Muhammad’s tribe. Orthodox and secular Muslims often object if Jesus is compared to a pir (i.e., described as a mediator).

[24] The concept of a mediator/path/means (Ur. vasila) is helpful here. In Islam, a vasila is the means by which a Muslim has their prayers heard and receives blessing from God. The Sufi pirs are generally considered the vasila of folk Muslims. Orthodox Muslims usually think of Muhammad as their vasila. In Shia Islam, the tomb of Hussain at Karbala, Iraq is their vasila. Therefore, Shias built elaborate shrines called tazia that are replicas of that shrine and act as conduits of its power. Different Muslims approach these shrines and tombs in various ways to seek power and blessing. In contrast, Jesus is in heaven and is, therefore, a better vasila, since he is in the presence of God. If a Muslim wants to enter the presence of God, then Jesus is the best vasila. 

[25] The day of judgment is a great gospel bridge for Muslims. Often, I begin conversations with Muslims by discussing the day of judgment. For example, a few times when I have gone to a mosque, someone will ask me, “why are you here?” I have responded that I believe that there is a day of judgment coming and we must all prepare for it. This has always led naturally into spiritual conversation. Most Muslims believe that Jesus will return on the Day of Judgement. However, most also think that he will join with Muhammad on that day. Suffice to say, there are substantial differences of belief between Muslims and Christians about the day of judgment. One point that surprises most Christians evangelizing Muslims in South Asia is that many Muslims feel confident about the day of judgment. They believe that if they are part of the community (Ur. ummah) of Muhammad that Muhammad will accept them on the day of judgment. This is often a substantial barrier to belief in Jesus. 

Helping MBBs Go Public as Followers of Jesus

This blog post is the first of several that will focus on special issues in developing Muslim background believers (MBB) to maturity. This section was written to be included in a training manual and adapted for this blog. One of the most significant steps in the faith of every MBB is going public in their faith. Therefore, this blogpost is devoted to that important and complex step in the life of new MBBs!

The Dargah of Hazrat Niizamuddin in New Delhi. A Dargah is the place of the tomb of a deceased Sufi mystic. Folk Muslims visit these tombs believing that the deceased saint can act as a mediator for their prayers to reach to God.

Helping MBBs Go Public as Followers of Jesus. When Muslims repent and believe in Jesus, they often keep their faith secret from their friends, families, and neighbors. They know that they might face a significant family pressure or even persecution from their family and community when they go public in their faith. However, it is necessary for MBBs to share about their faith in Jesus with their family and community. MBBs should do so carefully and with prayer and fasting. MBBs going public in their faith is perhaps one of the most difficult parts of discipling new MBBs. 

Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, is a biblical story of a secret seeker going public. In John 3:2, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to learn from Him. He came to Jesus at night desiring to be secretive as he learned about Jesus. Later, Nicodemus tried to stand up for Jesus to the Pharisees, saying “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?” (John 7:51). The other Pharisees rebuked Nicodemus. Nicodemus, as a religious leader, probably observed the trial of Jesus and His crucifixion. Although the text does not state it, it seems likely that this was a time of transformation in Nicodemus’ life. Immediately after his death, Nicodemus aided Joseph of Arimathea in the burial off Jesus, which would have been a highly public act (John 19:38-42). Nicodemus provided 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, an enormous expense. We learn three lessons from Nicodemus’ story. Click here for the text of a sermon I once shared on Nicodemus going public.

  1. First, Jesus allowed Nicodemus to learn about Him in secret and to begin to grow in secret. In the same way, it is permissible – and perhaps even advised – to give Muslim seekers the freedom to grow in their faith secretly for a time.
  2. Second, it took time for Nicodemus to work through his questions of his allegiance to the Jewish religious leadership and Jesus. We cannot be certain of the timeline, but this was certainly a process that took months, and possibly more than a year. In the same way, we need to give space to Muslim seekers as they work out these issues.
  3. Third, Nicodemus’ faith eventually forced him to go public as a follower of Jesus. In the same way, MBBs need to go public in their faith at the appropriate time. Often, MBBs go public in their faith in ever increasing circles of contacts, slowly and carefully sharing about their new faith with a few at a time. 

Six issues of MBBs not going public.

Until MBBs go public, they live with a dual identity, being Muslims in public and followers of Jesus in private. For many, this dichotomy is difficult to maintain. For example, I have a friend who says he believes that Jesus is God and that Islam is a false religion, but he still leads prayers as the imam of a mosque. He says he wants to leave Islam and believes that the prayers that he leads are false worship. However, because of fear and family pressure, he retains his role as an imam. Now, his family has a Muslim girl that they want him to marry. He is torn between a desire to follow Jesus and the fear he faces of going public. As a result, he is having trouble following Jesus with his whole heart. Eventually, MBBs need to choose whether their new identity will be fully in Jesus.

When MBBs are secret in their faith, they must often compromise their faith in Jesus. For example, they go to mosque to pray, which necessarily includes compromise in their faith. This issue is especially common around Muslim holidays, like Ramadan and Eid festivals. When MBBs are secret in their faith, it is impossible to navigate those situations adequately. 

When MBBs are secret in their faith, they are often cut off from fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Instead, they attend mosque, often out of community pressure. They continue to hear more from the Qur’an than the Bible. Therefore, they are not positioned to grow in their faith. The result is that they grow increasingly weak in their faith in Jesus.

When MBBs are secret in their faith, they often struggle to maintain spiritual disciplines like Bible study and prayer. The reason is that they either do not keep a Bible at their home for fear of being found out, or they keep it so hidden that they rarely get it out. Many MBBs only keep a Bible on their phone. While that works for some, others are highly distracted by all the other features on their phone. When they lack a Bible, they struggle to find the time and energy for prayer as well. Without maintaining basic spiritual disciplines, like Bible study[1] and prayer, MBBs cannot grow to maturity in Christ. 

When MBBs are secret in their faith, they cannot be a witness for Christ in their own communities. MBBs can be powerful witnesses for the gospel. The gospel should spread through families and along relational lines. In this way, whole families can come to Christ. However, if an MBB is secretive in their faith, then they cannot share the gospel with their family, friends, and community. 

When MBBs are secret in their faith, they let circumstances dictate when their faith will become public. If MBBs do not share their faith in Jesus with their family and community, it is likely that some circumstance will come along revealing their faith to others. The problem is that these circumstances do not usually permit a new MBB to reveal their faith carefully and prayerfully. Instead, their faith becomes public in an uncontrolled way. The problem is that this often increases the chance of facing rejection from their family and community. For example, Nabeel Qureshi’s faith went public when he left his computer on in his dorm at college. His parents came in and saw that Nabeel was messaging a Christian friend about Nabeel’s baptism. Even worse, when circumstances dictate an MBB go public, many MBBs publicly deny their faith. For example, the wife of new MBB might find his New Testament hidden in their home and confront him. The new MBB might deny that he is a follower of Jesus in that moment out of fear. When a new MBB publicly denies their faith, it often creates an even deeper dichotomy in their faith and can lead to many issues. 

Four Points of the Ideal Picture of MBBs going Public. 

Please note that this section paints an ideal. It is likely that some people’s personal circumstances will be radically different. There is real potential for persecution when MBBs go public. A future blog will discuss how to handle persecution of MBBs. 

  1. MBBs should remain in their culture. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 teaches that new believers should remain in the situation in which they were called. This means that new MBBs should ideally retain their names, their food, their dress, their jobs, their role in society, their relationships, and their culture. 
  2. MBBs should separate from Islam religiously. 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 teaches that believers in Jesus must separate from false worship. Therefore, new MBBs should forge a public identity where they are personally separate from Muhammad, the Qur’an, and the mosque. MBBs seeking to remain in their community should be careful not to attack Islam, but simply to separate themselves from Islam. If MBBs begin to attack Islam, it is much more likely that they will be expelled from their families and communities. 
  3. MBBs should seek to excel as members of their community in every way. As Jesus transforms our lives, we should be better husbands, sons, and fathers. We should excel in our work and our generosity in the community. We should become more and more productive. More than anything, the character of followers of Jesus should be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16-25). MBBs should take to heart Jesus’ admonition to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16). In particular, this truth should be lived out before an MBBs family and the community into which they were born. 
  4. MBBs should slowly and deliberately share the gospel in their Muslim community. While showing Jesus by their transformed lives, MBBs should also seek opportunities to see the gospel spread like yeast within their community (Matt 13:33). A general principle is that MBBs should proclaim the gospel wisely and deliberately in their own family and community but that they can proclaim more boldly and directly outside of their direct community. It is often helpful to train MBBs in evangelism outside of their context and to send them two-by-two to share Jesus with people they have never met. Sharing the gospel outside of their family and community will help them to become more adept at sharing the gospel inside their community. However, they should carefully consider how bold to be with their own family to avoid complete rejection by their family and community. As a group of MBBs grows in strength in a community, it is likely that some separation will automatically happen. 

The Public Identity of MBBs in their Community. 

There are many perspectives on how MBBs should present themselves in their community. Here, I am advocating for MBBs to publicly present themselves as Followers of Isa and members of an Isa Jamaat. 

Option #1. Muslims who secretly follow Jesus. This option means that followers of Jesus perpetually remain in Islam as secret believers. For the reasons already shared, this is not a viable option. 

Option #2. Muslims who follow Jesus. Some want to call themselves Muslims who follow Jesus. As Muslims, they are still trying to navigate their relationship to Islam. They have not clearly separated from Islam and have not answered the questions clearly related to the mosque, the Qur’an, and Muhammad. Therefore, this option does not adequately provide a consistent identity for MBBs.[2]

Option #3. Christians. When MBBs call themselves Christians, their family and community are often confused. Many Muslims see Christians as immoral people from the West whose behavior is apparent from Hollywood movies and wars in the Middle East. There are often lies in Muslim communities that Christians drink alcohol, eat pork, and engage in sexual immorality. Therefore, when an MBB declares him or herself a Christian, their community often has vast misunderstandings. 

Option #4. Followers of Isa and members of an Isa Jamaat. A better way for MBBs to describe their faith is as Followers of Isa and members of an Isa Jamaat. They then can describe their faith in culturally appropriate ways and how they practice it. This option adequately demonstrates separation from Islam, while describing the identity of the new believer in culturally appropriate terms. As a group of believers forms in a new area, calling themselves an Isa Jamaat clearly describes their corporate identity in a way that is understood in South Asian Islam. 

Nine Tips on Going Public Well.

There is no set pace at which MBBs must go public. Just like Nicodemus began to follow Jesus in secret and later when public, it is fine for MBBs to follow the same path. Other MBBs choose to immediately go public after repenting and believing. Every MBBs personal situation is different and should be handled differently. The discipler should focus on helping the new MBB follow Jesus and be transformed as they follow Him. During this time, the Holy Spirit will be working in the life of the new believer. It is hoped that the Holy Spirit will guide new believers to go public in their faith. However, if after several months or a year of following Jesus, they still do not want to go public, then it might be necessary for the discipler to process with them what their hesitations are. It is very helpful at this point to include other mature MBBs in this conversation. 

Train MBBs in appropriate and culturally sensitive ways to communicate their faith in Jesus. The Five Special Things about Jesus tool and Korbani presentations are very helpful here. As MBBs learn how to communicate their faith in sensitive ways, ask them to prayerfully consider who from their community might be most open to discussing these things. Teach them how to bring up Jesus with friends and family and to begin discussions. 

Pray and fast for MBBs as they begin to share the gospel with others in their community. Remember that this is a spiritual work! Ultimately, we must seek God to intervene and do a great work in a Muslim community. 

Disciple MBBs so that they experience life transformation as they prepare to go public. When MBBs experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, their families often take notice. When they explain to their families that this transformation occurred through following Jesus, it is a powerful apologetic for the gospel. 

New MBBs should not speak against Islam. New MBBs should be careful not to attack Muhammad, the Qur’an, and the mosque. Speaking against Islam or its prophet is a quick way to be rejected by family and community. No doubt, family and community will bring up Muhammad and urge new MBBs to say the shahada (“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”). MBBs should seek to deflect these urges from family by telling their testimony of how Jesus transformed their life and sharing the uniqueness of Jesus.[3]

The person discipling the new MBB should “make every effort to get to know the whole family of the” new MBB (Little, 195). When the gospel spreads to a new family, the family is generally alarmed to learn that someone from their family has repented and believed. Many have experienced that this alarm is reduced dramatically if the family knows where the gospel is coming from and have even heard some teaching from the evangelist/disciple maker who brought the gospel to the family. This can help the family to understand why this family member has chosen to follow Jesus and reduce the chances of rejection.

Introduce new MBBs to more mature MBBs who can help them in navigating these family issues. If the disciple maker is an E2 or E3 worker, then they should seek to connect new MBBs to other mature MBBs who can coach them through these stages. Usually, E2 and E3 workers can only speak theoretically, while mature MBBs speak from experience and from a deeper understanding of the culture. 

Be prepared in the eventuality that going public goes poorly, leading to persecution. A future blog will address the issue of persecution of MBBs. This topic will be addressed there more completely.

If the family initially rejects an MBB, be prepared to seek reconciliation. If the initial steps of going public go poorly, the MBB should be prepared to temporarily leave his or her home, perhaps for the night. If the rejection is stronger, then perhaps even longer. At this point, the evangelist/disciple maker or a mature MBB likely needs to help the new MBB seek reconciliation with their family. Someone might go with that person to address the head of household to try to explain that the new MBB is not seeking to reject their family and culture, but simply seeking to grow close to God. While some families might reject the MBB completely, most are able to either find a workable truce with their family or to be welcomed back as family members. 

[1] For the illiterate, substitute the appropriate means of learning the Word of God here. For many, it means keeping audio files on their phone to listen to or using some form of audio device. Many MBBs go to great lengths to keep a micro-SD card with audio files hidden to avoid going public. 

[2]Note that some MBBs who have clearly separated from Islam still call themselves “cultural Muslims who follow Jesus instead of going to the mosque,” or something similar. In this way, they are indicating their separation from Islam, while noting that they have not left their culture and community. 

[3] In Muslim ministry, there is a need for developing MBB apologists, like Nabeel Qureshi. Nabeel clearly and boldly taught against Muhammad, the Qur’an, and the Islamic faith. The focus here is on the initial steps of MBBs going public in their faith rather than advanced steps. 

Blogging is hard!

When I began this blog about a year ago, I had a desire to share my perspective with the world. I thought I would write one or two blogs a week. I was very excited!

Then reality hit. Blogging is hard work! I constantly have thoughts that come through my mind about blogs that I want to write. A few in the last week are:

  1. A biblical defense on Pauline Emulation as a biblically faithful missiological hermeneutic. A significant part of my doctoral dissertation was on this subject and it remains a passion of mine! Pauline Emulation is the idea that God placed Paul in Scripture as the ideal missionary model. Therefore, modern missionaries should study the life and ministry of Paul for modern emulation.
  2. An analytical biblical theology of mission of 1 Corinthians. Lately, I have been studying this book with great benefit for Paul’s missiological model! I would also love to write on the same theme for most of Paul’s letters. Each one of these letters provides a rich missiology from Paul, which should be synthesized together into a Pauline missiology.
  3. A method for deriving modern missiological practices through Pauline emulation. Basically, I advocate a four-step process. (1) analytical biblical theologies of mission of each relevant text (i.e., Acts and Paul’s letters), (2) a synthetic biblical theology of mission of Paul, (3) Pauline Emulation as a missiological hermeneutic that bridges then then until today, and (4) developing a modern practical missiology. One of the greatest helps for steps 3-4 is a study of 2 Timothy, where Paul expressed an intent for Timothy to emulate his model (2 Tim 1:13-14; 3:10-4:5) and for Timothy to hand his model off to others (2 Tim 2:2).
  4. Various cultural tips on engaging South Asian Muslims with the gospel.
  5. A discussion of the importance of the Sermon on the Mount in discipleship of MBBs from South Asia. In particular, Jesus’ focus on showing the need for inward change rather than mere outward obedience is transformational for many MBBs.
  6. A discussion of the themes of Hebrews in discipleship of MBBs. In particular, Jesus as the best mediator (Heb 5-7), the giver of a new and better covenant (Heb 8), and the giver of the greatest sacrifice (Heb 9-10) are powerful gospel themes for many MBBs.
  7. Ministry tools. For example, how do we share the gospel, work with seekers, disciple new believers, etc.

The ideas above merely scratch the surface of the ideas I would love to write about. Please pray for me that the Lord will give renewed energy to focus on a writing ministry. I believe I have something to contribute that would be of value to many!

Blessings,

David

Folk Islamic Ritual #4: Urs Festivals

Understanding folk Muslim rituals help us to understand the worldview of ordinary Muslims in South Asia. Understanding the worldview of ordinary Muslims helps us more effectively make disciples of folk Muslims. However, not all folk Muslims adhere to the same folk rituals. Therefore, these readings on folk Islamic rituals should act as a guide to explore folk Islam rather than as concrete rules for folk Islam. There are no concrete rules in folk Islam! Previously, we looked at pirs and dargahs. This lesson will build on those by describing Urs festivals.

Urs festivals commemorate the “marriage” of a Sufi with Allah upon the Sufi’s death. One of the goals of Sufi Islam is to seek spiritual union with Allah. Thus, when these individuals die, they entered into a marriage (Persian “Urs”) with Allah. Urs festivals occur annually to respect and seek barkat from prominent Sufis. Depending on the prominence of the pir, a Urs festival may last a day, or it may last a month. Urs festivals are the largest Muslim gatherings that occur in South Asia. Every year, about 400,000 people attend the six-day Urs festival for Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India. 

It is common in folk Islam for those in need to travel from dargah to dargah seeking spiritual blessing and prayer. Some coming believe that these saints are the way to come close to Allah. However, others come out of desperation for help for a sick or demon-possessed relative. During these pilgrimages, many Muslims are very open to hearing the stories of Jesus, who healed the sick and raised the dead. They are happy to receive prayer in Jesus’ name for their family needs. These individuals can be open doors for the gospel as we minister to them and pray for them and their families.  

Both women and men participate in Urs festivals. These festivals tend to have teaching, dance, and music, as well as rituals for receiving barkat. The ceremonies at some Urs festivals are unique. For example, in Pakpattan, Pakistan, there is a structure near the tomb of Babu Farid called “The Door to Paradise” (Bahishti Darwaza). Walking through this gate is said to assure the individuals of entrance into heaven. During the Urs festivals for Babu Farid, tens of thousands throng to Pakpattan for the opportunity to walk through Bahishti Darwaza. At some Urs festivals, hijra (third-gender women) participate in dancing as conduits of power and blessing. At one Urs festival, I observed horse races, cricket and soccer tournaments, and carnival rides. 

The dargah of Baba Farid in Pakpattan, Pakistan. Used by permission. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fariduddin_Ganjshakar#/media/File:Darbar_Hazrat_Baba_Farid_ud_Deen_Ganj_Shakar_Rahmatullah_Alaih_-_panoramio.jpg

At the core of all of these activities is a belief that these Sufi pirs are mediators for ordinary Muslims to obtain barkat from Allah. Within the folk Muslim mind, these mediators (Urdu vasila) are necessary to have their prayers heard and get spiritual blessing from Allah.

One of the most powerful ways to minister to folk Muslims is through prayer. When I pray for folk Muslims, I explain that I am a disciple of Jesus and that I pray in the manner that He taught. I usually begin my prayers with something like, “Our Father who lives in heaven” and make a personal prayer for the person to whom I am ministering. At the end, I pray through Jesus (Urdu main is dua Hazrat Isa al-Masih ke vasile se manta hun. Amen). Since most folk Muslims are of a lower educational level, it is rare to find folk Muslims who speak English well. It is most effective when we can pray for them in Urdu, or even better, in their heart language. Often, when we pray for folk Muslims, they are surprised to see the kind of relationship with have with God that we can approach Him so simply. Many Muslims in South Asia have come to Christ when Christians have prayed for them and seen God answer.

Excursus on the Orthodox Pole

Until now, we have completed four studies on the worldview of South Asian folk Muslims. The reason that we have focused on the influence of folk Islam in the life of ordinary Muslims is that the folk Islamic pole is the strongest of the three between orthodox, secular, and folk. However, it would be a mistake to believe that the orthodox pole does not also significantly influence the worldview of ordinary Muslims. Another reason that we have focused less on the orthodox pole is that this is the kind of Islam that most in the West understand best about Islam.

There are many ways that orthodox Islam affects ordinary Muslims in South Asia. One of them is the “point system” of Islam. For example, here is one passage from the Qur’an:

The balance that day will be true (to a nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper. Those whose scale will be light, will find their souls in perdition. (Qur’an 7:8, Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation).

 Simply put, Islam teaches that scales will be used on the day of judgment to measure the good and bad works of individuals. If someone’s good works outweigh their bad, then they will be permitted into heaven. The Qur’an indicates that two recording angels are appointed to write down the good and evil works of a person. 

But verily over you (are appointed angels) to protect you, kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds). They know all that you do. (Qur’an 82:10-12, Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation)

            The result is that many folk Muslims are also conscious of this “point system.” The point system is also sometimes very complex in orthodox Islam. For example, prayers have differing “point” values.  Praying namaz (Arabic salaat, Muslim ritual prayers) in a mosque is worth more than praying the same outside of a mosque. Namaz is of more value at larger mosques than at smaller mosques. The larger the congregation praying, the more points are received by each. Namaz is of more value during Ramadan (i.e., the month of fasting). Most Muslims become far more devoted to their prayers (and other religious duties) during Ramadan, knowing that they can catch up on their points for a year of prayerlessness during this time. Even within orthodox Islam, there are aspects of Muslim belief that orient towards power. For example, one night of Ramadan is called “the Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr), when Muslims remember Muhammad receiving the Qur’an. According to Qur’an 97:3, “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” This means that during this one night, Muslims believe that they have more ability to come close to Allah than any other day of the year. Because of this belief, the Night of Power is central to many Muslim’s pursuit of God and his blessings.

Many Muslims approach the five pillars of Islam through this lens of acquiring points for the day of judgment. The five pillars are: 

  • Shahadah – the confession, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” 
  • Namaz – ritual prayers
  • Hajj – once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina
  • Zakat – almsgiving to the poor
  • Ramadan – the annual month of fasting

One complication created by these issues is a difference in understanding of sin. Often, Muslims perceive themselves in a lifetime of struggle to gain more good points than bad, while also trusting in the mercy of Allah. There is not the same concept in Islam that one sin has such great consequences. The point of this all is that folk Islam heavily influences the average Muslim in South Asia, but orthodox Islam significantly affects them as well. Most Muslims mix these approaches and beliefs. While the folk Muslim worldview requires exploration, those ministering to South Asian Muslims must also gain basic familiarity with orthodox practices and beliefs.

If you found this article helpful, click below to read all of my articles on Folk Islamic rituals. https://nocousinsleft.com/2022/10/18/folk-islamic-rituals/

Folk Islamic Ritual #3: Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Muhammad’s Birthday)

Islamic folk practices reveal the worldview of folk Muslims. Understanding the worldview of folk Muslims empowers us to make disciples among them. I want to begin this discussion with my first experience of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (also known as Mawlid). My wife and I had recently moved to South Asia and lived across the street from a mosque. One morning, we woke up to a large group chanting “Allahu akbar!” (Arabic for “God is great”). To be honest, we were a little alarmed. We peered through the gate and saw a crowd of men in white clothes. There were dozens of people waving green flags and lots of guns. We could not understand what was happening, but it was shocking to us as new arrivals.

The popularity of Muhammad and Eid Milad-un-Nabi can be seen from this picture of the crowds at a celebration in Lahore, Pakistan. Many conservative sects in Pakistan decry this holiday but the popular appeal is very strong. Used by permission from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:International_Mawlid_Conference_at_Minar-e-Pakistan_Lahore_by_Minhaj-ul-Quran1.jpg

So, we went on the roof of our home to see what was going on. In our very broken Urdu, our neighbor explained that this was a celebration of Muhammad’s birthday. A large crowd was gathering to start a parade in honor of their prophet. The mosque by our house was the preferred gathering point. Thankfully, the guns were in the hands of police who were there to keep the peace. At the time, I did not realize that Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a controversial holiday in the Muslim calendar. It is one of the points of contention between the Barelvi and Deobandi movements. The Deobandis attack this holiday while Barelvis defend it. Deobandis attack Eid Milad-un-Nabi is because of the folk beliefs and practices attached to it. Despite this opposition, Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a national holiday in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Throughout the Islamic world, Muslims celebrate this holiday, except in conservative Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Conservative Muslims object to this veneration of Muhammad, saying that it is shirk, which is the sin of associating partners to Allah. In Islam, there is no sin greater than shirk.

To understand the controversy about Muhammad’s birthday, consider Ahmad Raza Khan’s teachings about Muhammad. Khan was instrumental in developing the Barelvi school of Islam in India.

“Only the Prophet can reach God without intermediaries. This is why on the Day of Resurrection, all the prophets, saints, and ‘ulama will gather in the prophet’s presence and beg him to intercede for them with God… The prophet cannot have an intermediary because he is perfect.”

“God made Muhammad from His light before He made anything else. Everything begins with the prophet, even existence. He was the first prophet, as God made him before He made anything else, and he was the last as well, being the final prophet. Being the first light, the sun and all light originates from the prophet. All the atoms, stones, trees, and birds recognized Muhammad as prophet, as did Gabriel, and all the other prophets.”

            Or consider the following poem by Khan regarding Muhammad:

“I am tired, you are my sanctuary.

I am bound, you are my refuge.

My future is in your hands.

Upon you be millions of blessings.

My sins are limitless,

But you are forgiving and merciful.

Forgive me my faults and offenses,

Upon you be millions of blessings.

I will call you, “Lord,” for you are the beloved of the Lord.

There is no “yours” and “mine” between the beloved and the lover.”[1]

In the minds of many folk Muslims, the need for a mediator is clear. Khan argued that Muhammad was the greatest mediator between God and man. In many ways, the beliefs that Khan held about Muhammad are similar to Christian views about Jesus. In Khan’s mind, Muhammad was created before the foundation of the world. Allah made the world through Muhammad. All of creation recognizes the greatness of Muhammad. Muhammad forgives sins. Muhammad is in perfect union with Allah. Muhammad is perfect. Khan’s view of Muhammad is very different than in orthodox Islam. 

For ministry to folk Muslims, this highlights two areas of concern. First, most folk Muslims have a deep sense of need for a mediator. Some look primarily to Muhammad, while others look to other Muslim spiritual leaders for this need. Most folk Muslims believe that Muhammad was so great that they need a mediator to approach him before he can mediate between them and Allah. Second, many folk Muslims have stories and beliefs about Muhammad and other mediators (Urdu vasila) that can be bewildering. I remember sharing about the miracles of Jesus with one folk Muslim. Every time I told a story, he would say, “My vasila did the same thing!” Just like Jesus, this man claimed that his vasila raised the dead, walked on water, healed the sick, and multiplied food for his disciples. In the end, I could only find one thing that Jesus did that this man did not claim his vasila had done. Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the world. His vasila had not done that for him.

Click one the following links to continue learning about ministry to Folk Muslims in South Asia. Here is a blog post on devotional singing called na’at. Here is another article on the veneration of Muslim saints, called pirs, at dargahs. For those ministering to South Asian Folk Muslims, it is important to understand their rituals. As we understand their rituals, we understand their worldview. As we understand their worldview, we can better share the gospel with them.

If you found this article helpful, click below to read all of my articles on Folk Islamic rituals. https://nocousinsleft.com/2022/10/18/folk-islamic-rituals/

[1] All of these quotes from Ahmad Raza Khan are taken from Usha Sanyal, Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi: In the Path of the Prophet (Oxford: Oneworld, 2006), 97-99.

Folk Islamic Ritual #2: Veneration of Pirs at Dargahs

Understanding folk Muslim rituals help us understand the worldview of folk Muslims. Understanding the worldview of folk Muslims aids us in making disciples among them. In the previous blog on folk Muslim rituals, we discussed devotional singing, called na’at, and how na’at shows us that folk Muslims in South Asia approach God through mediators. Folk Muslims understand the gospel well when we present Jesus as the greatest mediator. This lesson builds on that lesson by describing dargahs and pirs.

This is the relatively unknown Dargah of a Pir known as Hazrat Mohammad Shakil Shah in Mussoorie in Uttarkhand, India. The tiled structure between the two tree trunks is the grave. This tomb has been there long enough that these this tree has grown through the structure. Despite its age, the tomb is well maintained. The box is for devotees of this Pir to give financial offerings. No living Pir sits at this tomb. There are many thousands of small dargahs like this one throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Dargahs are shrines that contain tombs (Urdu kabr or mazhar) of deceased Sufi mystics known as pirs. Pirs are spiritual leaders in folk Islam that often wield enormous political and social power. In most sects, pirs are Sayyid, meaning that they claim to be descendants of the tribe of Muhammad. Pirs are Sufis who seek spiritual union with Allah and function as conduits of power (Urdu karamat) and blessing (Urdu barkat) from Allah. Pirs are known to provide spiritual guidance to their followers. Followers obey their pir’s direction absolutely.

There are two general approaches to the veneration of saints at dargahs. One is through a formal piri-muridi relationship, while the other is a simple petition of the saints. Piri-muridi refers to a solemn devotion of a disciple (Urdu for murid) to a Sufi pir involving some kind of initiation rite. The murid pledges obedience, and the pir bestows a spiritual barkat or empowerment on the murid. Phil Parshall wrote about an experience with a Naqshbandi pir who would initiate “his disciples by pressing his finger into their chests just over the heart. At that time, the devotee becomes filled with God and actually hears the voice of Allah within his body.”[1]

            Most devotees at dargahs never enter this kind of formal relationship. Instead, they go (or are brought to dargahs) to ask for help for practical needs in their lives.[2] Different dargahs are reputed to have barkat for different needs. For example, Pir Kaliyar Sharif in Uttarakhand is known to free visitors from demonic spirits. In visits to this dargah, I have seen individuals chained to trees and buildings outside the dargah complex by their families as they wait for deliverance from evil spirits. Inside the dargah, I was once almost knocked over as demon-possessed individuals writhed on the ground as Sufi leaders tried to cast demons out of them (apparently unsuccessfully). Pir Budhan Ali Shah in Jammu is known to help women become pregnant.[3] One missionary I know told a Muslim friend that he and his wife were having trouble becoming pregnant. His Muslim friend brought the missionary and his wife to this shrine to try to help them. There are thousands of dargahs across South Asia. In particular, the Punjab province in Pakistan contains a high concentration of dargahs. 

            Visitors to dargahs undertake acts of veneration.[4] They never turn their back on the tomb and wear topis (Urdu for “skullcap”) to give respect. Most visitors offer money, flower, or light clay lanterns in veneration of the Sufi. Devotees prostrate (Urdu sijda) themselves as an act of homage to the saint. All of these acts accompany the supplication of the visitor who believes that the saint can provide barkat as a conduit of Allah’s power. Sufis are renowned for supernatural ability to do things like teleport, walk on water, or fly.[5] In India, it is reasonably common for Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and others to go to dargahs for barkat. In larger dargahs, there are generally pirs and other Muslim holy men who can create magical amulets, cast out demons, prophesy, and otherwise aid visitors in their spiritual needs. There is perhaps no more controversial question in Islam in South Asia than the role of pirs and dargahs in Islam. Many sects of Islam embrace these practices, and many others decry them. However, for the majority of Muslims in South Asia, the power of the dargah is more important in their lives than the mosque. 

            Because of the amount of respect pirs hold among folk Muslims, it can be helpful for Christian ministers to Muslims to adopt some of their habits. For example, pirs tend to live simple lives, wear shalwar kameez, and act as spiritual leaders. Christian’s can emulate these practices to be viewed more as spiritual leaders by folk Muslims. Additionally, pirs should ideally seek for union with Allah. Christians ministering to folk Muslims need to pursue a genuine spirituality with Christ, abiding in Him. Many Muslim leaders act more like the Pharisees and Sadducees of Scripture and long for spiritual leaders that genuinely know God. Additionally, Christian ministers to folk Muslims should act as spiritual leaders by praying for folk Muslims, providing spiritual guidance from the Bible, and following a defined path for disciples.  

If you found this article helpful, click below to read all of my articles on Folk Islamic rituals. https://nocousinsleft.com/2022/10/18/folk-islamic-rituals/

[1] Phil Parshall, Bridges to Islam: A Christian Perspective on Folk Islam (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2006), 33.

[2] Usha Sanyal, Ahmad Riza Khan Barelwi: In the Path of the Prophet. Makers of the Muslim World  (Oxford: OneWorld Publications, 2006), 92-93.

[3] In Pakistan, similar shrines exist to Aban Shah that would have been very close to this shrine before partition. The shrines in Pakistan derive some of their practices from Shiva worship which is the primary Hindu god of the Jammu region. Khalid, 9-38. 

[4] Ibid 106-107.

[5] Ibid 108-109.