The following testimony comes directly from one of our Middle Eastern team members and shows how an answered prayer can change a stubborn heart…
Highly respected
Hady* was an imam (leader) at a mosque just outside a famous Middle Eastern city. He taught Islam at the mosque and elsewhere. He was also an active member of an Islamic group whose main concern is spreading Islam among non-Muslims.
Hady worked prodigiously during the past few years and became well-known and highly respected in his community. He memorised the whole Qur’an, which qualified him for a great many jobs. But while studying the Islamic faith in more depth, he discovered some contradictions in the Qur’an. He searched for answers, but couldn’t find anyone who could satisfy his questions. Day after day, his eyes were opened to the darker side of his faith. He couldn’t believe what he was discovering, but he could not share these discoveries or his confusion with anyone. All of this caused him to look for information about the ‘God of the Infidels’ online.
During his search, Hady came across our website and asked if we could meet him face to face. We met him several times; he was very reluctant to believe in Christ. At first we only answered his questions. Then we began to share the love of Jesus with him. Hady continued to resist the message of Christ and refused to open his heart.
An unexpected emergency
Then one day, Hady’s very close friend was taken ill and had to go to the hospital. He was on the verge of death.
Hady was in shock. He decided to use the name of Jesus instead of Allah when he prayed for healing for his friend. The following day, Hady received a telephone call from this friend at the hospital, saying he was much better and would be going home that day. The friend added that it was a miracle!
Hady called us asking for another meeting immediately. We had no idea why he wanted to meet us so urgently. This time Hady was very open, asking once more about the salvation of Christ. He had read the New Testament and kept asking questions about the true God of the Bible. He cried for three hours during that meeting. He said that he had been blind and that he was living a big lie.
A difficult position
When Hady returned home, he found a large crowd of people visiting his family. At the time of the call to prayer, everyone asked him to lead them. He refused, because by this time he knew the truth and wanted to follow Jesus, but he couldn’t tell anyone the reason for his refusal. They continued urging him to lead the prayer, and he finally gave in.
But while he was kneeling down and praying the Islamic prayers, he saw a vision of Jesus coming to him, saying, ‘I am Jesus. You are on the right path. I have chosen you to follow me.’
Hady completely forgot that he was leading the prayer. The people behind him began to murmur. ‘What is going on?’ they asked. ‘Why has Hady stopped the prayer in the middle?’ They moved him onto the bed in his room because they thought he had fallen unconscious or been stricken by a sudden illness.
A fruitful follower
Hady has now joined a Bible study group and is following Jesus! He has also started a Bible group at the university to reach out to the other students. He is no longer an imam and is living in a different location.
Please pray for him, that he would be able to reach out to his community in an effective way. Pray for his safety and for the salvation of his friends and family, some of whom have grown suspicious of his faith. Hady needs wisdom!
We praise the Lord because we can see him using media to plant churches in the Arab world.
*Name has been changed.