Muslim Encounters with Jesus
'. . . more and more stories are coming out of closed countries of God
supernaturally evangelizing Muslims through dreams and visions. Of the
estimated thousands of new believers in Iran in the last few years,
over half of them became believers after Jesus personally came to them
in a dream or vision.' Wendell Evans of the Billy Graham Center's
Institute for Muslim Studies refers to 'the frequency of reported
dreams and visions of Christ among Muslims . . .' Source
Hell
Abdullah was a faithful Muslim. He lived just an hour's drive from
Mecca, prayed in the mosque five times a day, practiced all the Muslim
beliefs, and, of course, regularly visited Mecca. Like many Muslims,
he was taught that Christians had evil spirits and that he must keep
away from them.
One night Abdullah dreamed he was in hell, burning in a blazing fire.
The next morning, very worried, he prayed to Allah, 'I have done
everything well; why would I go to hell?' During the following days he
grew increasingly troubled. One night he was sleepless because of
fear, when at midnight a bright light lit his room and a voice said,
'I am Jesus. Come to me. I am the way to heaven. Follow me and you
shall be saved from hell.' Abdullah fell on his face crying and said,
'Please help me find you.'
Within days Abdullah found a Christian Bible and began reading it. He
soon committed his life to Jesus. Filled with joy, he started sharing
his new-found faith with his family and friends. By his country's law,
however, a Muslim who leaves his faith must be killed. Abdullah's
family turned him over to the authorities. He was jailed and tortured
for months.
When Abdullah refused to deny Jesus, he was taken to the Sheria Court,
where the most dangerous criminals are tried. The judge said to
Abdullah, 'Deny your new beliefs and you will walk out a free man; if
you don't, you will be beheaded.'
'I will never deny Jesus,' Abdullah replied, 'If you kill me I will go
to heaven, but my blood will be on your hands.' Abdullah was sentenced
to be beheaded the following Friday.
He was returned to jail and bound hands and feet. On the day of his
execution, however, no one turned up. Next Monday morning the guards
removed his chains saying, 'Run you demon, we do not want to see you
again.' Unable to believe his ears, Abdullah asked for an explanation.
The guards said that on the day Abdullah was to be executed the
judge's son had suddenly died. As a result the judge reversed his
decision.
Like most Saudis, Abdullah was from a wealthy family and had
everything he needed. Not only was he rejected by his family, he had
no source of income, and could not get a job because he was considered
a betrayer. All of his identification papers were taken from him and
he could have been arrested again at any time. And yet despite this
pressure Abdullah continued to live for several years in Saudi Arabia,
actively telling others about Jesus. Source
Peace
Indian-born Ibrahim Yousef James moved with his family to Kuwait when
he was six. While still in his teens he went into business with his
older brother and by the time he was 20, he had amassed a fortune. He
owned the largest television production facility in Kuwait. A devout
Muslim, he studied the Koran and kept all the religious Islamic
traditions. He gave money to the poor and made many pilgrimages to
Mecca. There was only one thing Ibrahim had attempted and failed. He
tried suicide four times. Why could he not find peace? He searched the
Koran for answers but found none.
He went to England to study electronic engineering. In the month of
Ramadan, during the last week of his fast, he developed insomnia. No
matter what he tried, sleep eluded him. Prowling around in his hotel
room he found a Bible. Flipping it open he read 'Where to find help in
time of need'. He read the list and found 'needing sleep - Psalm 4.'
'If you are the God of this book, give me sleep,' he prayed. He
stretched across the bed and fell into a deep dreamless sleep. The
next morning he forgot about the Bible and God. Later in the week he
came across a man on the street preaching and claiming that Jesus was
the only way to God. Ibrahim thought it was all rubbish and Jesus was
not the son of God. He also came across an American couple who told
him to ask God for the answer, and that God loves him and will speak
to him. Ibrahim had never heard of anyone say that God would speak to
them. Five nights later Ibrahim dreamed of a bright light in the form
of a cross and a voice said, 'This is my way. Jesus is my son. I give
my peace to you. I leave my joy with you'.
He had heard from God, and spent the day counting the cost of
following Jesus. He knew he would be rejected totally. But the more he
thought about Jesus, the more he wanted to know. He met a Christian
lady who told him about Jesus, and Ibrahim, weeping openly, gave his
life to the Lord Jesus. The first thing he did was to tell his family.
They were all very angry and told him that they never want to hear
from him again.
Ibrahim began seriously studying the Bible and married a Christian
woman. There was no reconciliation from his family. Then one day he
got a telegram asking him to attend his sister's wedding. 'We forgive
you, please come,' said his father. As Ibrahim prayed about it, God
told him not to take his wife. Upon arriving in Bombay, Ibrahim was
warmly welcomed by his relatives and friends. Before long, however,
his father attacked him, beating, kicking and punching Ibrahim until
he was blinded with blood. Every member of Ibrahim's family supported
his father's action. 'I cannot deny Christ,' Ibrahim kept saying. His
father pointed a gun at him. Just seconds before he fired, Ibrahim's
uncle grabbed the gun from his father. Ibrahim was kept as a prisoner
in the house. They destroyed all his wedding pictures, Bible,
Christian books and tapes. As days passed Ibrahim's father felt that
he was coming around, but he still kept him prisoner, instructing
guards to shoot Ibrahim if he ever tried to leave. Gradually he was
allowed to go out to meet friends but not without a guard.
One day Ibrahim asked to see his school friend and his father took him
out. God said to Ibrahim, 'This is the day to leave your family.' His
father had to inspect something on the way, so he let Ibrahim complete
the journey on his own. Seizing the opportunity, Ibrahim went straight
to a Christian pastor, who helped him get away.
Recently Ibrahim spoke to his father by phone and his father admitted,
'I know that your God is real because for ten years all our plans to
harm you have failed.' Source
A high-born Muslim Lady
Madame Bilquis Sheikh was a high-born Muslim, former wife of a
Minister of the Interior, in Pakistan. God gave her dreams and visions
about John the Baptist, about himself as God the Father, Jesus the son
and the Holy Spirit. He led her to read the Bible. Her family came to
know of her new beliefs and confronted her. She was so convinced of
her new found truth, however, that they plotted to kill her. They even
tried to burn her house. Her family boycotted her, and the servants,
who were Muslims, left her, calling her a traitor and an infidel. She
received many threats from her family and outsiders. An Army General
of Pakistan visited, asking her 'Why did you do it?' She replied she
has been called to witness Jesus Christ and she will obey Him, no
matter what comes her way. She finally escaped to the US and wrote a
book about her experiences. Source
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