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Imam Finds Peace with God
16 February 2007
“I had been looking for peace with God all my life, but couldn’t find it. I knew lots of other people like me, all religious professionals and imams, and not one of them had peace. I traveled all over a neighboring country to different holy sites looking for it, but came home empty. But in Jesus I finally have that peace!”
So begins the testimony of a Muslim religious leader living about 3 hours north of our city. Imam "Abdul" had received Islamic religious training and, besides farming his land, he was the paid imam (prayer leader) in the mosque of a nearby village. He was a recognized and respected religious leader with all the qualifications: a flowing white beard down to his waist, white robes and prayer hat, knowledge of the appropriate Arabic passages from the Koran and Hadith, and knowledge of the Shariah, or Islamic religious law. There was just one problem—he lacked peace with God. Worse, in his years as an imam, he had gotten to know many other religious leaders. Not one of them had the peace he knew he lacked. That unrest drove him to make a pilgrimage to various religious sites in a neighboring country. He spent weeks in the search, but found nothing. But when his quest seemed hopeless, God began to work. A Glimmer of HopeOne day after prayers, "Akbar," one of the men of the village, asked him to come to his house to talk. Akbar was uneducated and poor but had a good reputation, so Abdul went with him. Surprisingly enough, Akbar talked to him from the Koran. Abdul was the Koranic "expert," and here was a poor uneducated man talking to him from the Koran! Abdul accepted it because Akbar quoted the Koran in his mother tongue, not Arabic, so they both could understand it. Abdul knew most of the Koran in Arabic, but he didn’t know what it meant, so this was new ground for him. Akbar showed from the Koran how the earlier books, (the Pentateuch, the Psalms and the New Testament) were not changed or out of date, but reliable and relevant for today. He also told of the great honor and incredible abilities of Isa (Jesus), son of Mary, as described in the Koran. Akbar’s knowledge was limited, but he got Abdul’s attention. When he asked how he could find out more, Akbar told him about a shopkeeper in the nearby town. Abdul visited the shop three times but found it closed. On the fourth visit, another man asked him who he was looking for. As they began talking, this man, a mature believer, took him to a tea shop where they talked about this amazing Isa.Beginning a New JourneyAbdul met more believers, and he kept learning about Jesus. Then three weeks ago, he and his wife came into our city for the couples retreat. Amazingly, his wife was just as open and eager to learn about the Way of Jesus as he was. In fact, he shared how much he appreciated her willingness to follow him on the new path he has begun. He is the respected religious leader in his area and many look to him for advice and direction, but now he is a follower of Jesus.Abdul is now studying the Bible and learning about Jesus, the only one who gives peace. As he grows in understanding; however, he faces some big issues. He is the respected religious leader in his area and many look to him for advice and direction, but now he is a follower of Jesus. How do those two go together? There are several religious leaders who have come to faith by the initial witness of the Koran followed by in-depth teaching from the Bible. Both we and they need wisdom to know how they should live out their faith in their complicated religious context. Please pray
 
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