By Jim Hogrefe
Associate Director of Church Multiplication
Every Community for Christ
Rashid, a Muslim and grandson of a powerful
mullah (a Muslim trained in religious law and
doctrine) in India, was never wanted. His father
tried to kill Rashid just before he was born. He
survived, but his father never accepted him or
said anything good about him. Despite this hardship, Rashid became more committed to serving
Allah and prayed constantly for him to show Rashid
the way to salvation. He tried to earn his salvation by
converting Christians to Islam. He was, at times, successful, but he found no peace.
One day, some Christians asked him to pray all night with them. He prayed in
one room while the Christians prayed in another. He asked Allah to give him a sign
that he still wanted him to continue converting Christians to Islam. He said aloud
and wrote on a piece of paper, “I will give you all night, until 4 a.m., to show me
this.” But Allah never appeared, spoke, or gave a sign. Then at 4:00, Rashid wrote
on the paper and said, “Jesus, if you are the real God, then show me or speak to
me.” As he prayed, a brilliant light, brighter than anything he had ever seen, filled
the room. A voice said, “Rashid, do you know who I am?” Rashid responded that
he did not. The voice said, “I am the Lord Jesus Christ. I created you in your mother’s womb. When you were in the womb and your father wanted to kill you, and he
beat your mother, do you know who saved you?” Rashid said, “No.” Jesus said,
“I put my hand around you and protected you; and now I am here to tell you that I
have a plan for your life.” Jesus’ plan was for Rashid to tell Muslims about Jesus.
When word of this reached the people of the village, a mob of men came with
swords and knives in search of Rashid, intending to kill him. He hid in a shed and
prayed. God said, “I will protect you; go out.” Rashid went out of the shed, and the
angry men were standing still like statues. They held knives and other weapons
but could not move. He fled, traveling that night to a safe place. It was the last time
he ever spoke to his mother. Now, Rashid tells everyone he meets what Jesus has
done for him and how he saved him.
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