A.S. Ibrahim: Christians in the heartland of Islam

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, June 20th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. WORLD Opinions contributor A. S. Ibrahim recently visited the Middle East and was struck by how much God is doing to turn Muslims to Christ.

A. S. IBRAHIM, COMMENTATOR: Much of Western Christianity is imploding. But don’t assume Christianity is collapsing and vanishing everywhere.

In some regions, the number of Christians is rapidly growing. This is particularly the case in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia. The Middle East and North Africa are worth noting, as they have been the heartland of Islam for over fourteen centuries. In many remarkable ways, this region is experiencing a Christian spiritual awakening.

I was recently in a country in the Middle East where Christianity is witnessing a remarkable work of the Spirit of God. On Sundays, local churches there are full of worshippers, many of whom come from a Muslim background. I met believers in Christ who used to be Sunnis, Shiites, or even Druze. Some come from Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi, or other ethnic backgrounds.

They all have one thing in common: All have abandoned Islam and are now serious followers of Christ, despite being disavowed by their Muslim families, persecuted by their Muslim neighbors, or harassed by local governments. We are not talking about Christian believers switching churches—no, not at all. Local churches are being filled with numerous new believers.

But why are multitudes of Muslims abandoning Islam in our generation? There could be several factors, including the clear gospel witness of local Christians. However, one factor is glaringly obvious—the internet.

Unlike any previous generation in the history of Islam, Muslims are now able to access information about their faith that they never knew before. In past generations, a Muslim needed to travel to a local library to read about Muhammad’s life and deeds. Now these are accessible with one click. In the past, knowledge of Islam was filtered and controlled by Muslim clerics—but not now!

Today, Muslims all over the world can learn what the original Islamic sources reveal about Muhammad’s deception by Satan, his marriage to a nine-year old girl, his massacre of a Jewish tribe, his military incursions against innocent tribes, and many other stories.

Islam is shielded no longer. The internet also allows criticism and evaluation of a religion that for centuries terrorized critics.

There has never been a moment like this in the past 14 centuries. This openness in criticizing Muhammad’s actions and Islam’s claims didn’t exist even two decades ago. And the Church is winning the moment, as ambassadors of Christ proclaim the gospel in the heartland of Islam.

What can the Church in the West do to partner in this crucial moment of revival? It can assist in the advancement of the gospel by supporting local churches worldwide. Numerous local churches are doing excellent work of evangelism among the nonbelievers, but they lack financial resources and theological education suitable to their own contexts.

Some Christians in the West have grown weary, believing that evangelism seldom leads to conversions among Muslims. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a remarkable moment for all Christians to work together to fulfill Christ’s commission to the end of the earth.

I’m A.S. Ibrahim.

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