“Emmanuel” had just graduated from an Islamic school, having memorized the entire Qur’an, when he visited his cousin, one of my good friends and a Muslim-background believer (MBB). He wasn’t satisfied with what he had learned and said the Qur’an doesn’t have any help for him. My friend “Daniel” told him he could study the New Testament with him, but that if he’s looking for money or worldly things he wouldn’t find them there either. But Daniel told him that he could show him the way to eternal life, and that it was only found in Jesus. Emmanuel took a New Testament to read and came back a few hours later offended by what he had read. “How could you abandon the religion of our fathers?” Daniel simply told him it was the truth, and that he should keep reading. Emmanuel continued to read and discuss with Daniel what he was reading. They discussed how it could be possible for God to have a son, and that his son could become a man. This is a blasphemous thought to Muslims, and is explicitly denied in the Qur’an. They discussed the prophethood of Mohammed and how he compared with Jesus. Emmanuel became convinced that Mohammed was not sent by God and that Jesus was the best and final prophet. He professed faith in Christ and a desire to follow Christ.
Despite Daniel’s admonitions to Emmanuel to avoid confrontations with the Muslim community until he is well founded in his faith, Emmanuel immediately went out and began sharing publicly that Mohammed was not sent by God and that Jesus is superior in every way. This caused an incredible stir in the community as the news got out that a young man who had just completed memorizing the Qur’an has converted to Christianity. He was taken by force back to the Islamic school where he had studied, and the Sheikh there tried to figure out what had gone wrong. He decided that it was because he had only learned the Qur’an, and not the Hadiths (sayings and doings of Mohammed) so he set about trying to complete the education. After the futility of this became apparent, Emmanuel was taken to the central mosque in the town. He was set before the religious leaders of the town and told to take the Islamic oath, or shahada – “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger.” This is where he caved, and in his weakness he took the oath. The pressure immediately subsided and he was set free, although under close watch of his family.
Emmanuel’s conversion brought shame to his family, and it was their job to remove the shame. It’s often the family who are the most hostile to a new convert, and this case was no different. They fully supported the proceedings against Emmanuel. His brother attempted to attack Daniel with a knife, but was prevented by another missionary who stepped in. Emmanuel was forbidden to see Daniel, though he managed to get him a letter expressing his grief and regret at having betrayed Christ as well as Daniel. He seemed to still believe, to still want to follow Christ, but was at a loss at how to proceed because of the swift and overwhelming force applied by the community against him. After a quiet few weeks, he left town to find work.
Emmanuel’s education in the Islamic school and his memorization of the Qur’an qualified him to work as a “faqi” – something like a combination between religious teacher and witchdoctor. When he fled he went to live with another faqi, several hundred kilometers from his hometown. Not having any other way to support himself, he began doing the work he was trained for. People would come with a problem and for a fee he would intercede on their behalf with God. He would pray for them, and he might write some Qur’anic verses on a special board, wash them off, and have the person drink the water. Or if the problem was fear of evil spirits or the “Evil Eye”, he might write the verses on paper, sew up the paper into a leather pouch, and the person would wear the pouch on their body for protection. It’s quite a lucrative business capitalizing on the fear that is ubiquitous here.
During this time, he also met a Christian from the southern part of Chad who was working as a nurse in the town. He confided in this new friend, sharing his story and his struggles, and they prayed and read the Bible together. He fluctuated between wanting to follow what he now believed was true and the allure of a life of relative ease, wealth, and approval of man.
Fortunately though, the story doesn’t end there. I recently took a trip with Daniel and some pastors from southern Chad and in the providence of God we ended up in a town not too far away from where Emmanuel is living. Daniel was able to get in touch with him and encourage him to come spend a day or two with us. He found a truck that was headed our way, and for a small fee they gave him a ride. He arrived in a nearby town around midnight and walked the remaining 10-15km to where we were staying. The next day, Sunday, he attended church with us. Daniel spent most of the day sharing with him, reading the Bible with him and praying with him. That evening, a group of us gathered to encourage him and pray for him. The Secretary General of the denomination was with us, and pastors and missionaries from all over Chad. He shared with us that he still believes, and that he’s struggling but that he wants to follow Jesus. He confessed the sins he’s struggling with. He said he wants to find another way to make a living and was considering fleeing to a town where he’s unknown. Daniel and the pastors encouraged him to stay and be a light where he’s at, because running isn’t the solution. They encouraged him with Daniel’s story of persevering under persecution and remaining in his community to be a light. He agreed that this was best and after circling around him and praying for him, we parted ways.
Yesterday I heard from Daniel that Emmanuel called him, and that he quit his work as a faqi because he “didn’t want to be in the Devil’s shadow anymore.”
Pray for Emmanuel. There are many unknowns, and he is still a “baby” in the faith. His worldview is still influenced by Islam in so many ways. These things don’t change overnight, but by the Spirit of God they do change for those who are his. Pray that he will find work. Pray that he will grow in his faith through reading scripture and that he will find ways to have fellowship with other believers. Praise God for his plan to call a new people to himself from every ethnic group on earth. He is working his plan, and will complete it, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable opposition. And he will get the glory.