How to Witness to a Muslim
By the Son of a Missionary
I must state up front that witnessing to a Muslim will require more patience than many Christians are willing to show. It is because witnessing to a Muslim is about as easy, in some respects, as say trying to change services from AT&T to Sprint.
In fact, it is like waiting on the phone while you constantly hear the message, “All of our operators are dedicated to their religion, willing to die for it, and may become available to take your call if you have the time to wait for a real good reason to talk to them.”
Now I have heard that there are two types of witnessing – the hunting method and the fishing method:
* Hunting- A hunter stalks his prey, much like we do here in North America. We set up a stand on a street corner and fire tracts at unsuspecting bypassers in hopes of landing a 14-point new convert. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that with a Muslim. You are likely to wind up with the ranger booting you out of the hunting grounds and taking away your hunting privileges for life.
* Fishing – A fisherman puts out the lure and hopes that there is a hungry fish swimming in the area. He is patient, not always trying to reel in everything that takes a nibble. Yet after a while, there will be fish that take that full bite; and when they do, you have them.
It’s important to remember that a Muslim is completely unfamiliar with anything but Islam. They are taught that their belief in Allah is more important than their own life. To even think or speak against the Koran would be an unmentionable sin. So you can’t pelt them with Acts 2:38 and look for positive results. You have to be patient. You have to present Jesus in your lifestyle, and make friends with them, and then just wait.
There will be hungry hearts whom God will tug at, they will search for more than what they have been taught, but they won’t do it publicly. If you are patient enough to wait through the many rejections, you will find an opportunity to let them know what it takes to be saved – that there is a God who loves them, and cares about them personally.
See, the best way to show a Muslim Jesus, is to live Jesus. They don’t understand real Christianity, because most of what they have seen is fake Christianity. Lift up Jesus and all men will be drawn to Him, (John 12:32) much like a stubborn fish is drawn to the lure. It will happen.
Maybe some of us are unsure whether Jesus is really that attractive to a sinner trapped in another religion. We feel we have to create a sneak attack to get them to open up. Instead, we must realize that Jesus is able to bring hungry hearts to us. Then, we can show them that it is Him they are looking for. We must pray this way, “Jesus, bring me to a hungry heart. Lord, lead a Muslim to You today.” (Imagine, praying before you witness. What a concept!)
The truth is both witnessing methods are effective, for Jesus told us to compel men to come, while also talking about drawing men unto Him. We just have to be sensitive as to which method works best for the different types of people in the world.
If you are feeling a burden for Muslims, here are a few tips before witnessing:
* Build a friendship – Don’t expect to walk up to a Muslim and pray them through. Instead, build a strong friendship with them so God can open the doors of their heart to you
* Live a Godly lifestyle – When supposed Christians provide the world with filth like MTV, most Hollywood movies, and repugnant music, Muslims are repulsed. When your daily witness counters this image with a godly, modest lifestyle, then they can relate to your reverence. It builds credibility.
* Confirm your belief in One God – Most Muslims think all Christians believe in the Trinity and consider monotheism exclusive to Jews and Muslims. Confirming your strong belief in one God will create an instant bond with them. In tandem with this, they believe Jesus was a prophet and had the Holy Spirit in Him. Asserting Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit is a big step forward.
* Approach Muslims in private – There is intense public and family pressure to remain Muslim. If you approach them in the company of other Muslims, you will have no chance for success. Private conversations are more likely to bear fruit.
Of the many Muslims that have attended our services, some choose to remain Muslim on paper (legally) even after they are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. This is proof that public conversion is nearly an impossibility. This doesn’t mean they deny Jesus if asked about Him. They just choose not to change their legal status to “Christian” because it might place them in danger. (Good thing we don’t have to present legal documents for inspection before we get into heaven.)
In spite of my experience overseas, please understand that I am not the expert in these areas. God may open a door for you that will blow all of my advice to smithereens. And if He does, please follow His leading and not my own.
I pray that the day will come when Muslims will come to God in great numbers, when passing out a tract in a Muslim country will no longer be taboo, but an ordinary occurrence, and when churches are as public as mosques. Yet, this can’t happen unless Christians prepare themselves in wisdom and knowledge to reach these people.
Jesus, let it happen!
“How to Witness to a Muslim”. Written by the Son of a Missionary.
“This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
