How to Be an Authentic Christian Witness During Ramadan

Here’s one crucial thing to be talking about with your faith-filled friends this month: How to be an authentic Christian witness during Ramadan.

Muslims all around you will be celebrating Ramadan.  Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with Muslims is not a skill typically taught in the church, and most likely, your Christian friends aren’t aware of the need. That’s okay. We’re here to help.

First the Basics

Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims. They believe it’s the month god revealed the Quran to Mohammad. They fast from food, drink, tobacco, sex, and “sinful” behavior during daylight. Instead, they are to devote themselves to special prayers, reading, and recitation of the Quran.

Different Islamic sects and regions celebrate differently. Generally, during the first ten days of Ramadan, their prayers seek Allah’s mercy and blessings. For the next ten days, they seek Allah’s forgiveness. During the last ten days, they seek Allah’s safety from hell because salvation is not guaranteed in Islam

Most Muslims celebrate the “Night of Power” (Laylat Al-Qadr in Arabic). They consider this one of the holiest nights of the year. For Sunni Muslims (over 85% of Muslims), this night is typically the 27th night of Ramadan. For Shia Muslims (around 10%), this night typically is the 23rd night. Muslims believe Allah rewards prayers and other acts of worship done on this night as equivalent to 83 years (1,000 months) of other nights.

How to Be an Authentic Christian Witness

Your Christian friends may believe they need to know even more about Ramadan before engaging with Muslims. However, that’s not true. They can start small by asking curious, open-ended questions.

Stephen Covey said, “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply.” With that in mind, one of the most important things your friends can do when it comes to engaging with Muslims is to seek first to understand.

Practical Application

Here’s a practical, real-life story that illustrates how you and your Christian friends can ask curious, open-ended questions:

With Ramadan on the horizon, Jason asked his Muslim neighbor, Mohammad, a curious question:

Do you celebrate Ramadan?”

Mohammad said yes, so Jason asked another open-ended curious question:

 “What’s your favorite thing to do during Ramadan?” 

Mohammad shared that he especially enjoyed prayers, Quran studies, and evening meals to break the daily fasts.

Jason’s loving, curious questions opened a door for him to share that he liked to pray too and that as a follower of Jesus, he prayed in the name of Jesus, inspired by verses like Hebrews [spp-timestamp time="7:24"]-25 in the Holy Bible:

 “Jesus…is able…to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”

It was natural for Jason to lovingly offer to pray for Mohammad, and so he said something like this:

“As a follower of Jesus, I can pray for you in the name of Jesus, and Jesus himself will pray for you to God. I’d love to pray for you right now. Do you have a prayer request?”

Mohammad accepted Jason’s offer to pray with him. And that led to many prayers, in Jesus’ name.

Recently, those prayers led to Mohammad and Jason studying the Bible together, using this Muslim-seeker-friendly Bible study called The Way to Paradise. And Mohammad will be bringing his family to Jason’s for dinner to break one of the daily Ramadan fasts.

Start Small

If Jason can be an authentic Christian witness like this, you and your friends can too. Start small and look for opportunities to ask curious, open-ended questions, as Jason did. You never know when God may use YOU to point your Muslim friend to Jesus.

Take Your Learning Deeper

  1. Read this blog, “The 5 Essentials: Fundamentals for Sharing Your Faith.” 
  2. Listen to the podcast episode, “Shine Your Light” on The Blue Cord by iHOPE Ministries podcast.
  3. Read these books: Muslims: 5 Biblical Essentials. and The Blue Cord.

 

 

Tags:  Share Your Faith, Make Disciples, Jesus, Share Jesus, Good News, Gospel, Gospel to Muslims, Christian Witness, Gospel for Muslims, Evangelism, Share Jesus during Ramadan