A Muslim’s Journey to Jesus
How Christians Can Share the Gospel of Jesus with Muslims
When Talie, a devout former Iranian Muslim, shared her powerful coming-to-Jesus story with me, it strengthened my own faith. So I knew I had to share it with you. As you read her story, take note of five things (we call them the 5 Essentials) Christians did that expedited her journey to Jesus. While these things happened in Iran, Christians everywhere can easily do these five things to share the Gospel of Jesus with Muslims around them. Here’s her abbreviated story:
“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the land, from the east and west, from north and south.” Psalms 107-203
Talie’s Story
As a young girl, growing up in a devout, traditional Iranian Muslim family, Talie’s father controlled her 
every move. She wholeheartedly studied the Quran and at 15, her father arranged her marriage to a family friend. On her wedding day, she met her 50-year-old husband for the first time. She was 16, and he was the only man she’d known beside her father and brother.
Control of her life passed from her father to her new husband and his family. She stepped into her role as a new bride and daughter-in-law, and it wasn’t long before her new family began abusing Talie. Her husband and his family began beating her, and she miscarried seven times. Filled with shame, Talie felt worthless and utterly alone.
Encountering Love
One day her mother called, “Your uncle and cousins are here from Tehran. Come.” Talie arrived and observed her Uncle’s family with wonder. They were joyful, laughing, so happy. She say them touch each other lovingly, and they interacted with each other in ways she’d never imagined. It was starkly different from anything she’d seen or experienced in her own life.
At one point, her uncle leaned over and gently asked “Talie, how are you?” and he meant it.
By this time, Talie exploded. Everything she’d held inside came tumbling out. She confided that God had been punishing her. She was worthless. Her husband was sleeping around, bragging that he had a right to four wives and forty lovers. She was beaten because she was not good enough.
Her uncle listened patiently, lovingly, talking it all in, then said, “Talie, God loves you.”
Encountering the Gospel
Whoa. Talie had never heard that God loved her. She knew her Quran, and God was all about punishment, not love.
Her uncle pressed in more and shared John 3:16:
“Talie, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Hearing this strange verse, Talie immediately thought her Uncle was trying to convince her that God had sex with Mary and she had a son. Fired up, she vehemently defended Islam, “Uncle, God never got married, and Jesus was only a prophet.”
Her Uncle didn’t fight back. He just smiled and gently said, “Talie, I’ll pray for you.”
Defending Her Faith
Right then and there, Talie knew her Uncle was an infidel, and he had to die. When she returned home, she was proud about how she’d defended Islam to her Uncle. Life resumed and her husband continued beating her severely – this time breaking her back in three places.
She needed many follow-up Doctor visits after hospitalization, and one day her “infidel Uncle” drove her. 
“Before I take you to the doctor today, I have to stop by Church to drop something off.” Talie panicked. Her Islamic teachers had taught her that “Christians have sex with each other. They drink alcohol. And if you go into a church, you will go to hell.” She waited in the car.
Fifteen minutes passed and her Uncle hadn’t returned. Finally, a small door opened, and a woman beckoned Talie to come in.
“I went in and immediately regretted it. At that point, I was afraid I would go to hell – I’d see sex and everything. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was in the same country, hearing the same language, and yet it was a completely different universe. The women had huge smiles. They were hugging, laughing, warm and inviting. So different than me – they wore lipstick and colorful clothes. Right away, they hugged me, prayed over me, told me I was beautiful.” – Talie
Encountering Prayer
Imagine this with me: Talie was dressed head-to-toe in her black hijab. She wore no makeup. Her eyebrows were linked together in a style all 
good Muslim wore at that time. And she was surrounded by a joyful group of colorful Christian women who embraced her, prayed deep, heartfelt prayers over her, showed love to her.
Their stirring prayers for her, her husband, her marriage and her son blew Talie away. No one had ever shown her such love and concern. No one had ever prayed for her in Jesus’ name. When she returned home, she couldn’t get the experience out of her mind.
Encountering the Bible
At another doctor’s visit, Talie’s cousin joined her and confidently pressed a New Testament into her hands and said, “I know you know your Quran very well, Talie, so would you read this book too?”
“I took the book home and hid it so that my husband wouldn’t find it. When he beat me again, I went to the Quran to ask Allah for forgiveness, and then my cousin’s voice came to mind. In that moment, I remembered she’d given me a Bible. I opened it and realized it was in Farsi, not Arabic. So, I started reading ‘Matthew’ right then. I read the whole thing, like a sponge – over and over and over.” – Talie
Talie didn’t know it then, but the gift of that Bible triggered her 2 ½ year journey to Jesus. She carefully studied the Quran and the Bible, intending the prove to her Uncle and cousins that the Bible wrong. Instead, she came to know and Believe that Jesus was her Lord and Savior.
What followed next was Talie’s dangerous, miraculous journey out of Iran. (You can read the next part of her story HERE.)
Next Steps
For now, I pray this first part of her story prompts you to boldly cross cultural and religious divides to share Jesus with Muslims around you.
Did you notice the “5 Essentials” that Believers did with Talie, that you can do too?
- Shared the Gospel: Her Uncle shared the Gospel, John 3:15, with her. (Our favorite verse to share is Romans 10:9.)
- Loved her: Several Believers loved Talie in words, actions and deeds.
- Gave her a Bible: Talie’s cousin gave her Bible.
- Prayed with her, in Jesus’ name: Several Believers prayed heartfelt prayers with Talie, in Jesus’ name.
- Person of Peace: Believers prayed and trusted that the Holy Spirit was wooing Talie. They didn’t do complicated things, like apologetics, to try to “convert her.”
Friends, iHOPE has been studying Muslim-coming-to-faith stories like Talie’s now for over a decade. We’ve found five commonalities in most every testimony. We call these the “5 Essentials.” These are 5 Biblical things Jesus taught his Disciples, things every Christian should know to share Jesus with Muslims. To learn more about the 5 Essentials, read “Muslims: 5 Biblical Essentials Every Christian should know and do,” or take iHOPE’s free online training course, iHOPE Empowers, HERE.
Read part two of Talie’s story HERE .
