Names have been changed for the sake of privacy and security.
Rayan was a good man with a sincere faith in Allah. He came from a family in South Asia that was radically committed to the teachings of Islam.
One day, Rayan met a man named Ahmad who began to ask questions about the Prophet Mohammed and the Qur’an. Rayan did not know that Ahmad had recently become a follower of Jesus.
“Mohammed was without sin,” Rayan answered simply. “His teaching was holy, and his character was above reproach. He was the true messenger of Allah.”
Ahmad suspected that Rayan was only aware of Mohammed’s reputation among Muslims, but not specifically what was written about him in the Qur’an. So he challenged Rayan with more questions about the life and teaching of Mohammed.
The Qur’an spoke clearly about another prophet who was without sin. His name was Issa (Jesus).
One of the questions that Ahmad raised was about the multiple references in the Qur’an to Mohammed’s confession of sin.
Rayan was shocked. “It is impossible,” he replied to Ahmad. “I do not believe that Mohammed ever committed sin. This is false!”
Ahmad took the time to show him the details from the Qur’an.
For Rayan, it was a turning point. Although he was desperate to defend the Prophet, his heart was open to doubt. He became very eager to study for himself what was written about Mohammed. Could it be that the Prophet was imperfect?
Ahmad then also pointed out specific verses in the Qur’an that spoke clearly about another prophet who was without sin. His name was Issa (Jesus).
Rayan began to search the Qur’an for evidence. It was a journey of more than two years of intense study. He kept coming back to Ahmad with specific questions and together they explored the character of Mohammed, the nature of jihad, and many other aspects of the claims of Islam.
In the end, Rayan’s research only confirmed his doubts about Mohammed. If anything, the Qur’an itself just produced more and more evidence of the uniqueness of Jesus. He had read about the virgin birth, the many miracles, and the claim that Jesus was alive in heaven and would return to the earth one day. Although Muslims believed that Mohammed was the last and greatest prophet, they also believed that he was dead and buried.
“As I compared them,” Rayan told Ahmad, “I found Jesus to be superior.”
After Ahmad shared more about Jesus from the Bible and explained the message of the Gospel to Rayan, he became convinced. It took him several more weeks to come to terms with his decision, but eventually he decided to leave Islam and, on December 25, 2019, he made the choice to become a follower of Jesus.
“I accepted Jesus as my Savior on Christmas day,” Rayan said, “and from that day I have put my trust in him and embraced his teachings of love and forgiveness.”
One year later, Rayan is actively sharing the Gospel with his family and he is looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus every Christmas, which will also be the anniversary of his own re-birth in Christ.
