Muslims make up nearly a quarter of the earth’s population and Islam is considered the 2nd largest religion in the world and the fastest growing religion. One of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century church is ministering to Islamic adherents.
This article is not meant to give some magic formula or to serve as a wooden script, but rather to offer a few guidelines on how to best share the good news of Jesus with our Muslim friends.
Some Practical Tips
1. Pray for guidance and wisdom: Evangelising Muslims (or anyone) is ultimately a spiritual task, and it is important to rely on the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit as you share the gospel. Pray for the person you are evangelising, and ask God to open their heart and mind to the truth of the gospel. Pray for opportunities; the more you pray, the more opportunities you’ll discover!
2. Love Muslims by Listening in Order to Learn about Them: Listen in order to learn, not to refute arguments. A faithful witness asks questions in order to understand what others believe, not to refute their worldview. Listening is a great way to honour the fellow image bearer with whom you are talking.
“Don’t worry about winning arguments. We must want Jesus to win our friend’s heart more than we want to win an argument.”
3. Share Your Testimony: A couple things to keep in mind, do not glorify your sinful life. “Amazing” testimonies about deliverance from addictions and immorality will not usually be effective with Muslims. In fact, they may be offensive. Instead, your testimony is an opportunity to tell how God is working in your life. Acknowledge the fact that God has been pursuing you from birth. Be sure to emphasize the peace you have with God because of the assurance of your sin being forgiven. Speak about being with Him one day in heaven. Muslims have no assurance of salvation and often are terrified of the Day of Judgement.
4. Answer to common objection #1 - Your bible has been corrupted
Quran affirms the Inspiration, Preservation & Authority of the Torah & the Gospels. In their holy book, the Quran, Muslims are told to believe the Torah of Moses, the psalms of David (Zabur) and the Gospel of Jesus (Injeel). Here are some teachings from the Quran that may be helpful to bring up as you discuss the topic:
- Allah revealed the Torah & the Gospels as the guidance to mankind
Sura 3:3-4 He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.] Before, as guidance for the people. And He revealed the Qur'an. Indeed, those who disbelieve in the verses of Allah will have a severe punishment, and Allah is exalted in Might, the Owner of Retribution.
- The Quran says the word of God cannot be changed.
Sura 18:27 Recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. None can change His Words, nor can you find any refuge besides Him. Also Sura 6:34, Sura 6:115
Ask them the question -
*Astaghfurallah* God Forbid
Where Does in Quran says that Injeel (Gospels) has been Corrupted?
What are you saying Allah's words has been changed over and over again? All the Prophets God's sent and his words changing...What do you mean?
Quran affirms the authority of the Bible
Sura 5:47 And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient.
Sura 5:68 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.” And your Lord’s revelation to you ˹O Prophet˺ will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve.
Sura 10:94 If you ˹O Prophet˺ are in doubt about ˹these stories˺ that We have revealed to you, then ask those who read the Scripture before you (ahlul kitab). The truth has certainly come to you from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt,
Sura 29:46 And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
If the Scriptures are corrupted, then there is no meaning of these passages. If corrupted, then it would be saying - Jews Scriptures & Christian Scriptures Gospels are corrupted - Do no refer them.
Ask them these questions -
Why Mohammad did not warn us that Torah, Book of Jews/Christians had been corrupted? Stay away from these books.
Why Does Allah command us to judge by corrupt book?
Who changed the Bible? What did they change and when? Who did it?
I would ask my Muslim friend: When was the Bible changed? Before or after Muhammad? If it was changed beforehand, he is accusing Muhammad of being a false teacher. On the other hand, it could not have been changed afterwards because the Bible had been translated into many languages and widely distributed across the world by then. There are thousands of biblical manuscripts already existed, scattered throughout Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa hundreds of years before Muhammad. If someone had indeed attempted to alter the Books after Muhammad’s time, changing all copies located, hidden and stored everywhere, by that point in time—and altering them in exactly the same way—would have taken a great miracle!
5. Answer to common objection #2 - How can God have a Son?
Muslims wrongly assume that Christians believe that Christ was conceived in the traditional, physical way, and consider the idea blasphemous. Christians must therefore clarify that the title Son of God does not mean that God ever had a physical relationship with a woman. Son of God is NOT a biological description.
Explain what you mean by ‘son’
Research as many metaphors and illustrations linked to the word son as possible. Here is one illustration you might use for an Arabic-speaker. The phrase ‘son of…’ (ibn) is used to signify where a person is from. I once asked a friend about his origins and he replied, ‘I am the son of Tunisia.’ Did he mean that Tunisia had taken a wife? Or that the nation had given birth to him? Of course not! He simply meant that he is Tunisian and has Tunisian characteristics. When the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, it means that He has the characteristics of God. Those who speak Arabic will understand the following sentence, فلان عربي ابن عرب (this man is an Arab, the son of an Arab). We use the phrase to emphasise the man’s Arab origin. It is a way of stating that he is truly an Arab. So when the Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God, it means that He is truly God.
Another example -
Ask them these questions -
Do you believe in virgin birth of Jesus Christ? Jesus taken birth from the womb of Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why God cannot have a Son?
How Mary had a son when she did not had any intercourse?
6. Answer to common objection #3 - Do Christians worship three gods or one God?
Bible teaches that God is one. The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Mark 12:29. Bible teaches that God is one but he has revealed himself in three persons, God the father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, but still they are one being. God revealed Himself into these expressions for our understanding because with our human mind, it is very easy to understand these expressions. If you try to understand with your carnal mind, you'll never be able to comprehend it. You need it accept it by faith and God will give supernatural revelation and divine wisdom to understand it.
If they try to play the game of maths and say 1 + 1+ 1 = 3 - ask them - What is 1X1X1. The answer is 1. The God of Bible is Triune God - one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Try to communicate in a way that make sense to a Muslim. Explain the Trinity as God, His External Word (Jesus) & His Eternal Spirit (Holy Sprit). Muslim can't object to this. Quran also represents Trinity of some sort. In Quran you have Allah, His Eternal word (Quran), His Spirit. If Islam has one God, even though He exists with eternal word (Quran) and His spirit and yet one God, then why would you say Christians cannot have one God, His eternal word became flesh as Jesus and His Spirit.
Everything in this World is based on Trinity.
Man is based upon the Trinity - Body, Spirit & Soul. It does not mean that there are three separate men.
Universe is based upon Heaven, Space & Earth
Atom is based upon Electron, Proton & Neutron
Time is based upon - Past, Present & Future
7. Answer to common objection #4 - Did Jesus ever say, “I am God worship me”?
Muslims across the world are trained to ask this question to Christians.
Ask them the question - Where did Jesus said, I am prophet of Allah, don’t worship me?
The right question should be - Where and how Jesus claim to be God?
There are statements said by Jesus which Only God can say. Interestingly, Jews, Christians & Muslims agree on some claims that can only be made by God. Few of them are:
Who is the the First & the Last? (First & Last are Allah's 2 names out of 99 names)
Quran 57:3 says - He is the First (Al Awwal) and the Last (Al Aakhir), the Most High and Most Near, and He has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.
Isaiah 44:6 says - “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Should a prophet call himself the First and the Last? That's exactly Jesus say about himself in
Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
Ask them What does Jesus meant when he applied the titles First & the Last to himself which can only be applied to God.
Who is the Truth? Al-Haqq (One of the names of Allah is Truth)
John 14:6 Jesus said I am the Truth (Al Haqq)
Who is the Light? An Nur (One of the names of Allah is An Nur)
John 8:12 Jesus said I am the light of the World (An Nur)
Who can forgive sins?
Quran says ultimate forgiveness can only be given by Allah - ˹They are˺ those who, upon committing an evil deed or wronging themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness and do not knowingly persist in sin—and who forgives sins except Allah?
Should a mere prophet offer or claim to be able to forgive sins? In Mark chapter 2 Jesus forgives the sins of paralysed man.
Who is our final Judge?
God is the final judge according to both Quran & Bible. Would a mere prophet claim to be the judge of all people? That is what Jesus claimed to be in Matthew 25:31-32
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Who raises the Dead? Both Bible & Quran agrees God will raise the Dead. Would we ever expect a mere prophet can raise people from the Dead? That is what Jesus says He will do in John 5:25-29
8. Answer to common objection #5 - Jesus was Not Crucified, and Atonement is Not Necessary ”?
The Qur’an affirms that Jesus Himself knew He would die and be resurrected: “‘So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)’!” (Q. 19:33). Why would Jesus make this claim if He wasn’t going to do so? If He did die and rise again, Why? For what purpose
The Qur’an affirms substitutionary atonement when it recounts Abraham’s near-sacrifice of his son. “We called out to him, ‘O Abraham!’ … And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice” (Q. 37:104-107). If God cannot accept a sinless sacrifice as a ransom in place of a sinful person, why did He do so in Abraham’s case?
- Has anyone ever explained the gospel to you?
- Do you think there’s a difference between a “religion” and the “relationship” with God that Jesus talked about?
- What do you think Christians believe?
- Do you know God’s forgiveness?
- Have you read any of the New Testament?
- Is Mohammed alive today?
- How can I pray for you today?
Nabeel Asif Qureshi (1983-2017) was raised as a devout Ahmadi Muslim. After spending several years examining the evidence for Christianity and Islam with his friend David Wood, Nabeel became a Christian while attending Eastern Virginia Medical School. His ongoing studies took him to Biola University, Duke University, and Oxford University, and led to three books: "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus," "No God But One," and "Answering Jihad."
Following the Iranian Revolution, Hormoz moved to the United States to pursue his education. With questions in his mind about Islam, he wanted to commit to a religion that was true. After searching the Quran only to be left with more questions, Hormoz found what he was looking for only in Jesus and the Bible.