My name is "Amir"(name changed). I come from a Muslim background. I was born in the year 1962 in a well-known city in Bihar state, India.

I inherited all the customs, rituals, systems and traditions of a staunch Muslim family. The religion and values are always greater than the human values in the set up from where I come.

I used to offer Namaz (the prayer) five times a day. I was considered to be one of the most dedicated person in my community in terms of my faith. The community had great expectation from me, and people wanted to see me as their future leader to serve the cause of Islam.


There are five essential components of Islam, and I was committed to all these provisions.

These five fundamental elements of the Islam are:

1. Kalma-e-Shahadat -- God is one, and Hazrat Mohammed is His prophet.
2. Namaz -- (the prayer) It is to be offered five times a day as the Islamic scripture says.
3. Zakat -- The donation or love offering that has to be given to the religious leaders of Saints essentially.
4. Roza -- (fasting) It is one of the most vital and essential elements of the Islamic System. Further, I would like to mention that the Hadis (the collection of sayings/sermons and deeds) says in this regard that if a person is not in a position to continue the fast, because of any sickness, traveling, pregnancy, or the menstruation, he or she must find a person who may continue the fasting on behalf of that person or he or she must feed the poor. I saw the rich people paying money to the poor people to keep fasting on their behalf.
5. Haj -- It says that at least once in one's lifetime one must go to Mecca (the holy place) to pray and to sacrifice.

My family is an educated family and thus I was also allowed to go for higher studies. I did my master's degree in sociology. The education enlightened me toward the various social issues and consequently I started questioning the socioeconomic and cultural aspects of my community.

Why are there illiteracy, poverty, and sickness in my religion?

If our path is under the will of God, why are there curses, violence, riots, and helplessness?

Islam guarantees equal status of men and women in the community, but in reality there is disparity between men and women, poor and rich.

We used to curse Hinduism for the caste system, but I saw the same system in my community. I was not allowed to talk and sit with the so-called lower caste Muslim brothers and sisters, because I come from a so-called high caste.

What a tragedy!

What a paradox. Islam is against family planning. It says that God is the provider and will take care of the child. Well, I agreed to this point for a little while, but my question was if God provides, then why do the young people become criminals? It is because of fewer employment opportunities indeed.

My mind started thinking in these directions. I started an adult education program in the midst of my people and was opposed very strongly by the mullahs and maulvis (priests).

I was just surprised as to why this was happening? Wasn't I attempting to uplift my own people?

Isn't it true that there is very little representation of Muslims in the government services?

Wasn't it true that in spite of having the second biggest majority in India, very few became parliamentarians, doctors, engineers and executives?

Why were the leaders opposed to the betterment of the community?

I have seen my people dying of sickness, because they did not have money to purchase medicine. The leaders did not have any well-thought out plan or approach. Let me come to my basic subject. I was ultimately frustrated. Everything that I could do I did, but I started realizing the emptiness in my heart.

I realized that even after doing my level-best to be a good Muslim or a good person, there is an inbuilt system in my body and mind that never allowed me to do good.

I saw good people dying in the hospitals without hope, in confusion. No one had a clear concept about what would happen after death.

I had a severe accident in the year 1988 that caused my collar bone to fracture. I suffered a lot because of this accident. It was partially cured but always during the winter I would have severe pain.

I had decided to go to the capital city of Delhi for the preparation of the competitive examination of the Indian Administrative Service. I was appointed to a job also in the University of Jamia-Milia-Islamia in the Department of State Resource Centre as a research investigator.

A state plan was introduced by the government under the adult literacy program. I had the responsibility for conducting the impact study for the legislation and execution of the program. This was February 1995.

During my stay in Delhi, I met with my Christian friends. I always enjoyed working and talking with them. Their simplicity and positive approach impressed me.

They used to talk about Jesus and His love. There was something wonderful in John 3:16 that says, "and God so loved the world that He gave His only Son . . . "

I had one basic question.

In Islam, God spoke to His people through a "prophet" who was just a person like us, but in the Bible, God spoke to his people by no one less than His own Son!

It was exciting to me.

I started reading the Bible that tells, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, . . . and the Word became flesh."

The Qur'an says Jesus was just a prophet but at the same time the Qur'an suggests: If there is any doubt let the people consult the Gospel.

I started reading the Bible more and more. I met with some of my Muslim friends who had accepted the Lord as their Savior. I started going to church also, but I felt I was not welcomed there. People did not come to meet me as I expected. I stopped going to church but continued to read the Bible.

The Word started speaking to me day by day.

There was a crusade in February 1995 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where a pastor was ministering. I went to attend the meetings with one of my friends.

After every meeting, people would come to share their testimonies that they had received healing or that they had accepted the Lord as their personal Savior.

I thought they must have received some money from the pastor. On the very last day of the meeting, the pastor was praying for the sick. I also went in front. Something happened to me! The power of God fell on me, and I started trembling.

It was a mighty sweep.

I suddenly realized that the pain that I had for so many years because of my fracture was no more! Yes, I could lift up my hands without pain.

I was healed.

The meeting concluded. I started going to church again, but it was the same. No one even asked my name or how I was. I started searching for a good Bible-believing church. One of my friends suggested a church. I went to that church and met the pastor. I was really very well received by the pastor and the believers. I continued to come and learn more. I took water baptism and started praying about what to do further.

The Lord replied to me to join the same ministry as a full time minister. Presently, I am working with the church as the coordinator of programs and evangelism. My work is to oversee the counseling, literature, and administration of the church ministry. We have a radio program transmitted on 25 mt. band short waves in Hindi.

The program covers Africa and Asia. When hundreds of Muslim people write to us, we praise God for what He has done. We provide them the related literature and contact the pastors of the area concerning follow-up.

Finally, I would like to say, it is not we who are worthy to be chosen, but it is God who is worthy to find us for salvation. Amen.

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Note : This Bihari believer left his post at the Church so he could work full-time in the field, trying to reach other Bihari Muslims with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the only known Bihari Muslim-background believer currently working full-time among his own people group.

Courtesy to www.peopleteams.org
E-mail : thebride@bigfoot.com

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