THE TESTIMONY OF ALAVI  (CONTINUE )  :  Later I learned that during my
imprisonment, my Christian friends shared my sufferings. They were
praying for me and trying to find some way of helping me but could
not. In the meantime, Muslim religious leaders commanded the people to
stay away from our Christian Mission Compound and to withdraw their
children from the nursery school. My friends were attacked by name
over the loudspeaker. Guards were placed at the compound gates to see
that no one entered. Muslims were only allowed to go to the Christian
dispensary for treatment. Soon, however, the situation returned to
normal. Over another loudspeaker someone called out, "Let us stop
troubling the Christians and pay more attention to the works of
Allah!" After some weeks the trouble ended.

The owner of the cafe, a Muslim, was not pleased when I enrolled in
another Bible correspondence course. I continued to work in the cafe
for five months. Then I left Calicut and went to my sister's home in
Mysore. There I wrote a letter to my friend George who told my other
friends. This was the first news they had that God had delivered me
from my chains. I ended my letter with the words, "I am all right. I
keep praying the Lord's Prayer."

After working a year in Mysore with my brother-in-law and another
eighteen months on a merchant ship out of Calicut, I returned to my
own area. Again I met my friend and other friends who were happy to
see me. I could not meet the missionary because he had returned to his
homeland. From there I returned to Mysore where my brother-in-law
employed me in his hotel. Then through his recommendation I obtained
an apprentice's post as a lineman in the telegraph department. But
again misfortune struck. Hip trouble forced me to give up this job.

I decided to return to Malabar for medical treatment. By this time my
friend was working in a mission hospital. He helped me obtain a
medical examination. The missionary, who had now come back to India,
was very glad to see me and asked about all that happened to me while
I was in chains and during my wanderings. He told me that many people
had been praying for me. Then he gave me an introduction to another
missionary who could help me with my physical problem. I was very
happy to meet this new friend. Later he became one of my spiritual
fathers, and his wife became my spiritual mother. With the help of
this missionary and a doctor, I was able to go for treatment to the
Christian College Hospital in Vellore.

After I returned from the hospital, I joined the India Every Home
Crusade at Mysore for three months. In this way I could distribute
tracts and share the good news of Christ. When my sister and her
husband came to know about this, however, they were angry and forbade
me to come to their house. The missionary then found a place for me to
stay with a Christian pastor and his family at Gundulupet. It was a
wonderful experience to be with them, and I had the opportunity to
study Christian doctrine for four months. After this I joined a
bookmobile project with the India Evangelical Lutheran Church and
spent a year distributing Christian books in different parts of South
India. God was leading me into His service.

I was eager to study the Bible in more detail, so I joined a one year
Bible course at Concordia Seminary, Nagercoil, in June, 1970. I
remember how glad I was to have this chance to study the Bible! In the
library there I also found many good books on Islam which helped me to
clear many of my doubts.

FINDING THE LIGHT

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Now at college I was able to study, and I concentrated on the Person
and work of Christ. I did this by studying again the passages in the
Qur'an that spoke of Christ in the light of my growing faith in Jesus
and increasing knowledge of the Bible.

One of my chief doubts concerned the sinlessness of Jesus and His
authority to forgive the sins of others. It was difficult to avoid the
contrast between the sinlessness of Jesus and the Qur'anic records of
the sins of the other prophets. Thus the Qur'an addressing Muhammad in
particular, says:

    "That God may forgive thee thy former and thy latter sins, and
complete His blessing upon thee, and guide thee on a straight
path." (Sura al-Fath 48:2) (cf: Sura Ghafir 40:45; Sura Muhammad
47:19)

Since no laden soul can bear another's burden (Sura al-Fatir 35:18)
then how can he or anyone of these prophets bear another's burden?

But the Qur'an quoting the angel Jibra'il, says of Mary's son:

    "He said, I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on
thee a faultless son." (Sura Maryam 19:9)

This fact is supported by a Hadith which says: "each human baby is
touched by Satan's finger at birth, save Mariam and her son."

The Gospel also clearly indicates the purity and sinlessness of Jesus.
"Can any of you prove me guilty of Sin? If I am telling the truth, why
don't you believe me?" John 8:46) The Gospel further states that He
takes away our sins:

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But
you know that He (Jesus) appeared to take away our sins. And in Him is
no sin." (1 John 3:4,5)

Was it in order to bear the burdens of others that Jesus Himself was
an unburdened soul? Though the Qur'an declares Jesus as pure, it
really offers no clue to the purpose of God in bestowing upon Mary a
faultless son.

Further the Qur'an attributes qualities to Jesus which it attributes
to no other prophets or apostles. He is described as God's Word and a
spirit from God:

    "O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion,
nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah Jesus son
of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His Word , which He
conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him . So believe in Allah and
His messenger and say not 'Three' - Cease (it is) better for you! -
Allah is only one God..." (Sura al-Nisa' 4:171)

Thus also the angel Jibra'il addresses Mary with the following words:

"...He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And
(it will be that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a
mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained." (Sura Maryam 19:21 cf.
Sura al-Anbiya' 21:91)

Whatever else the Qur'an has stated about Jesus, it surely has
established Him as a unique person: His relation to God as God's Word
and a spirit from God; His creative activities, His healings, His
raising from the dead (Sura Al Imran 3:49); His ascension into heaven
and His presence in heaven today.

Through further study I also began to understand how the Biblical
significance of the term "son of God" differs from the Qur'anic
understanding of "son of god." The Qur'an denies that God begets, or
is begotten, in a physical sense (Lam yalid wa lam yulad). Eventually,
however, I accepted that Jesus could be called "the Son of God" (as
the Bible explains this term) in a spiritual sense, in the same way
that He is called God's Word. Here again I was grateful to the Qur'an
for serving as a bridge to a fuller comprehension of the Biblical
significance of the term "Son of God" when uniquely applied to Jesus.

No doubt, on the basis of Sura al-Nisa, Muslims have rejected the
Biblical account of Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension:

    "And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus son of
Mary, Allah's messenger - They slew him not nor crucified, but it
appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in
doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a
conjecture; they slew him not for certain..." (Sura al-Nisa'
4:157-159)

Elsewhere, of course, the Qur'an refers to the death of Jesus. But
Muslim expositors offer conflicting opinions on some of these relevant
verses. The following are significant passages, as translated by
Pickthall:

    "Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I
shall be raised alive!" (Sura Maryam 19:33)

    "(And remember) when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering thee
and causing thee to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing thee of those who
disbelieve and am setting those who follow thee above those who
disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then unto Me ye will (all)
return, and I am judge between you as to that wherein ye used to
differ." (Sura Al Imran 3:55)

    "I spake unto them only that which Thou commandest me, (saying)
Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness of them while I
dwelt among them, and when Thou tookest me Thou wast the Watcher over
them. Thou art Witness over all things." (Sura al Ma'ida 5:117)

But is Pickthall's interpretation of mutawaffika ("I am gathering
thee" Sura Al Imran 3:55) and tawaffaitani ("Thou tookest me" Sura al-
Ma'ida) correct? Some respectable Muslim commentaries translate this
verb "to cause to die", indicating that the death of Jesus preceded
His ascension into heaven.

In any event the Biblical accounts leave no room for various
interpretations about the time, place and circumstances of Jesus'
death. He was crucified, He died, and He was buried. His crucifixion
took place outside the walls of Jerusalem. It happened when Pilate was
governor of Judea. These are facts of history. The Bible repeatedly
refers to the death of Jesus in unambiguous language. Just as clear in
the Bible is the connection of the death of Jesus with His
resurrection from the dead and His ascension, as well as the purpose
of these three great events.

Thus these and other passages of the Qur'an became clear to me in the
light of my reflection on the New Testament portrayal of Christ. Not
only did all these passages reveal the special relationship which
Jesus had with God; surely they indicated also God's special purpose
in sending Jesus, His Word and Servant, into this sinful world. Once
more I recalled the booklet, "The Heart of forgiveness to all sinners
through Jesus alone, through His death on the cross and His
resurrection from the dead. As I read the Bible more and more, it
spoke to me and cleared my doubts, one by one.

Yet this question perplexed my mind: What about Muhammad whose coming,
according to the Qur'an Jesus had prophesied?

    "And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am
the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed)
before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who
cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when He hath come
unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic." (Sura al-
Saff 61:6)

The Arabic for "Praised One" is ahmad , which has the same root
meaning as Muhammad . Does this passage not mean that Jesus prophesied
the coming of Muhammad? That is what I had been taught and believed.

I examined the Bible to see what it says about Muhammad, but I could
find nothing. I asked my professors the same question and they too
said that there is nothing. But when I looked into a Muslim commentary
on the Qur'an, it quoted several Bible passages in support of this
understanding of Sura al-Saff 61:6. The main passage quoted was:

    "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another
counsellor, to be with you forever." (John 14:16)

The Greek Word for Counsellor is Parakletos . (Greek is the original
language of the New Testament.) The commentator said that the original
Greek word was periklutos , which means "Praised One". Christians, he
said, substituted parakletos for periklutos to remove the reference to
the prophet Muhammad.

I did not know Greek, and since it was really difficult for me to give
up faith in Muhammad, I felt really troubled. Muhammad still held a
great place in my heart, and I found it hard to give up the belief in
him as a prophet. I asked the Greek professor about these words. He
replied that the word periklutos is not the Greek text of St John. He
then explained clearly the original Biblical word, parakletos , and
how the promise of Jesus (John 14:16) was fulfilled by the coming of
the Holy Spirit (Acts :1-11) who lives always with God's people as
their Comforter and Guide.

I placed the problem before God and asked Him to give me clear
understanding. One night, after I had prayed and gone to bed, I could
not sleep. I heard a voice or felt as though I had heard a voice. It
said, "Get up and read!" I thought it was only my imagination. But I
heard it again and again. I got up and opened my Bible. Several times
I read the passage in John 14:15-17:

    "If you love me, you will obey what I command. I will ask the
Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you for
ever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it
neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with
you and will be in you."

As I read these verses many questions came into my mind. Did you read
in the Qur'an or Hadith, I asked myself, that Muhammad is the Spirit
of truth who is always with you, a Counsellor whom the world cannot
see or know, or who lives inside you? Then I realised that these words
do not contain any prophecy of a coming prophet and cannot possibly be
applied to any human being. Moreover, I remembered the fulfilment of
that prophecy in Acts 2:1-11, during the life of the first believers
in Christ. Now I understood this great truth. The Counsellor whom
Jesus promised is the Holy Spirit, the eternal Spirit of the Living
God, not the angel Jibra`il.

Later I experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in my own life.
Through Him I came to Christ. Glory to God! Amen!

I continued to read the Holy Bible with care and attention. In it I
found treasure such as I had never dreamed of - it has the power to
speak to those who really want to find God's revelation and guidance.
It showed me my real self, my sinful and guilty heart, and showed me
also that I was spiritually blind. It asked me to bring all my sins
and problems to God in the name of Jesus the Messiah. He came to this
world searching for me! He died for my sins and rose again; He went up
to heaven, and He will come again. I became convinced that the Holy
Bible is indeed the Word of God.

The Holy Bible brought the answers to the problems which worried me.
Its living word was able to satisfy my soul. What I had never found
before in my religious experience, I now discovered. I became sure
that the Holy Bible faithfully and accurately recorded the works and
teaching of Jesus - this mystery of God's eternal Word coming into our
world as man. Now I became convinced of the truth of His death,
resurrection, ascension, and second coming, which before I had not
understood and had even hated. The Bible contains the message of God's
power to save and His love for me and all men, and this brings us
peace. This love of God focuses sharply on Jesus, His death and
resurrection for sinners - as Paul, echoing Jesus and His other
apostles, says in the New Testament,

    "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was
buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3,4

No doubt, many Muslim friends will continue to think that the Holy
Bible is corrupt and abrogated by the Qur'an.

Yet let him - especially if he is conscious of God's holiness and his
own sins - give serious thought to its message. Then let him, as I
have done, draw his own conclusions.

A GREAT DECISION

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On July 19, 1970, I surrendered to Jesus the Messiah. I confessed all
my sins and my doubts, and by baptism I was joined to Him and His
forgiving love. My whole body trembled. I could feel divine power
entering into me. I rose from my knees a changed man with peace in my
soul, joy in my heart, and assurance in my mind. And today I still
have that same joy, hope and assurance. Although I could not explain
it, in my heart I believed that all my sins were washed away through
the precious blood of Jesus Christ, that I had received power for a
new life of love, and that the Lord Jesus Himself was reigning in my
heart.

IN HIS SERVICE

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Soon the opportunity came to work with a group called Operation
Mobilization. This gave me a chance to go to different parts of India
to tell the Good News. I continued to do this for about two years.
During that time I learned more about what it means to be a follower
of Jesus. I am grateful to the Lord and to my friends in Operation
Mobilization who gave me the opportunity to work with them. They
helped me during difficult times. Later I went back to Concordia
Theological Seminary and completed my theological studies in 1975.

My present concern is to bring the Good News of God's light to my own
people wherever they are, especially in my own area. May they accept
the invitation of Jesus Christ which He gives to all to know the great
Salvation of God.

    "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me." John 14:6

    "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

    "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk
in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

CONCLUSION

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I have accepted Jesus Christ as my own Saviour. He has been able to
change my life to a life of real happiness, peace and hope. He has
been able to give me strength in my weakness. As the living Lord, He
comes into my life to give it new purpose, and promises me life in
heaven that will never end. I know that I belong to God's heavenly
family. I believe what David, the great prophet and king, said,
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me."
Psalm 27:10

In all my troubles, doubts and temptations it is enough to look into
His face. In times when I have been lonely, tired, and disappointed, I
have praised Him for His grace.

Jesus said:

    "You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit -
fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask
in My name." John 15:16

I did not choose Him, but He chose me. Through Him the story of Pak
has been the story of Alavi. To God be the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

If I can help you, please write to me at this address:

Markaz Ul Bishara, PO Box 18

Manjeri, Kerala, India 676 121

If you wish to know how a former Muslim found salvation, then we
suggest that you continue and read the booklet God has Chosen for me
Everlasting Life by Hamran Ambrie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5O6RlgtFtw&feature=related