There are five essential components of Islam, and I was committed to all these provisions. These five fundamental elements of the Islam are:
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
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
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
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.
Please
pray for us because only God can move the mountains, but prayer and faith
move God. Amen.
(Editor's
Note: This testimony has been edited for readability and easier
comprehension. The picture is not of the of the person in the story
and the names have been changed to protect the privacy of this believer.)
(Update: In November 1998, 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.)
Copyright 2005-2006 BihariMuslims.com. All rights reserved.
My name is "Bill" As it is clear by name, I come from a Muslim background. I was born in 1962 in . . . , a well-known city in Bihar state.
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.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. "Kifah" (a pseudonym) lives in a Bihari camp and has no male authority figure in his life. His father, a Bengali Muslim, left Kifah's family to begin a new family in his village. Kifah's mother, "Fariha" (a pseudonym), is a domestic helper who works hard to support her three children. Kifah was first caught stealing at age 14. Now 16, he has little motivation to go to school. Please pray for the salvation of Kifah and other boys his age who live in Bihari camps. Pray that the Lord would bring good male role models into their lives. Pray also for their mothers who work hard for their sons, only to be shamed by them.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. "Fariha" (a pseudonym) is a single mother who tries to provide for her three children by working long hours as a domestic helper. Because of her work, she was not home to protect her 13-year-old daughter, "Yasmin" (a pseudonym). A boy seduced Yasmin, and Fariha was forced to marry Yasmin to him. At his home, eight people share a single room. All the adult family began beating Yasmin. When Yasmin was seven months pregnant, she ran away to live with her mother again. Now 16, Yasmin has a 2-year-old son.
Attempts to reconcile with her husband have failed. Please pray for Yasmin's husband and in-laws to accept responsibility for Yasmin and treat her with respect. Pray for their severely malnourished son. Pray also that God would break the generational curse of irresponsible husbands in Fariha's family. Pray that everyone in this extended family would accept salvation through Jesus.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. "Fariha" (a pseudonym) grew up in various Bihari camps in Dhaka, but her family arranged for her to marry a Bengali man. After Fariha birthed three children with her husband, he married a second wife and started a new family in his home village. Abandoned, Fariha had to provide for her children by working long hours as a domestic helper. Please pray that the vicious cycle of poverty, broken relationships and hopelessness in the lives of Bihari families would be broken. Pray that Bihari families would have the energy to make right decisions and fight against the destruction of their families. Pray for God to heal marriages that are under strain in the Bihari community. Pray that Bihari husbands would stand firm against the temptation to desert their families. Pray for the salvation of Bihari and Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. In May, some men attacked "Johar" (a pseudonym) as he shared the Gospel. The men were hostile to Johar's message and threatened to kill him. They later threw large stone's at Johar's home. Give thanks that Johar's wife and 1-year-old daughter were not injured. A cross-cultural worker writes, "How can we not pray when we hear such news? Let's pray for God's protection and (for) Manu's faith and courage to arise to entrust all situations to God. By faith, we claim the state of Bihar for Christ, for we know that He is at work in spite of the increasing persecution." Please pray for Johar and his ministry among the Ansari Muslims of Bihar, a segment of the 12.5 million Muslims who live in Bihar and Jharkhand states.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. Give thanks for national and international Christian workers who willingly go to Bihar to share the Gospel among Muslims there. One Indian man who visited there earlier this year writes, "One of the things that moved my heart was an old lady crying to me, saying that she wished that she could read, as everybody was reading God's Word by themselves and she has to wait for someone to come and read it to her." Please pray that the Lord would bless this elderly woman with people who will gladly read the Word of God to her often. Pray for the salvation of those who read to her. Please lift up elderly Bihari Muslims before the Lord who sees their every need.
Muslims make up 16.5 percent of the population of Bihar state. About 50 percent of those Muslims live below India's poverty line.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. "Philip" (a pseudonym) is a former Bihari Muslim trained in church-planting movement principles. In May, you prayed for his wife, "Victoria" (a pseudonym), as she prepared to take her exams to complete her primary teachers' training courses.
The academic council has postponed these exams more than once already.
While Victoria waits for the exams to be rescheduled, the family is separated - Philip in the city where he works and Victoria and the children a long distance away in another city where the exams are to be held. This is causing great strain on the family physically, emotionally and financially. Please pray that the Lord would heal family members suffering from dysentery and jaundice. Pray that Victoria would soon be able to take her exams and that she would do well. Pray that this family would reunite and again be able to support one another directly in personal care and ministry.
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. God gave a cross-cultural worker involved in reaching the Bihari Muslims for Christ special encouragement last month. During a worship time with a group of believers – most from Bengali Christian, Muslim and tribal backgrounds – the only Bihari believer present spontaneously began praising God in his mother tongue of Urdu. The worker writes, "Give thanks for this foretaste of heaven where people from all tribes, tongues, people and nations will worship the Lamb of God." Please pray that more Urdu-speaking Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh would come to know Jesus as Savior. Pray also that Urdu-speaking house churches would form – churches in which Biharis can receive God’s Word and worship in their own language. biharibride@pobox.com
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. Please continue to pray for solutions in the
political situation of the Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh. Disunity exists
between different factions who seek residency in Pakistan and others who
want to be recognized as citizens of Bangladesh. Those challenges are multiplied
by hunger for power, corruption and jealousy. The 2007 election in Bangladesh
may present opportunity for Biharis who want to stay in Bangladesh to integrate
as citizens. Pakistan has not decided to allow Biharis to come. Please
pray that both governments would find the political will to do something
about the 300,000 people lingering in refugee-like camps in Bangladesh.
Pray for encouragement for the people from non-governmental organizations and human rights groups who are trying to help Biharis in their political and social dilemma. Pray for leaders with integrity to rise up from within the Bihari community and that they would seek after what is best for their people. biharibride@pobox.com
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF BANGLADESH. Thank you for praying for a group of non-literate Bihari Muslim women who gather regularly to hear Bible stories. A cross-cultural worker writes, “It is a joy to see the ladies in the Bible study grow.” Several of these women have yet to place their faith fully in Jesus. Please continue to pray for them and their salvation. Pray also for the salvation of their husbands, their in-laws and their children. Pray that those who have accepted Jesus as Savior would continue to grow in their walk with Him. Standing steadfast for Jesus in families and communities where the woman is the only believer can be difficult. Your prayers provide strength and hope for these women. biharibride@pobox.com
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. Thank you for praying for Faith last month as her
parents tried to enroll her in first grade. Faith’s father is a former
Bihari Muslim. "We praise God and give thanks to our brothers and
sister who continuously prayed for our Faith’s admission,” he writes. “Today, formally she got admission in a good school located
in our area. We are grateful to a brother and sister who (paid) total cost
of admission. Still we were confused about how we will afford her monthly
fees, but one day the Lord spoke to me. If He can make arrangement for admission,
He is able to provide her monthly fees also.
Pray that Faith may get wisdom and light from the Lord, that she can grow
in His character.” Please pray that faith would accept the Lord’s
salvation at a young age and be a mighty witness to her school classmates
and teachers. biharibride@pobox.com
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. "But we are not of those who shrink back and
are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved" (Hebrews 10:39).
Give thanks to the Lord for committed volunteers who do not shrink back.
Earlier this year, volunteers continued with a planned trip into Bihar to
train national believers. They went even though they knew their host recently
had been diagnosed with tuberculosis and even though the bird flu had hit
Bihar. They took precautions during their trip, but they did not let "what
ifs" deter them. May the Lord reward their faithfulness with fruit that
lasts. biharibride@pobox.com
BIHARI MUSLIMS OF INDIA. "Philip" (a pseudonym) is a former Bihari
Muslim who has been trained as a church planter. This month, his wife, "Victoria" (a
pseudonym), will write her examination paper and take her exams to complete
her primary teachers’ training courses. Ten years have lapsed since
she studied to be a primary teacher and then circumstances prevented her
from fulfilling the final requirements. Please pray for Victoria as she does
the final coursework and takes her exam. Ask God to give her wisdom, help
and recall as she steps out in faith. Working as a primary teacher not only
would help their family financially but also may enable her husband to focus
more of his time on evangelism and church planting. About 17 million Bihari
Muslims living in India still need to hear the gospel of Jesus.
biharibride@pobox.com
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