Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Summary

“Finding Jesus didn’t mean turning away from everything I’d loved. It meant encountering a divine love that fulfills and transforms everything we hold dear.”

1. A Faith Woven Into Identity

Nabeel Qureshi’s upbringing was steeped in Islam, where religion was inseparable from identity. As the son of devout Muslim parents, he first heard the Islamic call to faith whispered into his ear just after birth. This symbolized how deeply ingrained the teachings of Islam were in his life, shaping not only his beliefs but also his sense of self.

As a young boy, Nabeel rigorously studied the Quran in Arabic and engaged in theological debates, inspired by his father’s passion for apologetics. In his family and community, being a good Muslim wasn’t just about personal devotion but a lived identity that encompassed culture, history, and purpose. Everything centered around faith, from daily prayers to moral values.

The fixed nature of this Islamic identity taught Nabeel discipline and loyalty to his beliefs. His mother often reminded him that no matter his achievements in life, he would always be seen first as a Muslim, which she regarded as a source of pride. For the first two decades of his life, Nabeel embraced this identity wholeheartedly, striving to excel as a representative of his faith.

Examples

• Hearing the call to prayer every morning as his earliest memory
• Learning Quranic recitation at age four
• Identifying fully as a Muslim despite living in a Western society

2. Colliding Cultures and Growing Doubts

Navigating adolescence brought a clash between cultural expectations and American values. Nabeel observed divergent views about authority, reasoning, and individuality in his upbringing and education, creating internal conflict.

In his family, questioning elders was frowned upon, as it symbolized disrespect. However, his American schooling encouraged individual exploration and critical thinking. This disparity became a challenge, as Nabeel found himself drawn to analytical frameworks that made sense of the world but felt constrained by the cultural norms of his Muslim household.

This cultural tension shaped how he viewed the West. To Nabeel, the moral shortcomings he saw around him – from promiscuity to irreverence – seemed to validate his parents’ warnings about an “Americanized” culture. At the same time, it led him to associate Christianity with these traits, assuming that Western immorality stemmed from Christian influence.

Examples

• Feeling “Americanized” meant adopting behaviors like questioning authority
• Misjudging Christianity based on generalized views of Western culture
• Struggling with the duality of respecting family values while seeking personal independence

3. Faith Through Friendship and Debate

Nabeel’s college years introduced him to David, a Christian friend eager to challenge his understanding of Islam and share his own faith. Their enduring friendship became a crucial bridge for Nabeel, allowing him to openly discuss beliefs without feeling hostility or animosity.

David’s sincere care for Nabeel created an environment of trust that facilitated meaningful debates about God, the Bible, and the Quran. Their discussions often centered on major theological differences, such as Jesus’s divinity and role in salvation. These debates were not just intellectual exercises but opportunities for Nabeel to reflect on his own faith with greater depth.

Over time, Nabeel started to see Christianity through a lens he had never considered – as something connected to love and personal relationship rather than just rules or culture. It was the start of a transformation in how he approached questions of faith and truth.

Examples

• Long discussions on key topics like the resurrection as historical evidence
• Arguments that never broke their bond, highlighting genuine care
• Observing David’s consistent and loving behavior, tied to his faith

4. The Historical Case for Jesus

David’s persuasive arguments rested on evidence for Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. These claims became focal points for Nabeel’s careful investigation, ultimately challenging the Islamic view of Jesus as purely a prophet.

Historically, the crucifixion of Jesus is widely supported by Christian and non-Christian sources alike, such as the writings of Tacitus and Josephus. This presented a problem for the Quran, which denies Jesus’s death on the cross. Nabeel delved into these historical accounts and found that mainstream scholarship overwhelmingly agreed on the historicity of crucifixion.

What impressed Nabeel further was the transformation of Jesus’s followers after the resurrection. Men like the Apostle Paul, once skeptical, were willing to die for their belief in Jesus’s rising. As David said, “Liars make poor martyrs,” emphasizing the sincerity and likely truth of their claims.

Examples

• Consulting Roman historians who documented Jesus’s execution
• Analyzing Gospel accounts of the resurrection witnessed by disciples
• Examining the early Christians’ willingness to endure persecution

5. Questioning the Quran’s Perfection

Nabeel believed the Quran was the literal and unaltered Word of God, a foundational claim in Islam. But as he explored its historical compilation, cracks began to appear in this understanding.

Islamic sources reveal that after the death of Muhammad, oral Quranic verses started to disappear during conflicts. To preserve them, Muhammad’s successors gathered and compiled the Quran into a single text. The process involved human decisions, including the standardization of verses and the destruction of alternative scripts, which cast doubt on the claim of divine perfection.

For Nabeel, this raised an unsettling question: Could he trust a religious text crafted and edited by flawed human beings? His faith in the Quran’s immutability began to weaken as he came to terms with these historical inconsistencies.

Examples

• Discovering the reliance on a few witnesses for authenticating certain Quranic verses
• Learning that varying Quranic scripts were destroyed as “inconsistent”
• Realizing that human intervention played a role in shaping the Quran’s form

6. A New Vision of God

When Nabeel turned to the Bible, he encountered a profoundly different image of God – one marked by unconditional love, compassion, and grace. It was a stark contrast to the Quranic depiction of a distant God who expected perfect adherence to laws.

The Sermon on the Mount spoke to Nabeel’s soul, especially verses about comforting the mourning and blessing those who seek righteousness. For the first time, he felt that God’s love was intimate and personal, rather than contingent on obedience.

This shift in understanding was transformative. Nabeel realized that the God of the Bible was not asking for perfection but offering an invitation to a genuine relationship. His tears as he read were reflective of this newfound connection.

Examples

• Reading “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”
• Feeling undeserving but accepted by God’s unconditional blessing
• Recognizing grace as central to the Christian view of God

7. The Cost of Conversion

Deciding to embrace Christianity came with immense personal cost. For Nabeel, it meant not only redefining his identity but also risking the loss of his family’s love and trust.

Within Muslim communities, apostasy is often seen as the ultimate betrayal. Nabeel’s parents were devastated by his decision, and relationships with relatives became strained. He found himself grieving the loss of the close connections he’d once held dear.

Despite this heartbreak, Nabeel believed that his calling was now to share Jesus’s love with others, even those who may never understand his decision. His story demonstrates the personal risks many people face when altering deeply-rooted beliefs.

Examples

• Feeling his parents’ sorrow over his decision to leave Islam
• Losing friendships and support within the Muslim community
• Remaining committed to his newfound faith despite isolation

8. Sharing the Gospel Through Love

Nabeel’s journey underscored the importance of sharing faith through genuine relationships. David’s approach – caring first and debating second – left a lasting impact on how Nabeel viewed effective evangelism.

Nabeel also recognized that many people are open to deeper conversations when they feel heard and respected. His own transformation taught him that love, not argument, is the most compelling evidence of the Gospel’s truth.

By embodying this spirit of love, Nabeel hoped to honor the example of Christ who preached grace and redemption for all, reaching even those who initially resist the message.

Examples

• David’s engagement with Nabeel based on friendship, not coercion
• Discovering that connection opens the door to meaningful dialogue
• Committing to sharing Christ’s love in future encounters

9. A Calling to Purpose

Finally, Nabeel found profound purpose in his conversion: to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to others. His new calling gave his life a clear direction and focus, replacing despair with meaning.

Through his writings and speaking, Nabeel sought to help others wrestle with the same questions he faced, especially those weighing faith versus culture. His mission extended beyond Muslims, as he aimed to touch anyone seeking truth.

This calling was about more than religious debate. It reflected a deep desire to share the transformative love he encountered in the Bible with anyone searching for a better understanding of God and themselves.

Examples

• Writing “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” to share his journey
• Speaking engagements to support those undergoing spiritual struggles
• Guiding others toward exploring faith with honesty and courage

Takeaways

1. Engage in dialogue with individuals of different beliefs through genuine relationships built on respect and care.
2. Examine your assumptions and beliefs by exploring historical and theological evidence with an open mind.
3. Let compassion for others guide your faith journey, creating opportunities to share transformative love and purpose.