I just recently finished reading Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and it was truly an amazing testimony. Nabeel Qureshi was an incredible example of someone who was determined to be intellectually honest and consistent, seeking out Truth no matter the cost. And he did end up losing a lot – but gained infinitely more.
The book essentially outlined Nabeel’s life – who he was and where he came from. He grew up in a wonderful family who was from Pakistan and was Muslim. His family’s faith was sincere and they religiously taught him all they knew to be a good Muslim. I was shocked to know how much he knew about Jesus before he was ever challenged about his faith. Muslims are taught a lot about Jesus, but of course, the sticking point being that there is only one god for Muslims, who is Allah. Not Jesus.
At the perfect time in Nabeel’s life, he met David Wood, his roommate and eventual best friend who happened to be a Christian (his testimony is even more crazy than Nabeel’s, if you can believe it; well worth the time to watch!). I was struck with the boldness of David, but also the gentleness and thoughtfulness of the questions he proposed to Nabeel when they spoke about their respective faiths. He was Nabeel’s friend and stuck with him, even though Nabeel was no quick convert. Just that was a beautiful example to me. Christ can use anyone and He can use any situation for His glory and other’s good. But more often than not, Jesus uses people in relationships with others to spread His gospel message. This is much more messy, time consuming, and inconvenient, but wow, what fruit and testimonies.
Nabeel Qureshi had incredible depth of character. He pursued Truth with honesty and scholarly vigor. He spoke openly about his struggle to think things through rather than just continue to cruise along in his life, never questioning what he’d been taught. It’s so easy to never think about the bigger picture. Just a few of those kinds of questions: Why do I believe what I believe? What evidence is there? Who is God and how can we know Him?
Nabeel asked these questions and more. His intellectual integrity was exemplary. Towards the end of the book, my heart broke for his parents. I could feel their anguish. The perception of betrayal they must have felt as their son turned away from everything they had taught him must have been horrible. I came to better understand the difficulty of someone accepting Jesus who is from a different culture and religion that is so hard-wired into them. Does that make it OK to just “let them be” and avoid the potential pain of a broken family? Absolutely not. I love how Nabeel so simply put it: “… this is not about you” (pg. 281).
Later he wrote:
After loving us with the most humble life and the most horrific death, Jesus told us, “As I have loved you, go and love one another.” How could I consider myself a follower of Jesus if I was not willing to live as He lived? To die as He died? To love the unloved and give hope to the hopeless?
pg. 283
How ridiculously convicting. We all “lose” something of this world when we turn to Jesus. Maybe it’s something that may seem good, like your unbelieving family or friends. Or maybe it’s a vice that you love, such as drugs or pornography. Or maybe it’s a “dying to self” and giving up following whatever your heart or flesh calls you to do that is plainly forbidden in His Word. Whatever the sacrifice, whatever thing we are called to give up, as Nabeel puts it: “All suffering is worth it to follow Jesus. He is that amazing” (pg. 297).
It’s heartbreaking to know that this incredible man died from stomach cancer at the young age of 34. He left behind a beautiful wife and daughter. Of course, the big question that keeps rolling around in my head – Why? How would his death affect his parents? Would this draw them closer or further away from accepting Christ? What of his testimony to other Muslims? Would they twist this into some kind of punishment from Allah? LORD, I just don’t know. God could have saved him, but for reasons far above my understanding, the LORD decided to call him home. God is still good. All the time. Just because I may not understand doesn’t take away from His goodness and faithfulness. I am so thankful for this man’s life, and for him taking the time to write out his story. I could not recommend this book enough. Praise the LORD that He gave us Nabeel Qureshi, even if it seems as if the time given to us was not nearly enough. I’m certain that Nabeel had absolutely no regrets. Amen?
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I couldn’t agree with you more! What a powerful book!
YES! Loved it. Thanks for taking the time to comment Stella!