International (MNN) — For many Muslims around the world, Eid al-Adha this year begins the evening of May 26. The holiday commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God.
“Muslims think that it wasn’t Isaac — it was Ishmael. There is a big discussion about it,” says Pastor Saleem Shalash. He serves at Home of Jesus the King Church, a partner of Beit Hallel Congregation in Nazareth, Israel.
Sacrifice is central to Eid al-Adha (Stock photo courtesy of Diyar Shahbaz via Unsplash)
Despite these differences between Christians and Muslims, the theme of sacrifice is a common thread between them. The holiday provides a unique opportunity for Christians to have gospel conversations with Muslim friends and neighbors.
“In this holiday, they give a sacrifice for their sins. And it reminds us of the real sacrifice: Jesus,” says Pastor Shalash.
Around 1.5 million Muslims are on pilgrimage to Mecca this week as part of their annual Hajj. Pastor Shalash says that Christians should be confident to speak out about Christ with Muslims.
“People are more open and not like before. Today we have a lot of ways to start asking about reality, about the truth, and Muslims start to ask,” he says.
If you know Christ and have Muslim friends or neighbors, invite them to explore who Jesus — called Isa in the Quran — really is. Pastor Shalash says they can even begin by examining what the Quran says about Him.
He points to Surah At-Tawbah 9:31 and Surah Maryam 19:33 as starting places.
“A lot of Muslims, leaders (sheikhs), if you ask them who is the one that will come back to judge the world, they will tell you the Messiah, Isa, and they admit it,” says Pastor Shalash.
“If Jesus is the one that is coming to judge, that means He is representing God, because the one who judges is just God Himself.”
Shalash encourages Muslims to wrestle seriously with the Quran’s descriptions of Isa.
“Who is this prophet? Who is this one that He will judge? Who is this one that He can create life? Who is this one that He can raise dead people? You need to ask this question, and then you will recognize that you are talking about God Himself. No doubt about it.”
He also encourages Muslims simply to read the Bible for themselves.
(Stock photo courtesy of Afiq Fatah via Unsplash)
Shalash speaks directly to Muslims, and you can too: “It’s time to search, it’s time to ask, it’s time to show your questions to everyone around you. They will help you, they will lead you. And most important, ask God Himself. Ask God Himself to show you what is the truth, and He will lead you.”
Ask God to give you boldness and opportunities to speak to Muslims about Jesus. Even if your Muslim friends are not ready to receive this message now, Pastor Shalash points back to biblical truth about Jesus:
“It was through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Isa, that He came, and He was the real sacrifice, and He was crucified for our sins, and He is the one that is coming back to judge the world. If He is coming back to judge the world, that means He is God. There is no doubt about this truth.”
Header image is a stock photo courtesy of Masjid Maba via Unsplash.
