“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. 

Genesis 17:20-21 records God’s words to Abraham about Ishmael’s future: “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.”

Ishmael’s descendants are now dispersed throughout the Middle East. Historically, they have been opposed to the Gospel and ministry progress has been slow. That is beginning to change.

A ministry team recently gathered with Ishmaelite believers for a week of Bible study, prayer, and encouragement. Uncharted Ministries President Tom Doyle asks listeners to pray for these believers.

Doyle says, “That’s a significant move of the Holy Spirit to reach a group that links their past all the way back to Ishmael in Genesis, so this is big.”

The journey to faith often starts with dreams of Jesus and a search for meaning. I Found the Truth, a project of Uncharted Ministries, shares similar stories from Muslims who dreamt of Jesus.

The next step is meeting followers of Jesus. Many Ishmaelites live in areas affected by multiple crises, such as terrorism, hunger, and natural disasters. Surrounded by these circumstances, the fruit of the Spirit in believers makes them stand out to spiritual seekers.

“And in the midst of the tragedy that they’re living in, they see people that are living in the same thing, but they have love, joy, peace, patience, and it’s a magnetic pull to them,” says Doyle. “They want to know, how can you be happy and live here where we live and have this joy?”

Disciple-makers then share God’s Word with them. As the seekers learn what God says in Scripture, they begin to understand His love for them and the purpose He has for their lives.

Doyle says, “We know for the church to be strong, the church has to understand who they are in Christ, and what God’s called­­ them to do.”

Pray for the Lord to protect the disciple-makers of Uncharted Ministries from spiritual attacks as they communicate God’s love and calling for the new believers.

“That’s what discipleship does,” says Doyle. “And that’s what launches them into the body of Christ to be effective. And to be a change agent in the Middle East or Central Asia, North Africa, wherever they live.”

Pray that the new Ishmaelite believers will continue to grow in faith and persevere against persecution and discouragement.

Representative photo by Ryan Cheng on Unsplash.

Meanwhile, Hamas threatens to kill some of the 224 hostages it holds but released a handful earlier this week in exchange for aid. The war has displaced over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents in less than three weeks.

Mike* with Global Catalytic Ministries says regional church planters are in a complicated position.

“It’s easy to choose sides these days. But it’s like the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, [with] Isaac and Ishmael being the Arab world and the Jewish world, and the fighting that has happened there,” Mike says.

“As believers, we’ve been grafted into Israel and adopted into that family. How do we support both these cultures without choosing one or the other?”

Global Catalytic Ministries trains disciple-makers in the world’s darkest places. Learn more about the GCM approach here.

“We started off operating in Muslim countries,” Mike says, adding that he and other GCM leaders are increasingly convinced of one thing as the Israel-Hamas war continues.

“The best thing we can do for Israel and its national security is to make disciples in the Muslim world because something happens in their hearts. They fall in love with a Jewish Messiah and start falling in love with the Jewish people.”

Our disciple-makers on the ground are directly affected by this unfolding tragedy, and now, more than ever, we need your prayer for safety and strength.
(Graphic, caption courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

We can’t release too many details for security purposes, but church planters are working in this war like sheep among wolves.

“Some of our Arab brothers were telling me, ‘Man, I don’t want this to be like 9/11,’ just being persecuted and racially profiled,” Mike says.

“But ultimately, Jesus tears down the barriers and unifies Jew and Gentile. He is the One we look to, and He’s coming soon.”

Pray for success as these believers make disciples in Israel and the broader Middle East. Use prompts listed alongside this report, provided by Global Catalytic Ministries, to guide further intercession.

You can also support disciple-makers through GCM, as these believers deliver physical and spiritual relief to those in need.

*Name withheld for security purposes.

Header and story images courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries.

Ishmael, Omar, and Mohammed were known in the community for their work sharing the Gospel and discipling new believers – both on the Iraq side and the Persian side of Kurdistan.

However, there are questions as to whether this was a religious or political assassination. The investigation is ongoing.

(Photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash)

Peter Smith, a Mission Network News partner, says these faithful believers came from very different backgrounds – a former Kurdish military member, a government worker, and a car mechanic.

“They were just average people living out their life in Kurdistan. Yet, at the same time, what set them apart was they were willing to take a stand for Christ. They were willing to help train others to understand what the Scriptures say. I would not be surprised if they were also involved with getting Bibles to people who needed Scriptures.”

Ishmael, Omar, and Mohammed all leave behind families. Smith says, “What we’ve tried to do is to mobilize prayer and financial support for the widows and for the children.

“But also for the greater Christian community, they’re in shock because now they’re thinking, ‘If these three key leaders were killed, what will happen to me?'”

Pray comfort for the grieving Kurdish Church.

“We’re also praying that the local Christians will have a spirit of boldness that should not allow this fear of death to scare them,” Smith says, “You know, it’s easy to say that halfway around the world. If I were in that situation, what would I do? But I’m hoping your listeners will be led by the Lord to pray.”

Header photo: The Kurdish flag flies high above Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. (Caption, photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash)

According to Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court, the annual Muslim pilgrimage known as the hajj began July 18, with Eid al-Adha celebrated July 20-22. Eid al-Adha is the second major Muslim festival after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Uncharted Ministries co-founder Tom Doyle says it’s an essential time for believers to pray for the Muslim world.

“They (Muslims) are seeking; they want to have a personal relationship with God,” Doyle says.

“We do see God move more dramatically during Muslim holidays, because what are the Muslim holy days about? They’re trying to connect with God.”

What is Eid al-Adha?

Eid al-Adha commemorates a father’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience, but God provides an animal to offer instead. Most Muslims sacrifice an animal in remembrance of the father’s compliance.

Eid al-Adha, known among the Arabs as the “Great Eid”, is celebrated every year with special rituals and traditions in the port of Assaluyeh. The Arab people of this port visit each other in groups after Eid prayers to congratulate and rejoice.
(Milad Rafat/Wikimedia Commons)

While the father is Abraham in the Bible and Ibrahim in the Quran, both holy books contain a version of this event. Furthermore, while the Quran doesn’t indicate the son by name, most Muslims believe it was Ishmael. Genesis 22 shows the son was Isaac – the son of promise.

“They don’t know the truth. They have a story that’s been changed; it wasn’t Ishmael, it was Isaac,” Doyle says.

“But most importantly, all of this is fulfilled in Jesus, who died on the cross for their sins.”

Find your place in the story

Pray Muslims will encounter Christ in visions and dreams during this holiday season. “[It] is important that we see Muslim holidays; we don’t just blow them off. Take some time and pray,” Doyle says.

Use this free resource from Prayercast, our sister ministry, to guide your intercession. “Pray for breakthroughs. There is an openness; there is a dissatisfaction with their religion. There is [a] sense of hopelessness [among] young Muslims throughout the Middle East,” Doyle says.

“One-fifth of the world [is] remembering this sacrifice, but the ultimate sacrifice – the real sacrifice – is what Jesus did on the cross for the world, and that includes Muslims.”

Header image depicts Muslims at a 2019 Eid al-Adha event in Delhi, India. (Photo courtesy of Shivam Garg/Unsplash)

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Saudi Arabia (MNN/ODM) – Today, around two million Muslim pilgrims, representing the world’s estimated figure of 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide will be standing on Mount Arafat.

It’s part of the hajj (pilgrimage), which is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory once in a lifetime for all Muslims. The pilgrimage started on Sunday and ends on October 18. Monday marks the most important day, when everyone assembles at Mount Arafat, just outside Mecca, for the peak of the hajj.

Also known as the Mount of Mercy, the hill is the most sacred location a Muslim can reach to stand before Allah, asking for mercy. This is the place where the Muslim prophet Mohammad stood and delivered his “farewell sermon” to his followers who had accompanied him for the Hajj towards the end of his life.

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Voice of the Martyrs USA spokesman Todd Nettleton says, “They want to be as close to Allah as possible. The Hajj is part of that.” The desire of each of the pilgrims is to reach out to Allah and ask desperately for his possible forgiveness for all the transgressions they have committed.

At the same time, turmoil continues to plague most of the Arab world, and that hasn’t escaped notice , either. “It’s a time of spiritual fervor among Muslims including some who are very radical. So, that spiritual fervor can spill over into other Islamic practices, including ones like jihad.” Officials in Riyadh warned Muslim pilgrims against exploiting the hajj for political purposes. The remarks were loosely connected to rumors that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood may have been urging pilgrims to express their support in the wake of the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Nettleton suggests that for the body of Christ, Tuesday is the day to watch. “The end of the Hajj is marked by a special feast. It’s called ‘the Feast of the Sacrifice’ and Muslims are remembering Abraham and Abraham’s sacrifice of his son.”

Eid al-Adha involves a ritual sacrifice of a lamb, he adds. “They say the son was Ishmael and not Isaac, but they do know the story of Abraham going to offer his son, and at the last moment, God provides a lamb, and the son is saved.” That’s the connection point for believers, notes Nettleton, because , “That event points to Jesus Christ. The lamb was provided as a sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. This is a great opportunity for Muslims to hear the gospel and to understand, ‘ohh, that makes sense now.'”

However, it’s unlikely that Christians would be able to get into Mecca, so who shares this connection? “We know of some Muslims who have come to Christ, but they haven’t widely publicized it, they haven’t changed their identity papers, specifically so they can go to Mecca. Mecca is a city that is closed to non-Muslims. These people can still get in, they can still be there and share the gospel during the season.”

It’s risky because there are some Muslims who would be following a spiritual fervor into jihad. Still, these Muslim Background Believers (MBB) are praying that God would soften hard hearts. “Across the Muslim world, we see the stories of dreams and visions, and other supernatural things where God speaks truth into the hearts of Muslims. We need to pray that that will happen during the Hajj and during the season of the end of the hajj.”

For those MBB in Mecca, they’re acting like a special mission force in advance of the Gospel. We can’t be there, but we can be praying for opportunities, says Nettleton. “This is a key time for them, it is an important work. And in many cases, it’s a dangerous work. Pray for their protection and pray for fruit from their labors.”

It's part of the Hajj (pilgrimage), which is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory once in a lifetime for all Muslims. The pilgrimage started on Sunday and ends on October 18. Monday marks the most important day, when everyone assembles at Mount Arafat, just outside Mecca, for the peak of the Hajj.

Also known as the Mount of Mercy, the hill is the most sacred location a Muslim can reach to stand before Allah, asking for mercy. This is the place where the Muslim prophet Mohammad stood and delivered his "farewell sermon" to his followers who had accompanied him for the Hajj toward the end of his life.

Voice of the Martyrs USA spokesman Todd Nettleton says, "They want to be as close to Allah as possible. The Hajj is part of that." The desire of each of the pilgrims is to reach out to Allah and ask desperately for his possible forgiveness for all the transgressions they have committed.

At the same time, turmoil continues to plague most of the Arab world, and that hasn't escaped notice , either. "It's a time of spiritual fervor among Muslims including some who are very radical. So that spiritual fervor can spill over into other Islamic practices, including ones like jihad." Officials in Riyadh warned Muslim pilgrims against exploiting the Hajj for political purposes. The remarks were loosely connected to rumors that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood may have been urging pilgrims to express their support in the wake of the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Nettleton suggests that for the body of Christ, Tuesday is the day to watch. "The end of the Hajj is marked by a special feast. It's called ‘the Feast of the Sacrifice,' and Muslims are remembering Abraham and Abraham's sacrifice of his son."

Eid al-Adha involves a ritual sacrifice of a lamb, adds Nettleton. "They say the son was Ishmael and not Isaac, but they do know the story of Abraham going to offer his son, and at the last moment, God provides a lamb and the son is saved." That's the connection point for believers, notes Nettleton, because "that event points to Jesus Christ. The lamb was provided as a sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. This is a great opportunity for Muslims to hear the gospel and to understand, ‘Oh, that makes sense now.'"

However, it's unlikely that Christians would be able to get into Mecca, so who shares this connection? "We know of some Muslims who have come to Christ, but they haven't widely publicized it, they haven't changed their identity papers specifically so they can go to Mecca. Mecca is a city that is closed to non-Muslims. These people can still get in; they can still be there and share the gospel during the season."

It's risky because there are some Muslims who would be following a spiritual fervor into jihad. Still, these Muslim Background Believers (MBB) are praying that God would soften hard hearts. "Across the Muslim world, we see the stories of dreams and visions and other supernatural things where God speaks truth into the hearts of Muslims. We need to pray that that will happen during the Hajj and during the season of the end of the Hajj."

For those MBB in Mecca, they're acting like a special mission force in advance of the Gospel. We can't be there, but we can be praying for opportunities, says Nettleton. "This is a key time for them; it is an important work. And in many cases, it's a dangerous work. Pray for their protection, and pray for fruit from their labors."