Abdul Abbasi was like any other Muslim in his 20’s in Egypt. He was married, with a son, and looking for a job.
But he was actually searching for more than just a place to be employed in the midst of another tourism collapse in Egypt. He was searching for the meaning of life.
The Abbasi family was famous in the volatile al-Minya region where Islamic terrorist groups were systematically burning churches to the ground. They were present when each of the churches were lit up and happy that the firemen took their threats seriously so as to ensure that they showed up just as the blazing building collapsed completely.
Abdul shares the radical Islamic theology that was drilled into his brain since he was born:
“Jihad is the only way for real Muslims to walk in the straight path of following the prophet Mohammad. This is our salvation and the reason for our existence. Islam will rule the world and we will start with Egypt first. Christians deserve nothing but death for their false religion. The Egyptian men that were killed on the beach in Libya by the Islamic State are just the beginning of what we will do to the Christians in Egypt. We will crush them!”
Yet, Abdul’s Muslim religion was crushing him, but it was on the inside of his body. His stomach was a mess and the doctors could not find a physical reason why. He lived in constant pain that made it hard for him to eat. Hummus was the worst and who could avoid that in Egypt?
The reason that the doctors could not find a physical problem with Abdul was because his problem was spiritual. 100% spiritual.
“To think that we almost scheduled an exploratory surgery even though I had no money to pay for it shows how desperate I was. I worried continually, smoked excessively, was always angry, restless, at night, and unhappy with life. I wondered if I needed a new wife. I wondered if I moved would I finally find my way.
That’s when Jesus sent someone to me. He sent me a life preserver. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was walking in al-Minya thinking about how miserable I was when I saw Hani he was walking out of a church. I stopped and noticed the building and took a long look. I was angry that there were still churches in Egypt, in the middle of our great Islamic nation. I wondered when we would torch this church too.
Hani walked up to me as I surveyed the church. He greeted me and asked if he could help and I whispered “No.” He left and could feel the heat behind my furious stare.
But Hani had a joyful countenance and you could tell he had hope. I remember thinking to myself, “why do these Christians always have a smile on their faces? It makes me sick!”
Just then a thought went through my head that said “Maybe that’s the reason you’re sick.”
Where in the world did that thought come from? What was that about? What reason? Did my sickness have something to do with religion? Couldn’t be! Islam will rule the world, and everyone will see how great our religion is!
But they were happy, and I was miserable … and that thought would not leave my mind no matter how hard I tried. So, I decided then and there that I would do the unthinkable. I decided to enter the church to see if I could find “the Christian Bible.” I just knew that it was riddled with mistakes and soon I would get those awful thoughts out of my head once and for all.
The man inside the church was polite and gave me a Bible with no questions asked. I found out later that I wasn’t the only Muslim that had entered the church asking for one.
My spiritual journey accelerated that day. I started in the Gospels and could not put it down. Pure shock overcame me that not only was I enjoying reading the Bible, but I didn’t want to stop. I had to hide it from my wife and my fanatical family. So, I read in the bathroom, in the middle of the night, whenever I could. My hunger for the truth consumed me!
After a few weeks of pouring over the pages of Scripture, I headed back to the church. It was the only option for me. I had to go back and find out why everything changed in my life once I got the book!
The day that I started reading the Bible is the very day that my stomach problems stopped completely. They never come back. My stomach is fine today.
Hani, the man who was walking out of the building the last time I was there, could see that God was working on my heart. He explained Jesus’ offer of salvation and I readily accepted. I prayed to repent of my sins and to receive Jesus.
I’ve been discipled for three months now. I love Jesus now more than ever and now so does my wife and my 8-year-old boy.
My family is a different story. I have to go slow with them. My father still wants to burn the churches to the ground. He hasn’t figured out that his own son is now spending most of his spare time in one of those churches. But he will soon…very soon. I’ve learned to share my faith and I am going to other villages telling Muslims how to find peace with God like I have now.
The persecution has already begun. My threat level is high, and Muslims have promised to kill me. But, I’m ready to die for Jesus. Soon my family will be a part of persecution. Please pray for me.”
Support Abdul in Prayer
Hani is one of the Uncharted church planters in Egypt. Abdul shared this story with us not long ago. He is growing in Christ and sharing his faith vigorously. Praise God!
