How to Witness to Muslims

In Acts 17:22–31 the apostle Paul built on areas of “common ground” as he prepared his listeners for the good news of the gospel. Even though he was addressing Gentiles whose beliefs were erroneous, he did not rebuke them for having a doctrine of devils (see 1 Cor. 10:20). Neither did he present the great truth that Jesus of Nazareth was Almighty God manifest in human form. This may have initially offended his hearers and closed the door to what he wanted to convey. Instead, he built on what they already knew.

There are three main areas of common ground upon which Christians may stand with Muslims. First, that there is one God—the Creator of all things. Second, that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet of God, as the Bible makes clear (see Acts 3:20–22).

The Qur’an (Koran) says, “Behold! The angel said ‘O Mary! Allah giveth you Glad Tidings of a word from Him. His name will be (Christ Jesus) the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah’” (Surah 3:45). In Surah 19:19, the angel said to Mary, “I am only a messenger of thy Lord to announce to you a gift of a holy son.” Surah 3:55 says, “Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself.’”

Based on these and other references to Jesus in the Qur’an, a Muslim will not object when you establish that Jesus was a prophet from God.

This brings us to the third area of common ground. Muslims also respect Moses as a prophet of God. Therefore, there should be little contention when Christians speak of God (as Creator), Jesus the prophet, and the Law of the prophet Moses.

Most Muslims do have some knowledge of their sinfulness, but few see sin in its true light. It is therefore essential to take them through the spiritual nature of the Ten Commandments. But before you do, be sure to share the following anecdote. Imagine a man has been convicted of raping, beating, and robbing a helpless woman. He pleads guilty, but says to the judge, “Judge, I am genuinely sorry, and I won’t do it again.” Will a good judge let him go simply because he is sorry for his crime and promises not to do it again? Of course not. A criminal should be sorry (he has done wrong), and of course he should not commit the crime again. It is important to make sure the Muslim agrees with this point, because more than likely when you go through the Commandments and he acknowledges that he has broken them, he will say that he simply tells God he is sorry, and he repents (he won’t commit the crime again). However, a good judge would never let a heinous criminal go free because of sorrow and a promise not to commit the crime again, and it is even more so with a holy God. A holy God must see that justice is done. The Muslim must be made to understand this, before you go through the Commandments.

Although the First Commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” it may be unwise to start out by telling a Muslim that Allah is a false god. Such talk may close the door before you are able to speak to his conscience. Rather, present the Law in a similar order in which Jesus gave it in Luke 18:20. He addressed the man’s sins of the flesh, mentioning commandments that have to do with his fellow man. Therefore, ask your hearer if he has ever told a lie. If he admits that he has, ask him what that makes him. Don’t call him a liar. Instead, gently press him to tell you what someone is called who has lied. Try to get him to say that he is a “liar.”

“Your task is to present the truth of the gospel. It is God who makes it come alive (1 Cor. 3:6,7). It is God who brings conviction of sin (John 16:7,8). It is God who reveals who Jesus is (Matt. 16:16,17). All God requires is your faithful presentation of the truth (Matt. 25:21).”

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Then ask him if he has ever stolen something, even if it is small. If he has, ask what that makes him (a thief). Then quote from the prophet Jesus: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). Ask if he has ever looked at a woman with lust. If he is reasonable, he will admit that he has sinned in that area. Then gently tell him that, by his own admission, he is a “lying, thieving, adulterer at heart.” Say, “If God judges you by the Law of Moses on Judgment Day, will you be innocent or guilty?”

At this point, he may be tempted to say that he will be innocent, because he confesses his sins to God and hopes God is merciful. However, the Qur’an says: “Every soul that has sinned, if it possessed all that is on earth, would fain give it in ransom” (Surah 10:54). In other words, if he possessed the whole world and offered it to God as a sacrifice for his sins, it would not be enough to provide atonement for his sins.

This is when you remind him of the story about the earthly judge. Repentance does not mean acquittal from the courtroom. There must be punishment for crime. So now you can bring in the truth of the atonement, continuing with the courtroom analogy.

Say to him, “Remember that if a criminal is guilty he should not be forgiven just because he is sorry or vows never to do it again. The judge will, however, let him go if someone pays the fine for him.”

Now tell him that Moses gave instructions to Israel to shed the blood of a spotless lamb to provide a temporary atonement for their sin; and that Jesus was the Lamb that God provided to make atonement for the sins of the world. Through faith in Jesus, he can have atonement with God. All his sins can be washed away, once and for all. God can grant him the gift of everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ on the basis of His death and resurrection.

The uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth was that He claimed He had power on earth to forgive sins (Matt. 9:2–6). No other prophet of any of the great religions made this claim. Only Jesus can provide peace with God. That is why He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). God commands sinners to repent and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, or they will perish.

To try to justify himself, your listener may say something like, “The Bible has changed. It has been altered. There are many different versions, but the Koran has never changed.” Explain that there are many different versions, printed in different languages and in modern English, to help people understand the Bible, but the content of the Scriptures remains the same. The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that God has preserved the Scriptures. Tell him that the 100 percent accurate prophecies of Scripture (Matt. 24; Luke 21; 2 Tim. 3; etc.) prove that this is the Book of the Creator.

Your task is to present the truth of the gospel. It is God who makes it come alive (1 Cor. 3:6,7). It is God who brings conviction of sin (John 16:7,8). It is God who reveals who Jesus is (Matt. 16:16,17). All God requires is your faithful presentation of the truth (Matt. 25:21).

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