This morning (April 10, 2024) millions of Muslims woke up to celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan (fasting) with a big meal and the greeting of Eid Mubarak (blessed celebration). Children will wear new clothing and families will visit each other, happy that the fasting is over. 

This month of Ramadan, some Adventists accepted the “Ramadan Lantern Challenge,” and they visited their local mosque and neighbors to bless them, either with Aaron’s blessings and a box of dates, or simply to get to know them and pray for them. 

Here are three stories I am sharing with the hope that readers can see themselves in one of them, and move from curiosity and a bit of discomfort to engagement and blessing. 

Visiting with Neighbors

“Pastor L” had been praying that God would use him in his new church, which was nearby a mosque, when he got a call from Peter, inviting him to take on the challenge. As a young man, Pastor L had embraced Islam, so this world was not unknown to him, but the Muslims next door were different than his previous experience. 

The challenge was simple. Go to the mosque, introduce yourself, ask the Imam (leader) who the crisis in the Middle East is affecting their community, ask if you can pray for peace, and leave a present (dates and a card). 

On Sabbath evening, Peter and two pastors took the step into this new world, just to find a very warm reception and a meaningful conversation. Once the festivities were over, they agreed to meet for a “halal” (clean) meal to explore opportunities for serving the homeless and practical matters of faith. 

Answered Prayer

Two weeks later, three Adventist sisters and I attended a very large iftar (breaking of the fast at night). This was a well-attended event, and the place was packed, hardly room for standing. Before we entered the mosque, we removed our shoes, wore a headscarf and prayed to meet the person who God had already been preparing to meet with us. There was a lot of joy in the air and several women were very kind to us. Yet, we had been clear, we were not there to seek for Muslims, we were looking for God’s people among the Muslims. For people of peace. 

Four women were around the table, but one caught my attention. When I asked her personal questions to see if she had a personal relationship with God or just was very religious, she surprised me. 

“Sister,” I said, “What does prayer means to you?” 

Without hesitation she explained that all year she had longed for Ramadan, specially the last few nights because she would spend all night in prayer and sense the near presence of God, since Muslims believe that special blessings happen this month. Actually, one of the last nights, called the night of power, is when God would come the closest to the earth, open the gates of heaven and pour mercies over his servants. 

We spoke then about mercy, and prayer focusing on God, not on religion. The night was rapidly fading and the sweetness of the conversation made our time feel too short. 

Before she left, with a tight hug she said, “Today, before coming, I had prayed that God would give me someone to meet here, and He answered my prayer. I know it was you!”

Deeper Connections

Far away, another dear pastor was also meeting for Iftar, but unlike the previous stories, he had been friends with this community of Muslims for a while. They had been impressed by the Adventists’ diet, kindness of the church, and later on even more impressed to find that their people group was mentioned in the book The Great Controversy in positive terms. 

The conversations among Muslims are often centered in right action, community service, obedience to God, and for women raising kids that pray and follow the faith. While the men spoke about social matters, the women shared about healthful lifestyle and discipline rooted in example and consequences, versus dos and don’ts.  Before the night was over, two leaders of the group approached the pastor, asking if they could set times to meet and gain depth into what the Bible was all about. 

Do you have Muslim neighbors? Go ahead, connect with them. And if you need help, let us do it together. Write me at gabrielaphillips@nadadventist.org.