A growing number of Muslim-background believers (MBBs) are sharing their miraculous stories about how, after years of suffering and searching under Islam, they discovered real hope and redemption in Jesus Christ.
In a collection of testimonies called "Souls & Stories," these MBBs share with the world about Christ's diverse ways of revealing Himself to the Muslim world.
CBN News compiled and highlighted their remarkable stories, which will be accessible for viewing on the news outlet's YouTube channel from May 8-12 at 6 p.m.
A Muslim Woman's Journey
One of those amazing testimonies featured by Faithwire was Aisha's.
Aisha was born into a conservative Islamic family in Amman, Jordan. Her father was verbally abusive and told her things that were demeaning and hurting to a girl. She found little solace in her faith through those trying years. Instead, she said that she was constantly chastised by Islam.
Desperate for love, Aisha became pregnant at the age of 17 after she and her family traveled to the United States. She was well aware that her father was obliged by Islamic society to kill her because she had disgraced her heritage. Fearing for her survival, she chose to have an abortion, a decision she regretted for several years.
She had been taught that her crimes were unforgivable in Islam, and that she was "hated by Allah." She was depressed and suicidal, and she looked for grace and redemption all the time.
When she cried out to Allah for mercy one day, she heard an audible voice say one word: "Jesus."
Aisha switched her prayers to Jesus after hearing that voice from heaven, pleading for Him to show Himself to her.
"That was the first time I felt any sense of peace, was when I prayed to Jesus," she said.
That one divine encounter instilled in her an insatiable thirst for truth, and she found it in Romans 5:8.
After years of experiencing Allah's relentless judgment, Aisha found that Jesus was full of grace and love for women.
She claims that the stark difference between how the Islamic faith handles women and how Jesus viewed women influenced her choice to obey Christ.
She explained: "You saw Jesus walk up to women with an element of tenderness, and you know, the woman at the well, the woman who had a bleeding disorder, Jesus called her 'daughter,' and that was huge for me to read because in Islam women aren't regarded highly at all."
She added that in Islam, she had to petition Allah for forgiveness, not knowing whether she would ever get it. In contrast, she learned that Jesus is full of mercy.
"All throughout scripture you see Jesus gravitate towards sinners and the outcasts," she said. "It was really interesting to see the tenderness that Jesus had toward sinners and outcasts whereas in Islam there would be shame and condemnation and literal death in certain situations."
Years later, when her father was dying of alcoholism, the Holy Spirit compelled Aisha to call him.
"He had a rattle in his voice which meant like he was going to pass away soon, and he was very weak," Aisha told CBN hosts Emily Jones and John Doyle.
"Before I say anything I'm like, let me pray over the phone, you know, right now, you know for us."
Over the phone, Aisha prayed for them and the mending of their relationship.
"I said, 'Father, thank You for my earthly father that you've given me for everything he's provided for us and for the reconciliation of our relationship. And Lord, I ask that you put your Holy Spirit upon him right now.'"
Aisha then told her father about who Jesus is.
"Well, my Jesus loves you, He died on the cross for you, and you can spend eternity with Him. And so one day and I said do you see Christ into your life and he said, 'Yes, I do have faith,' and I was floored," she recounted.
Only Jesus Christ gives life
Host John Doyle asked Aisha what she would say to a Muslim that is doing all the right things like upholding the five pillars, praying, and fasting.
"You know, Islam fails to provide just sinners with rock solid hope for the future, and reading scripture, all throughout, you know, the Bible, God affirms us that through Jesus Christ, you will have life," she said.
"Like I did, just that simple prayer to Jesus, you know, and I've seen that with other former Muslims who came to know the Lord," she added.
"It's just that one simple prayer of 'Jesus, I don't know who you are. But if you are who you say you are you know reveal Yourself to me.' He shows up every single time," she confirmed.
At the conclusion of the interview, Aisha prayed for all Muslims who are praying and fasting throughout Ramadan, asking God to grant them dreams of Jesus and to open their hearts to welcome him.
Additionally, she prayed for all Christians to have the courage and conviction to continue reaching out to their Muslim neighbors.
"Father God, thank You that Muslims are just coming to know you," she ended her prayer.
