Hassan’s adherence to Islam was so fanatical that he named one of his sons after Osama bin Laden.
Growing up in the Middle East in a radical Islamic family, Hassan decided to study Islamic law. His scholarly aptitude led him to become a lawyer and a mullah (a mosque leader and teacher). Eventually, Hassan rose to the position of a government educator responsible for training all of the mullahs in his region while also serving as a professor at an Islamic university. Hassan also trained young men and encouraged them to join the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS).
But despite his zeal for Islam, Hassan began to question the validity of the Quran. “I started reading the Old Testament and the New Testament,” he said, “and I started seeing there were better things than what we had. There were clear mistakes in the Quran.” The more inconsistencies Hassan found, the more his trust in Islam was shaken.
Hassan’s career came to a dramatic end when he was asked to give two lectures. The first lecture was on how Islam honors women. The second was about the early military advances of Islam. Hassan could not present Islam in a positive light and was immediately fired.
He studied many other religions after he could no longer accept Islam. Then he stumbled across the JESUS film airing on a Christian satellite television station, and he watched the Crucifixion and became emotional. “I turned it off and started talking to God,” he said.
“Why is it taking me years and years of looking for you?” he asked God. “I wasted my time and my life worshiping the wrong god. Why did you let me do all those things?”
“I don’t know what happened,” Hassan said, “but I felt the presence of God. A strange power I can feel, but I can’t see it. But at the same time, it is comforting.”
For the first time, Hassan was open to the possibility of Jesus being his God. He says God gave him great comfort in Christianity being the true religion.
After his dramatic prayer time, Hassan looked for a Christian leader who could help him come to know the true God. Soon he was receiving discipleship training and sharing his faith with others.
With his extensive knowledge of Islam, Hassan became an effective evangelist to Muslims. He met regularly with other Muslims to share his new understanding of Christ. Many came to know Christ through his witness.
As Hassan’s religious convictions became known in the predominantly Muslim area where he lived, he began to receive anonymous threats. At first, they were posted online. “We must kill him!” they posted. “He is an infidel! He left Islam! He is a Christian!”
Eventually the police learned of a credible threat to kill Hassan, who was advised that his family should flee immediately, and they did.
Since becoming a Christian, Hassan has helped lead more than 20 members of his extended family to Christ. The global body of Christ has provided a new home for Hassan’s family in a different town and helped Hassan receive training in a new line of work.
Hassan and his wife request prayer for their children, who also must live their faith mostly in secret. They wonder how their children will marry in a country where it’s illegal for people who are born as Muslims to take spouses outside of Islam.
But now that Hassan and his family have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, they will continue to trust in his protection as they work to tell others about the Incarnate God who came to earth to set them free.