Visit to a Mosque by David Crane

This visit started from a long professional relationship and personal friendship with a, Muslim man named Farid. Our friendship has caused each of us to try to save the other. Upon my diagnosis of ALS, I began my effort anew to try to reach him with the Gospel, and he, in a sincere act of compassion, offered to pray for me. My efforts have been prayer, arguments against Islam, and information that proves the Bible is true. Much of this is via email. Nothing has worked.

At work I have often said since my diagnosis that my coworkers are invited to come to my church, but please come before my funeral. This may seem extreme, but I felt it was warranted as my disease is advancing rapidly. After my last bout with this disease, whereupon I chose to be ventilated rather than die, a group of my fellow employees and friends did come to my church, and Farid was one of them. It was a real blessing to see him in my church, and although he had to leave early, I know the bible readings always do some good. Isaiah 55:8-11 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

After this, I wrote a letter to Farid reminding him of our long history and my desire for us to discuss our faiths, and that unless we determine which of our faiths is true, one of us is going to hell. I told him I cannot stand the thought of him not going to heaven, and that I was sure he felt the same about me. To renew this dialog, I requested to go to his Mosque. I promised to respect their customs. Almost immediately, Farid invited me to his Mosque, on the upcoming Friday night, when it was their custom to have a dinner between prayer times and a final lecture.

I was a bit nervous about this so I emailed Pastor Baidaoui for advice, and was surprised at the immediate response that he would go with me! Part of my nervousness is that I cannot speak any more due to the progression of my disease. I had planned to take a tablet to write my conversations for them to read. Having Pastor Karim with me made that situation very comfortable. When the day came, Pastor Karim came to my house and we visited and prayed before we traveled to Fort Worth. NIV 1 Corinthians 2:1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

We walked in to the Mosque and sat down at a table. It was just before dinner was to be served. Soon after, Farid met us, and graciously introduced us to his friends and gave us a quick tour. Everyone was friendly and we felt comfortable, except for the obvious contradictions between our faiths that we were cautious about.

When we met the Imam, he asked us in to his office, along with Farid and his friends. Pastor Karim had some good questions concerning sin and their belief that they are not ever sure if they are saved. Romans 3:22-23 There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We talked of our belief in original sin contrasted with their belief of being born without sin. I referenced Psalm 51 where King David states that he sinned against God and was sinful since conception. The Imam corrected me saying that David was a prophet, therefore did not sin like all other prophets in the Quran. He explained that the Bible has many errors, and that is one of them. This shocked me, and we agreed to disagree on this. Pastor Karim continued with some hard questions to the Imam, in a kind way, and did raise some doubt about whether a man could do enough good deeds to make up for his sins. This kind dialog despite our differences made this meeting a success. Even Farid agreed later by email, that this was a good start for a dialog.


When it was prayer time, we discontinued our discussion and were allowed in the men’s prayer room, and witnessed their practice of prayer. Pastor Karim and I sat in the back and prayed in the name of Jesus as we had planned all along. At least one prayer was answered in the mosque that night.

I invited Pastor Karim over after the visit, and we had a kind of debriefing, with Pastor Karim emphasizing Eph 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace, and not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Pastor Karim also gave me books which are giving me very good advice on how to reach Muslims with the Gospel. Pastor Karim led my son and I in prayer before he departed, quite late. It was one of those experiences that you just can't stop thanking the Lord for or stop talking about

Don’t wait until God get’s your attention with a terrible disease. Let us be faithful to the Great commission and faithfully pray for our Muslim neighbors. May the Lord bless your effort in the Gospel to save one that many of 1.3 billion Muslim may be saved.

David Crane,
An ambassador for Christ to Muslims