Transcript: Muslim Terrorist Confronts God: A Life-Changing Encounter with Jesus

I was born in the southern part of Iran, in a city called Abadan, born in a Muslim family, Shiite Muslim family. My grandfather was a Muslim leader, and he had 19 children, and out of 19 children, he had 84 grandchildren. And obviously he had to choose one to carry the spiritual pattern of the life and the teachings for the next generation. He asked, obviously there had been some things that, some things had happened, some accidents that I should have been killed. But every single time before danger was coming toward me, I saw the silhouette of a person that always was there. And I spoke of it openly to others. And my grandfather took that sign, obviously, that the spiritual leaders of Islam are looking over this boy and protecting him. So he gave me very close attention and he taught me all the things I knew about Islam. I joined Hezbollah. I was in that army for about three years. I was studying Quran extensively then. My grandfather actually sowed this seed in my heart that I should share Islam with the poor misled Christians that have gone astray. And obviously remind and be a spiritual leader to our family outside Iran. I traveled to Malaysia where I was caught with 30 illegal passports, put in prison. and so I started teaching Islam in a jail and telling everybody what they must do what are their duties toward Allah and so I did this routine every day I prayed obviously five times a day Shiites do pray three times and they include the 17 raka'ah in three times But what I did, because I wanted to spend more time with God, I did it at five separate times. And then in the end of the evening, I would pray extra prayers. I would have the habit of reading through the Quran cover to cover once every ten days. And I had gained the spiritual power out of Islam. And the Quran, they have the Ajannah, the spiritual beings. And so speaking to them is not forbidden. In fact, there are stories talking to them that Prophet Muhammad did. So I had been able to connect to that spiritual realm and been able to acquire powers out of them. And so I was able to pray for people, especially when someone hurt them or someone did something to them, they would come to me and they would ask me to set a prayer. and immediately that person would get sick, have an accident, this kind of things, you know. I was able to close my eyes, tell you what a person is doing in another room. And so this had made me more power hungry. And I wanted to gain more power. So I would spend and meditate more in the Quran. And so as I was doing that one night, I just was meditating in the verses. And there are words in the Quran that are repeated continually, repeatedly, but they have no meanings. They are the secrets of Quran. And so when I was meditating on this, a spirit entered the room. And it was much more powerful than I could handle, I could overcome. And so I was filled with fear. And so I tried using all the tools Islam had given me. In the name of Allah, I command you to leave, you know. Satan, I will be with you, kind of things. And I used all those, and nothing was helping. At that moment, I was totally desperate, and I felt like it is choking me, choking the life out of me. And I felt like I'm dying in that cell. And I just cried out to the heavens and I said, God in Farsi Chodah, help me. And immediately I heard a voice, just as clear as you hear my voice today, saying, bring the name of Jesus. And at that moment, I really seriously did not give it one second of thought. I just was I feel like going back I was drowning and a man that is drowning you throw a rope they would never question you about the color of the rope Just grab on. And so I did. I said, Jesus, if you are true, show me yourself. And to this day, I have no idea. Obviously, going back, I'm thinking, why did you word it that way? Why don't you just say, Jesus, help me? I don't know why. But that's the way it came out. And before I was finished with the sentence, everything was back to normal. Now that was not my conversion. That was the beginning of my confusion. Why would Jesus help a Muslim? Now I had done everything in my power to be a good Muslim. I had already tried to go and commit myself in the way of Allah and be a martyr for him, you know, walking on the mines. And so the government of Iran is used to issue the people that are Fadai or the ones that are willing to give themselves, to sacrifice themselves, a special Quran that had the stamp of the government. I had participated in the executions by hanging. I had done everything that I thought I must do against the infidels and anything and everything I must do to share Allah with others. So I knew that something is wrong. And that was not because I doubted Allah or doubted Islam or anything. I fully believed and I didn't know what that is. And it just confused me. And so I tried to just forget about it. But that question, why would Jesus help a Muslim? Why would Jesus help a Muslim? That would just keep coming at me. I believe in Muhammad, the last prophet I would think. In the perfect religion, why would Jesus come to help me? And so that two weeks period, I just got really confused. And I said, okay, I'm going to pray and fast and ask God himself to show me the path. Obviously I thought at that moment And there are verses and things taught in the Quran That says the ways of Allah are many And no matter what part and what part of the mountain you climb You always come to the same mountain top And I thought maybe that is what God is And then no maybe it is different for God Maybe God has a specific way for me And he wants me to follow that specific way So I thought I will never find out unless I asked this question. So I did. I prayed and fasted and from the bottom of my heart with all my strength I asked, God what is it that you want me to do? What way is it that you want me to follow? And so for two weeks I sat in one place and I prayed as many hours as I was awake and I fasted as many hours as I was awake and I would just fall asleep literally on that place. I would wake up and I would just pray again and again asking God, what is the way you want me? After two weeks to no avail, I had no answer. And I really got frustrated. I just thought, forget it, you know, what is this? I have no chance of finding out what He wants. I don't even know if God exists. And I have wasted all my life. I have been afraid all my life, you know, trying to do everything that would please Allah. And now He confuses me. If Allah is all great and He sees the heart, He knew in my heart I love Him. And what matters if I call Him whatever name I call Him, He knows in my heart I love Him. and if it does matter to him, I ask him for two weeks, I sat, prayed and nothing happens. So, you know what? I'm going to go do my own thing. I'm going to go walk my own path. I'm going to do what pleases me. Obviously at that very moment I felt the power of God filled the room. Now in Islam, the greatest sin you can commit and you can never be forgiven for that is doubting God himself. Doubting his teachings, doubting his prophet And I had done that And in Islam they teach you that Allah never visits God never visits human beings I feel and I know against Islam I have committed The greatest sin that can never be forgiven God's presence is in the room And I'm confronted immediately with his holiness All this is happening simultaneously And I confronted with His Holiness Which puts this weight of sin upon me And I know I know that because He is just He must kill me He must wipe me off the face of the earth, because I am so full of sin. And I cried, because I literally didn't want to die. But I knew there was no chance. He was so holy and I was so wicked So I just ran to the corner of the room And I held my head in my arms And I just cried out God forgive me, God forgive me, God forgive me And I just said forgive me, forgive me, forgive me And as I was crying and just saying forgive me I felt a touch on my shoulder saying I forgive you And the very instant those words were spoken I physically felt forgiven And I couldn't understand it I said, wait a minute We say, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim In the name of God who is merciful and gracious But we don't know if you are forgiven till the day of judgment That is why there is not one single verse in the Quran That says Muhammad is in the heaven He must wait like all people for the day of Tiyama, the day of resurrection, and all shall be judged on that day. So, how is it that, who is this God that says, I forgive you and I feel forgiven today? And I asked, I said, who are you? They can forgive me and I feel forgiven today. And he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. The moment I heard those words, I knew it's of great importance, but I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I still had no clue who this God is. So I asked him, what is your name? Jesus Christ, the living God, he answered. And the moment he spoke those words, It was as if every single bone was taken out of my body and I just fell on my face to the ground and I started weeping in the presence of God. I just wept. I still can't, 18 years have gone by, but I still can't forget His love, His mercy, and all the, I can't forget what is for me that day. and he just forgive you I felt forgiven I fell on my knees I just wept because for many years I had tried to please God but nothing I thought was pleasing to God nothing I thought it wasn't even the great God that I had known I felt so deceived because they told me this is God and He wasn't God. They told me, Kotevufi sabi lalala, killing the way of Allah. And then, if God says love in the way of me, forgive in the way of me, I give us everything, my heart, I just said, yes, this is the truth of God. God is about forgiveness. God is about love. So I went for two hours, and I just stood at his feet, and he just said, actually, look up. At the moment I looked up, I saw this. It was like a TV screen of some sort. I just saw people from all different generations and all different nationalities and backgrounds. And every single person I saw, I could see every single wrong thing they have done. And that overwhelmed me. I just cried and said, God, I live among all these peoples. All of them are sinners. And he says, Afshin, how easy did I forgive you? And I said, very easy. In Farsi we say, as easy as drinking water. And then just moments after that I said, no, no, no, no, no. Even easier than drinking water He says as easy as I have forgiven you I can forgive them Who is going to tell them I said send me a Bible He says go That how I became a Christian So I prayed, God, send me a Bible. In jail, somebody from some other section just walked up to me and gave me a book and says, this is what you asked for. And he was in his Indian background and I spoke Urdu and Hindi completely so when he gave it to me I knew it is the Bible I forgot to thank you God I said God I prayed last night and you gave it to me this morning it is so wonderful you are the mighty God that Jesus spoken of and you provide so quickly That is the living word of God. I tell you this. I share my testimony so people hear about this almighty God. I don't expect anybody to become a Christian because of my testimony. My testimony is only good for me. I want people to understand this. This is the story of Almighty God That is all able And that is searching for all seeking hearts That loves all humanity With all His strength and power If someone hears my testimony today I really like them to just say Okay, God of heaven, the creator of everything If this is true I want that And I assure you I can guarantee you That mighty God That came and touched And changed my life And totally forgive Everything I have done And He made me sure That I can be in heaven with Him He can assure them Of the same assurance And He can let them taste Of the same forgiveness and same love and that is who Jesus Christ is may glory be to him today and forever more Amen my suggestion to a Muslim man or a woman is I know that as is Jesus Christ God can a human being become God of course never no human being can become God. But I believe even as a Muslim in a almighty God. God the great God that can do anything and everything. But can a God, this great God become man can he show himself in the body of a man yes he can and so as Christians we do not say Jesus Christ is the son of a God because God had a child no no no but God showed himself in the body of Jesus Christ to all humanity I dare anybody if they ask Jesus Christ with the heart that is right and God knows we cannot test God we cannot question God but we can ask God We can ask God with humble beings that we are. Saying, God Almighty, I have a family member that is sick. I have someone that is really, really in need of healing. I have questions. I have a broken heart. I am filled with depression and no doctors can help me. I have no hope. I feel like I have no peace. If you ask, is there hope in Jesus for me? Is there healing in the name of Jesus for me? Is there healing for my family member? Do you mean some kind of salvation from that depression? Ask in the name of Jesus. you will receive it because He is the Almighty God you test you will see and that is who God is