Hospitality is a matter of honor, life, and death throughout much of the Muslim world.

Frontiers workers new to the field quickly discover just how important it is to visit their Muslim neighbors and friends. “Failing to visit your neighbors means that you don’t respect or honor them,” says Robert, a long-term field worker in East Africa.

“In the United States, it’s rude and inconsiderate to visit someone without asking in advance,” Robert continues. “But here in Africa, it’s considered rude not to visit—regardless of whether you have asked beforehand or not.”

Robert lives in a community where the doors are always left open for visitors. Guests may simply walk in unannounced, knowing they will always be welcomed in and served a cup of tea. Hosts feel greatly honored by the opportunity to serve their guests.

This indiscriminate code of hospitality might be traced to the harsh realities of life in the desert. An open door policy assures that any person, even an enemy, can show up and be provided food, water, and a place to rest for up to three days—no questions asked.

This code has saved the lives of countless people who have found themselves wandering through the hot, waterless expanses of the desert.

Regular visits to neighbors also provide a way for communities to look out for one another.

“I’ve learned that neighbors are supposed to greet each other every day,” Robert says. “This is not just about being friendly. It’s also so that they know you are alive and well. Death and sickness are daily realities here, and neighbors are supposed to check in on one another.”

“But when we visit, we may not actually spend much time talking together,” Robert adds. “If the host has electricity, the most social thing we do is watch television together. Indian soap operas are especially popular.”

“The most important thing,” he says, “is just spending time together. That’s how my friends and neighbors know that I value and respect them.”

• Praise God for open doors of friendship and hospitality found in many Muslim cultures.
• Pray for Frontiers field workers to continue eagerly entering the lives of their Muslim friends and honoring them with their time.
• Ask the Lord to open the doors into Muslims’ hearts—for “what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Isaiah 22:22 NIV).

**Names and places have been changed for security.**

Original article: https://www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/the-desert-honor-code