“How much do I owe you?” Ali asked as Dr. Hadawi finished bandaging the wound on his shoulder.
Hadawi’s eyes darted toward Ali’s long beard. Then he glanced at the patient’s tired garb—the kind worn by militant fighters who camped close to the frontlines of battle in the mountains nearby.
“Nothing,” the Muslim-background believer said, smiling kindly. “You owe me nothing.”
Ali looked at him, wondering why a doctor would perform minor surgery for free.
“I’m a follower of Jesus,” Hadawi continued. “This is just one of the ways I share His love.”
The doctor often served his patients without pay. Years of instability in the remote region had stifled the local economy. Many people scraped by with little income and had no way to pay for medical bills.
Hadawi didn’t have much more than his neighbors did.
But as a follower of Jesus, he did have hope in God’s unfailing promise to provide for him. That truth freed him to serve others generously by healing them through his medical practice and sharing the eternal hope of Christ.
Hadawi didn’t always have such peace and hope. He used to feel deeply distraught over the brokenness he saw around him.
Then he met Khalil, a Muslim-background believer and evangelist coached by a Frontiers worker in another city.
Khalil was staying in Hadawi’s town for a three-month work assignment. When he asked if the doctor and his wife would like to read the Word of God, Hadawi said yes.
After several weeks of studying the Bible with Khalil, Hadawi and his wife committed to following Jesus. Immediately they gathered a small group of people to join them in reading the Word. That group grew, then it multiplied. Soon almost 30 groups were gathering in their town to study the Bible.
Ali, the militant Muslim, knew none of this when he arrived to get medical treatment. But he was curious about the doctor’s faith in Jesus and asked Hadawi to tell him more. Hadawi shared how he had discovered in God’s Word that Christ has overcome the world and all its evil.
Many other men and women in the town also believed in Jesus, Hadawi told Ali. They gathered in groups every week to study the Bible and learn more about following Christ.
“I would like to learn about Jesus,” Ali said. “Can I join one of these groups?”
Hadawi doubted that any of the groups would welcome a militant to study with them. Extremists had terrorized the region, and most townspeople were afraid of men like Ali.
So Hadawi suggested they start a brand-new group. Ali was thrilled. The two men started meeting weekly, working their way through the stories of Old Testament prophets. Then they started reading about Jesus in the gospels.
After a couple of weeks, Ali told Hadawi, “My entire life, all I’ve known is fighting, killing, and hatred. But Jesus’ words are replacing the dark fire in my heart with a different passion.” His tender eyes and gravelly voice hinted at the transformation happening in his heart.
“I don’t want to stop learning about Jesus,” Ali continued. “This is changing me.”
Ali started inviting his fellow fighters to study the Bible with him and Hadawi. The group grew, and soon it got so big it had to split.
More men have joined the groups, multiplying to nearly a dozen Bible studies made up of battle-scarred militants. Many have become baptized followers of Jesus, and the number of groups has continued to grow.
“My life of fighting and violence is now over,” Ali recently shared. Now he’s helping other fighters discover Christ, renounce violence, and embrace a new future in the Kingdom.
- Praise God for saving Ali from a life of fighting and for using him to reach others.
- Ask the Lord to raise up more Muslim-background believers who will take the Gospel to places where Christ has not yet been proclaimed.
- Join in praying that militant leaders across the Muslim world will encounter Jesus and use their influence for good.
**This account comes from a long-term field worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**
Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/a-militant-forsakes-a-life-of-violence