Guest User
Hallowe’en in the English Conversation class

Many churches with Muslim communities on their doorstep offer English language classes or English Conversation groups and find that these activities open the door to engaging with their neighbours. Find out how to use Halloween topics as a springboard to talking about Jesus.

Hallowe’en in the English Conversation class
Network update
Mahabba Network
Mawlid al-Nabi: A call to prayer

Muslims show the greatest respect to the Prophet Muhammad especially during the celebration of Mawlid al-Nabi. And that makes Mawlid a great time to talk about how important Jesus is to us, not just as a prophet, but as our Saviour. Starting a conversation can be tricky, but it’s as simple as asking ‘How will you be celebrating Mawlid?’

This month we’re sharing some ideas on how we can engage with, and pray for, our Muslim friends and colleagues.

Mawlid al-Nabi: A call to prayer
Guest User
Why should we love all Muslims?

What do you picture in your mind when you think of Muslims in the UK? Whatever the image in your mind, God tells us to love all Muslims! But what does that look like in practice?

Why should we love all Muslims?
Network update
Mahabba Network
Ramadan - A time for opportunities

The Islamic month of Ramadan runs from 10 March to 8 April this year (2024). Ramadan is a great time to start conversations with Muslim friends and colleagues and to focus on praying for Muslims in our local community and across the UK. These next few weeks are full of opportunities!

Ramadan - A time for opportunities
Network update
Mahabba Network
Eid Mubarak

Did you manage to wish your Muslim friends ‘Eid Mubarak’ (blessed Eid) as they celebrated Eid ul-Adha last weekend? You may also know of people who are undertaking the Hajj at this time. These are both great occasions for sharing stories about your faith and the Biblical take on these topics.

Eid Mubarak

Lovefast 2: Windmills of our minds

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Day 2 of 30

By Phil Simpson from the Mahabba team

Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!

If you’ve not signed up to receive the daily prompts to your inbox - see here →

Daily verse

“Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”
— Psalm 149:3-4

Thought for the day

Windmills of our minds

One part of the Turkish community in Britain is in exile due to the political situation in the country. Muslims, many of them have a Sufi influence on their faith with its emphasis on seeking a deeper spiritual awareness of God. People are keen on questioning and this includes seeking after greater knowledge from the Christian Bible. While we have much in common, seeing Jesus as the source of salvation is a fundamental point of difference to discuss.

Our group has met many times during the last two years to discuss the lives of prophets, consider issues of concern such as 'fasting', 'hospitality', 'education' using passages from the Bible and the Qur'an. We are not theologians, so we all share from our understanding and experiences. As a result we have had some deep discussions about difficult issues and all of us have learnt a lot. Turkish / Middle Eastern culture brings fresh perspectives on biblical passages and meaning. Christians bring a fresh expression of God as merciful and in essence love.

Recently, friends from another town have joined us and if we grow much larger we will have to split into smaller groups!

Alongside our monthly meetings we join together to share in each other's festivals. They have given us opportunities to explain more about the significance of Christmas and Easter, as well as learning about Ramadan and Eid.

Prayer for the day

Pray for Turkish people uprooted and now living in the UK and for the situation in Turkey especially the social stress due to the conflict in Syria. Give thanks to God that so many want to engage in the community and want to learn and share their experiences. Pray for Christians to be welcoming towards others.

Daily action

Please note: actions were written before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult the latest advice from your local public health authority or government and adhere to any current restrictions on travel or social situations.

Look for further opportunities for meeting others to discuss faith issues and for Jesus to be revealed through Scripture.

Your turn

Let us know how it went! Leave a comment on our online community platform, Discourse, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media.

Resources

Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?

There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:

  • Pray Together as a Congregation

  • Small Group Session

  • Night of Power Prayer Meeting

  • Prayer Walk Guide

What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.

Partners of 30 Days of Prayer

Lovefast 1: People movements

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Day 1 of 30

By Steve Bell from the Mahabba team

Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!

If you’ve not signed up to receive the daily prompts to your inbox - see here →

Daily verse

“Jesus called [his disciples] over to him and began to speak in parables: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand”
— Mark 3:23-25

Thought for the day

God moves in ‘people movements’

A ‘people movement’ has been defined as either 1000 baptisms or 100 congregations planted over a 20-year period. (*) To date, such movements have been identified in an estimated 29 out of the 49 Muslim nations. This indicates an estimated 2 to 7 million believers. Clearly God is moving within ‘people movements’ and the movements have emerged in parallel with global prayer initiatives such as the 30 Days of Prayer.

The Arabic word “ittahariq” means to ‘move with’ and many Muslims naturally ‘move’ with a movement; just like Christianity’s 21,000 denominations. (**) A helpful way to characterise a local church is to ask which Bible Week they promote. British Muslims are also characterised by their preferred ‘movement’. These include Sunni, Shi’a, Sufi or Ahmaddi; and can be ‘traditional’, ‘progressive’ or ‘Islamist’. Each have their own preferred teachers and spokes people. We can research who the key Muslim voices are – nationally and locally – and pray for them and those who follow them.

While some Christians embrace Paul’s description of being one ‘body’ with a common purpose (1 Corinthians 12:12), some Muslims can look like ‘a house divided against itself, which cannot stand’ (Mk.3:23-25).

(*) David Garrison, A wind in the house of Islam
(**) Dr David Garrett, Encyclopaedia of Christianity (OUP, 1982)

Prayer for the day

‘Father God, thank you for your involvement in the affairs of people in the Muslim communities of Britain. We ask that nothing will resist the access of your Holy Spirit to the various groupings of British Muslims. As you did with the Apostle Paul, please arrest key people of influence who influence the thinking of people in British Muslim communities. In Jesus’ name we pray - AMEN

Daily action

Please note: actions were written before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult the latest advice from your local public health authority or government and adhere to any current restrictions on travel or social situations.

Think of ways of finding out what the groupings of Muslims are in your area and the recognised voices of influence.

Your turn

Let us know how it went! Leave a comment on Discourse, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media.

Resources

Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?

There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:

  • Pray Together as a Congregation

  • Small Group Session

  • Night of Power Prayer Meeting

  • Prayer Walk Guide

What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.

Partners of 30 Days of Prayer

Lovefast 0: Welcome

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Day 0 of 30

By Phil Simpson from the Mahabba team

Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!

If you’ve not signed up to receive the daily prompts to your inbox - see here →

Daily verse

“Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning…”
— Joel 2:12

Thought for the day

Introducing Lovefast

The overall theme for this years 30 days of prayer is people groups 30 days represents an opportunity to pray for Unreached people around the world.

And there seems to be a direct link between this global prayer movement and the rise in interest of followers of Jesus within the house of Islam

LoveFast is about rooting this to our experience in UK. We will be looking at the same themes, but applied to Muslims in Britain

The 30 days of Ramadan are a great opportunity to meet Muslims friends as they are desperately seeking Allah, as they fast and pray to draw nearer to God

You can sympathise as they take ‘nil by mouth’ - no food or drink from sunrise to sunset, and then the joy of breaking their fast with dates and an Iftar meal

You may be invited to an Iftar meal yourself at a local mosque, or an event run as part of the Big Iftar, but use this opportunity to reach out to your Muslim friends

Prayer for the day

Let this quote inspire you and turn it into a prayer:

“We are in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in 14 centuries of Muslim-Christian interaction. More than 80% of all the Muslim movements to Christ in history have occurred in the past two to three decades, a time period that coincides with the modern prayer movement for Muslims. At the heart of this modern prayer movement is '30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.' Come, join us, and be a part of shaping salvation history!" David Garrison, author of A Wind in the House of Islam

Daily action

Please note: actions were written before the COVID-19 pandemic. Please consult the latest advice from your local public health authority or government and adhere to any current restrictions on travel or social situations.

If you want to you can read a lot more about movements to Christ among Muslims here.

Activity

Your turn

Let us know how it went! Leave a comment on Discourse, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media.

Resources

Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?

There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:

  • Pray Together as a Congregation

  • Small Group Session

  • Night of Power Prayer Meeting

  • Prayer Walk Guide

What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.

Partners of 30 Days of Prayer

Lovefast -1: Introducing Lovefast

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Day -1 of 30

By Phil Simpson from Mahabba’s Network Circle team

Introducing Lovefast, based on the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!

If you’ve not signed up to receive the daily prompts to your inbox - see here →

Daily verse

“So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”
— Hosea 12:6

Thought for the day

Introducing Lovefast

Lovefast 2020 starts on 24 April 2020, again alongside the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World initiative.

Every year, following the lunar calendar, Muslims around the world fast and pray, earnestly seeking revelation from God and to become closer to him - this is the holy month of Ramadan.

Since 2014, Mahabba has run a prayer initiative to help Christians engage with Ramadan positively in prayer and action.

The aim of Lovefast is to couple prayer with action; that Jesus be unveiled to Muslims through practical acts of kindness by Christians in their communities.

The campaign is designed to complement and run alongside the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World booklet. It was inspired by Stewardship’s 40Acts challenge during Lent.

Join us again for prayer, action and encouragement in 2020 from 24 April to 23 May.

Prayer for the day

Make a list of your Muslim contacts(Taxi-driver, doctor, local mum etc) and friends to pray for over the next 30 days Join in praying for them during LoveFast and share your story like this previous participant:

Lovefast has helped me to notice more Muslims in the crowd each day and I have felt prompted to pray for them during Ramadan. It’s great to be part of a community of people who are reaching out with God’s love and praying together. The daily email helped me not to forget! I have learned a lot more about Islam, and think more people should know about Lovefast!

Daily action

If you’ve not done so already, order your booklet from 30 Days of Prayer and sign up to Mahabba’s Lovefast, so we can pray and act together as a Network for our Muslim friends.

Each day of Ramadan you will receive a short ‘thought for the day’ directly in your inbox. This will also contain ways to pray for Muslims and engage practically.

Once you’re done, share your interactions on social media!

Your turn

Let us know how it went! Leave a comment below, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources

Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?

There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:

  • Pray Together as a Congregation

  • Small Group Session

  • Night of Power Prayer Meeting

  • Prayer Walk Guide

What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.

Partners of 30 Days of Prayer

What's love got to do (with Muslims)?

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What does love mean (when it comes to our attitude towards Muslims)?

I grew up as a Muslim, in Kashmir where I lived with my parents. Ours was not a particularly religious world. Very few people in our village went to the mosque or followed some of the other duties expected of them by their religion. My father, however, was known as a religious man. He was my role model, so I tried to follow his example as I grew up.

He used to say to us that one’s religion was worthless if it did not benefit the needy. Slowly I began to understand what this meant. Ours was a welcoming and hospitable household. I could see that if people were hungry or thirsty or needed advice they would come to us. On occasions I saw my parents loan money to people (I am convinced some of it was not repaid).

After being sent to England, I moved away from my Kashmiri culture and my religion (the two were indistinguishable for me).

A Muslim Facebook friend recently posted that he had learnt about love from the Christians. It was the same for me. I could see the Christians I encountered were different from the other white people. Based on what I observed in them (and only that), after many years of little or no religious belief I was slowly drawn, and converted, to Christianity. As a follower of Jesus, I learnt that Love was a command in the Bible. We are told to ‘Love your Neighbour’. Jesus used the example of the Samaritans (a despised group) in order to explain what it meant. If he was telling that story now in the British context, it is likely he would use Muslims as the despised community, instead of the Samaritans.

The Bible also teaches us to love our enemies and pray for them; a very countercultural message indeed. There are plenty in our society (including some Christians sadly) who see the Muslims as an enemy. We are also taught not to oppress our neighbour (Exodus 23:9; Zechariah 7:10) . When it comes to Muslims in our society, many are oppressed and disadvantaged.

Many Muslims are immigrants, and even more are treated as such even when they are second or third generation British. We know that they are equally created in God’s image, and he would want us to welcome them and love them.

The Anglican report Faith in the City pointed out that many of us are willing to help individual victims of oppression, but fewer of us are willing to rectify injustices in the structures of society. This is because the former is easier. There is little risk involved.

But to be a protagonist of social change may involve challenging those in power and risking the loss of one’;s own power. Helping a victim or sufferer seldom involves conflict; working for structural change can hardly avoid it. Direct personal assistance to an individual may seem relatively straightforward, uncontroversial and rewarding; involvement in social issues implies choosing between complicated alternatives and accepting compromises which seem remote from any moral position.

And yet the Bible teaches us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and execute justice for the immigrant (Deuteronomy 10:18). ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’ (Jn.3:16). How far does our love extend when it comes to Muslims in our society?

Refreshed vision, renewed expectation

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Refreshed vision, renewed expectation

October update

Last year many of us contributed to a review of the Mahabba vision, seeking greater clarity and focus for the Network. In summary Mahabba, wherever it’s found, exists

‘to see ministry among people of Muslim heritage become a normal part of church life – it is a relational network encouraging prayer, enabling all Christians, envisioning the Christian community and engaging with Muslims’.

Work is continuing putting flesh on the bones of these words and this is a good time to expand on the vision and hear more from the network about how it is being worked out in practice.

Ministry among Muslims a normal part of church life – this is the vision, the picture of the future, we’re looking to, believing and working for. One church leader puts it like this:

“If you’d told me eight years ago that one day almost a quarter of our congregation would be people from a Muslim heritage, I’d have laughed in disbelief. Back in 2011 we took a risk. Having planted a small intercultural church in the city centre, we felt God leading us to bring the plant back into the sending church. We were joined by some returning missionaries and, with their help, the tiny handful of believers from a Muslim background began to grow.

Not everyone in our predominately white, middle class, congregation was enthusiastic about the changes. You might be greeted at the door with a warm Afghani handshake, or served coffee by a smiling group of Kurdish young men. Occasionally we would include a song from Iran in our worship. However, we were convinced that we were on a journey that reflected the heart of God. We taught from the books of Ruth and Acts about the importance of welcoming foreigners into God’s household. We listened month by month to baptism testimonies telling how Jesus is drawing people from the middle east to himself through dreams, visions and miracles. Gradually God has softened our hearts and deep cross-cultural friendships have developed.

There’s still a way for us to go, but as a church we’re not only beginning to reflect the diversity of the city around us; we’re also beginning to taste the rich cultural blend of the heavenly Jerusalem.”

Could you pause and pray now for a local church you know - that they will set out on that journey of prayer, welcome, bridge building, friendship and disciple-making. In the coming months these Network Updates will continue to unpack more of the vision.

Please share your thoughts, experiences or expectations on the Discourse discussion thread below or add a comment below.

May God give us renewed expectation as we catch more of his heart and journey together.

N.B. requires account to sign on - see here for more details

Phil is a member of the Dashboard Circle team, with a particular focus on national development.

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