Ted Bearup
Islamophobia Day

March 15 is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, designated by the UN to honour the victims of the 2019 terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Islamophobia Day
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Ramadan: Asking Questions

Find out how questions can help engage our Muslim friends in gospel conversations during Ramadan, but they must come from a heart of compassion and love.

Ramadan: Asking Questions
Vlogs
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Ramadan: A Time of Opportunity

The Islamic month of Ramadan is a time of opportunity to start conversations with Muslim friends and colleagues.

Ramadan: A Time of Opportunity
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
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A Halal Christmas

A network member writes about a Christmas time when they invited a group of Muslims to their home.

A Halal Christmas

Lovefast 6: "Watch out for Wahabis"

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Day 6 of 30

By Ted Bearup 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

“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:16

Thought for the day

"Watch out for Wahabis"

We have ten mosques or more where I live, but if I talk to my Muslim friends about mosques they say “Watch out for that one. They are Wahabis.” The guys who meet there reject the title and call themselves Salafis. They are the guys who reject centuries of Islamic scholarship and say real Islam is only to be found amongst the very first Muslims. Others have added or taken away stuff, they say, you have to get back to the founders.

Such talk sounds scary. Didn’t it all start with war and barbarity? The imam of that mosque is someone I regard as a friend. I don’t see him very often but when I do, it is always a pleasure. He appreciates the freedom he has in the West and denounces terrorism at every opportunity.

Many years ago, I led a Wahabi to Christ. He had left the ways of his fathers and joined the Wahabis in search of truth. What he read in the Quran prompted him to read the Bible and came to Christ. Already used to verbal abuse, rejection and persecution, he was a great help to other believers. Let's watch out for Wahabis.

Prayer for the day

Help us Lord to watch out for these who would do harm and to pray for our enemies; Help us to watch and pray that we do not enter into similar temptations to judge others and Help us watch out for one another in Love... that we would all be able to follow you as disciples...

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may I know thee more clearly,
love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester

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.

Find out about the mosques in your area - Choose one ... See if they have a website. Get their address. Go and have a look-see. Pray for those who are praying there. Be friendly. See if you can start a conversation with someone who attends. Take it from there.....
https://www.visitmymosque.org/find-my-mosque/
https://www.halaltrip.com/find-mosques-near-me/
https://mosques.muslimsinbritain.org

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 5: Ultra Islam

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Day 5 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

“Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples…who he took as prisoners…As he neared Damascus…suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”. Saul asked, “Who are you Lord?”; “I am Jesus who you are persecuting.”
— Acts 9:1-5

Thought for the day

Ultra Islam

‘Wahabbism’ is an Islamic ‘movement’ that was founded by the Saudi Qur’anic scholar, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It is an ultra-conservative doctrine, which is puritanical and often linked with Islamist ideology.

The Wahabbi movement has a disproportionate influence. This is due to the fact that it is endorsed by the Saudi royal family as the religion of state. Oil-money is made available to propagate this strict form of Islam worldwide; this includes scholarships for Muslims to study in Saudi Arabia, funding for the worldwide building of mosques, subsidising of the publication of the Qur’an, funding Muslim missionaries and propagation of literature and online material. There is also a lot of evidence of Wahabbi influence in the more devout and radical elements of the Muslim community in Britain, which it is propagated by assertive Muslims.

Wahabbi doctrine is a significant driver, which is causing the internet-savvy younger generation of Muslims to reject it. They see it as ‘backward-looking’, which aspires to return to a perceived ‘golden age’ of Islam, rather than being relevant to the present and future.

Prayer for the day

‘Father, thank you for your authority in the spiritual realm and that you are at work at the heart of human movements and ideology, such as Wahabbism. We recognise your loving interest in the most strident of religionists and ask you to intervene in the hearts and minds of the most prominent Sheikhs, Mullahs, Imams and speakers. Do among them, what you did for Saul of Tarsus we pray. 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.

Research and read more on Wahhabism in UK. For example, this article from 2017 https://www.theweek.co.uk/87832/wahhabism-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter. Check in your own heart and mind, whether you are ‘in faith’ (or not) that God is both able and willing to arrest radical Muslims as he did Saul of Tarsus.

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 4: Ebb & flow

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Day 4 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

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the [Nubian] woman he had married: for he had married a [Nubian] woman.”
— Numbers 12:1

Thought for the day

Ebb & flow

As well as ‘movements’ of Muslims who choose to follow Christ, God is involved in the social movements of Muslim communities.

A classic example is the ‘ebb’ and ‘flow’ of the gospel history of this tall and slender Nubian people.

Things ‘flowed’ when Nubians embraced Christianity to form one of the early African churches.

Things ‘ebbed’ after the arrival of Islam, which caused Nubian Christians to shrink to just 1% of the 2 million-strong people group today.

Things ‘flowed’ (a little) as some explore Sufism in search of a personal experience of God, making them more receptive to the gospel.

Things have ‘ebbed’ again as thousands of Nubians seek work in the Gulf States to help provide for their families back home, become exposed to ultra-conservative Wahhabi Islam, making them more resistant to the good news about Jesus.

Prayer for the day

Father, thank you for your unseen involvement with Nubians throughout their history. While some are racist against them, they are still a nation on your heart. Cause them to be on the heart of others. As their lives are intertwined with the people of Upper Egypt, please call Egyptian believers to reach out to them. Although fewer Nubians come to Britain, would you follow them when in diaspora in the Middle East and also in the territory of Nubia. 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.

Check out Nubians in the book Operation World or equivalent or else online. What was Nubia called in Bible times and see if there are any promises which include them.

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 3: Influential Muslims

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Day 3 of 30

By Ted Bearup 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

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
— John 17:3

Thought for the day

Influential Muslims

Each year, a body with Jordanian royal sponsorship publishes a list of the most influential 500 Muslims and ranks them in order, ‘Top of the Pops’ style. The top 20 positions are dominated by kings, presidents and heads Islamic bodies numbering millions, but in among them, at number 9 in the world, is the director of a school in Yemen.

His name is Habib Umar bin Hafiz. His school attracts people in from all over the world to learn Sufi Islam. Habib Umar and his associates reach out across the world via the internet. I know a band of his followers who meet weekly in a large room over the dry cleaners ten minutes’ walk from my home.

They meet each week to recite a liturgy that celebrates the birth of Muhammad, to sing and to eat together. They seek to raise their awareness of God through meditation and recitation. They are part of a lively and growing network across the UK, seeking a deeper life. Pray for these men and women as they search after God that they might find him.

Prayer for the day

I am in the House of Mercy, and my heart is a place of prayer - Jelaluddin Rumi


A person is where their heart is…so be sure to place your heart accordingly - Habib Umar bin Hafiz


Pray for Sufis, men and women, as they search after God that they might find him, perhaps in a way they did not quite expect…

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.

Read up about Sufis - you can read about Habib Umar here (http://www.ghazali.se/artiklar/personligheter-i-islam/shaykh-al-habib-umar-bin-hafiz/) including his direct line from the prophet (his religious pedigree)
Watch this video on many shades of Islam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KmlI0bb_H4

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 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?

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