In a small shop on a dusty street In Pakistan, in a busy city, life and death looked each other in the face. Asfandyar was chatting to two friends in his Christian bookshop, when a young Taliban banged on the door and thrust it open. His dark eyes flashed hatred as he opened his chaddar (shawl) to reveal a suicide vest. Raising his arms he shouted, “Allahu Akbar! You are kafirs (infidels)! Today you die! Today, I die!”
The attacker, whom we will call Humla, was raised in a Pushtoon family. Like most boys, he attended daily Islamic classes, and recited his namaaz (prayers), including the words, “show us the straight path.” Muftis and imams drilled the Quran and hadith into him. Humla soaked up the doctrine of jihad—armed struggle—the sacred duty of every Muslim to rid the earth of kafirs (infidels). To disobey would classify him as a hypocrite. To please Allah, he must fulfill his obligation or face wrath on Judgement Day.
This apprehension was compounded by another fear: the angels on his right and left shoulders were recording all his good and bad deeds. At the end of life, Allah would weigh them on scales against each other to determine how long he would spend in hell. His sins greatly outweighed his prayers and good deeds, and he dreaded the consequent torment after death. The imams taught him the one and only guaranteed escape: die in jihad. Humla didn’t relish the idea, but death would come quickly, and he would be ushered straight into Paradise with waiting virgins, wine and delights.
So, Humla agreed to a special assignment: destroy the Christians’ bookshop and those sharing their faith there. Spies had surveyed the area and carefully made plans. They would strap a suicide vest onto him and conceal it under his chaddar for him to detonate. Allah would see his bloodied body and grant him instant entrance into Paradise. His family would be proud of him. Humla had no personal grievances with any Christian, but what Allah hated, he hated.
Asfandyar on the other hand, was part of the 2% Christian population, the useful minority, who in the past provided much of the manual labour to clean the city streets and drains. He grew up in a large family as a nominal Christian and became a capable street fighter. But at 18 years of age, he came to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord. A local pastor and others discipled him. Asfandyar soaked up the Bible and developed a passion to care for others and share Jesus, particularly with the house of Islam, even if it sparked persecution.
The instant Humla burst through the door, Asfandyar and his two friends froze. Humla blocked the door, the only escape route. His face red with rage, he chanted the creed. Using both hands, he opened his chaddar, revealing an unbuttoned qameez (shirt) with a bulky vest underneath. Menacingly, he said: “Look! Here’s my suicide vest. I’m going to blast this place!” Humla himself was trembling and saliva bubbled on his lips.
Asfandyar said: “Why kill us?”
Humla shouted: “You are evil! We are good. We get merit from killing you.”
Realizing Humla’s hesitation, Asfandyar seized the opportunity to inject the ‘sword of the Spirit’ into this battle and said: “Since these are our last moments, grant me a final wish. Read this. It’s God’s Word.” He pointed to a poster on the wall.
Humla sneered: “I’ve come to kill you infidels. Why should I read?”
Asfandyar said, “Just quickly, quickly. It’s about love. After that, do what you wish.”
The terrorist’s eyes flicked to the large poster. Trembling, he read aloud: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly…”
Suddenly, Humla’s phone rang. A man’s voice said: “Don’t blast them! Stop! Come out!”
Looking confused, Humla said to the three men: “This time you are saved, but I will come back. I will surely kill you. You will die!” With that he fled out the door to a car that had just pulled up beside the curb. He jumped in and they disappeared into the traffic.
Inside the shop the three men stood in shock. The awesome reality of being alive filled them. What stopped Humla? He should have detonated himself immediately.
In the days that followed, the Christians wrestled with fear versus wisdom. Should they report the incident to the police, and ask for protection? But the Muslim police would have no sympathy and order the shop to close since it was a security threat. Should they shut the shop until things were safe? Would it ever be safe? But Jesus didn’t say to wait till it was ‘safe’ to go and make disciples. He sent his disciples out as sheep amongst wolves. If Christians didn’t take the gospel, how could people be rescued from their sins and change?
Asfandyar and a few others decided to keep the shop open and not tell the police. Whether that was wise or foolish would become clear a week and a half later.
A Second Encounter
Ten days later, Asfandyar again stood in the shop with, providentially, the same two friends. One of them happened to look outside and saw that face he could never forget. He gasped: “Today, we are really going to die! He’s come back!” He dived behind the counter and lay on the floor.
Asfandyar had no special preparation to face terror that day other than his regular morning Bible reading and prayer. He knew Jesus was with him and said to his friend: “Don’t be afraid. God will do his work. I will talk to this brother.”
Humla opened the door, but this time gently. He looked slimmer and wore no chaddar. His eyes didn’t flash. Looking at the men, the shelves with books, and the Bible on the counter, he said: “You did not flee. You did not close this shop.”
Asfandyar smiled. He understood. In Humla’s worldview, terror was a weapon. His supreme prophet Muhammad, stated that he was made victorious through terror.[1] Humla recognized that fear and intimidation hadn’t closed the shop, nor stopped the Christians.
Humla continued: “I promise I will not kill you. Now, I am in great trouble. I failed in my mission and my leaders are angry. I’ve come here with great difficulty. After the failed attack I was distressed and couldn’t sleep. Many questions raced through my mind. I just couldn’t bring myself to pull the pin. I cannot go on. I tossed and turned on my bed and then had a dream. An awesome person came to me, spoke my language and said he was Jesus. He told me to seek him and follow him. Jesus is amazing. That’s why I’ve returned. I want to ask forgiveness.”
Greatly relieved, they talked about the Saviour who made the way for complete forgiveness and gives new life. Asfandyar gave him a small Injeel (New Testament). “This is God’s Word. It says much about Jesus, the one who rescued you from suicide.”
Humla’s eyes kept darting to the pedestrians walking past the shop. He said: “I’m in a hurry and have to go. I promise to never return. I will not kill you, I swear. I am afraid of what my organisation will do to me. They may kill me.”
Asfandyar said: “Do come back. We will help you.”
The new brothers prayed together and considered possible ways forward, but Humla said: “I must go now. If I die, I will go to Jesus. I want to meet him.” With that, he slipped the Injeel into his pocket, opened the door and disappeared in the crowd.
True to his word, Humla never returned. We don’t know what happened to him, but we do know Jesus called him off that road of hate and deception, and he obeyed. He entered that straight path and began following Jesus on the road of salvation that leads to eternal life.
Epilogue: A Tale of Two Fundamentalists
This was a battle between two kinds of fundamentalism: The Muslim fundamentalist, believing that killing others could win him paradise, versus the Christian fundamentalist, believing that laying down his life could lead others to heaven. There is a world of difference. One is birthed in fear and spreads fear. The other is birthed in love and spreads love. And love conquers fear.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for the treasure of Jesus. Please help us to follow him, our Good Shepherd, and not let fear shepherd us. Help us take the gospel to the house of Islam, to souls in bondage to a false god, emulating a false prophet, and obeying a false book. Please help us to be rich in your Word and full of your Holy Spirit as we proclaim the gospel, which calls slaves of Allah to become sons and daughters of Yahweh. Enable us to hold steady in the face of fear for the glory of your holy Name.
Jesus said: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
– Dorcas Denness
[1] Sahih Bukhari 4.52.220