In the title of your thready you say "I am trying to convert a Muslim". The first thing you need to realize is that you can't convert anyone. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to do that.
But it is good to at least try to show them that Muhammad was not a good person.
I could use some Quran verses and Hadiths showing how immoral and bonkers Islam is.
I kinda gave up on debating this guy. So I showed him some links that debunk Islam and passages that call into question the integrity of Islam.
We are told to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). We can show love towards God by faithfully sharing the gospel, and we can show love to our Muslim neighbors by showing them respect.
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and respect; (1 Peter 3:15)
When discussing Islam with a Muslim, don’t criticize their religion, Muslims, or Muhammed. Our aim is not to condemn, insult, or embarrass Muslims, but to love, respect, and accept them. A Christian is a representative of Jesus Christ and we should respect Muslims' opinions and ways of believing even if we strongly disagree.
Here are a few additional suggestions I have for reaching out to our Muslim neighbors that I have shared on this forum in the past.
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity." (Colossians 4:5)
Once you've made contact with a Muslim, it's time to start building a relationship. Ask your Muslim neighbor about their faith and about their Islamic traditions and holidays. Be a good listener and let your curiosity drive the direction of your conversation. In return, be open about how your faith in Christ and how is part of your everyday life. Share the struggles you face and how you’re bringing them to God. Try to incorporate scripture into the conversation and how it relates to your faith and your relationship to God. Try to introduce Biblical concepts and the words of Jesus into the conversation. You may also want to offer them a Bible as a gift.
At the end of your discussion with a Muslim, always end with a word of prayer. Ask how you can pray for them and if it is acceptable to them if you do so in the name of Jesus the Messiah. In all likelihood they will not object to this request.
And finally, As personal witnesses to Jesus Christ and the gospel, living our lives in a Christlike manor and treating others with a Christ-like attitude is of utmost importance. The simple acts of showing kindness, love, and compassion towards those who are lost may be all it takes to eventually lead them to the Truth and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. Living by example is at the foundation and perhaps one of the most crucial components of our personal witness to Christ to others. Every Muslim has heard about Jesus, most many times over, but they may not have seen Him in action even once.
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21)
As a missionary I get to meet many former Muslims from different parts of the world who have become Christians. I attend forums and often meet them in the field. In fact one of my good friends in Davao is a former Muslim from Saudi Arabia who found Christ when he was in his 30's when a Filipino foreign worker shared the gospel with him in his country. He is now a missionary to Muslims in Mindanao like myself. That being said, I have never personally meet a Muslim that has converted to Christianity using the methods some have suggested in this thread. I would certainly steer clear of suggesting your Muslim neighbor watch videos made by Christian apologists and/or the many "ex-Muslims" associated with them. While linking to online arguments and debates may seem like an effective way of witnessing to Muslims, in the real world, that's not the reality.
There have been many studies on what brings Muslims to Christ and as expected, it is Christ himself that draws Muslims to Him.
Below are a few samples of some of these studies.
A case study of 170 conversion narratives; mostly from Sudan; a case study of Palestinians and Bangladeshis; a paper examining the written testimonies of 173 Muslims worldwide who came to faith in Jesus Christ, and a study of 750 former Muslims, a study in Kenya of 17 urban ex-Muslims, These all confirm what all other studies have shown: the Living Christ and living Christians are the main keys to conversion.
Jean-Marie Gaudeul’s Study (1999)
Gaudeul published his findings of 170 publicly available conversion stories in a book named Called from Islam to Christ. He lists five main factors in conversion:
- “Jesus is so attractive”
- Jesus alone satisfies their “Thirst for Truth”
- Christianity satisfies their longing for community as they felt like they were “without a family”
- Christianity satifies an existential need for actual forgiveness
- “a thirst for God” by which he means a thirst to encounter God in a personal way
Anthony (Ant) Greenham’s Study (2004)
Ant Greenham conducted research on Palestinian Muslim converts and then compared that data with conversions in Bangladesh. His research shows that among both men and women, the overwhelming factor that they cited in their coming to faith in Christ was the person of Jesus. He states, that “the person of Jesus is always central.”
- The person of Jesus,
- the truth of Jesus’ message,
- God’s honor,
- the lives of believers,
- reading the Bible,
- God’s miraculous action.
Bruce L. Bronoske's Study (2005):
In 2005 Bronoske studied conversion narratives of 173 people throughout the world and compiled the data in his study entitled “A Comparative Study Of The Self-Revelation Of Jesus Found In The Canonical New Testament And The Jesus of The Qur'an, And The Effect A Muslim Seeker's Understanding Of Jesus Has Upon Their Decision To Convert To Christianity." [Northwest Graduate School Of The Ministry, D.Min]
92% of converts from Islam cited the Biblical Jesus as the focal point of their conversion.
...these Muslims gave their devotion was as Bronoske stated, “was the New Testament understanding of Jesus Christ. That is, Jesus Christ as He was revealed within the text of the canonical New Testament”. This Jesus had been introduced to them primarily through a "familiar voice" namely through a “friend, a family member, or a trusted acquaintance”
Bronoske summarized his work by citing a quote from Francis Schaeffer, namely that if he had only one hour to share the gospel with a person, he would spend the first forty-five minutes finding out what the person believed about God and the last fifteen minutes presenting Christ from that basis.
J. Dudley Woodberry, Russell G. Shubin, and G. Marks study (2007):
In 2007 an article which summarized 750 interviews with former Muslims was featured in Christianity Today under the title: “Why Muslims Follow Jesus?: The results of a recent survey of converts from Islam.” The study, done between 1991 and 2007, surveyed people from 30 countries and 50 ethnic groups. The researchers ranked the order of influences stated by their correspondents on their conversions:
- the lifestyle of Christians
- the power of God in answered prayers and healing
- dissatisfaction with the type of Islam they had experienced
- spiritual truth in the Bible
- love expressed through the life and teachings of Jesus.
Reinhold Strahler's Study (2009):
In Nairobi, Kenya, Reinhold Strahler conducted extensive interviews with 17 urban former Muslims who had come to faith. Like Bronoske he found strong evidences for the “familiar voice” as being decisive in the conversion stories. Similarly the life of Christians and the Bible figures strongly in the findings.
Significant factors in all conversion processes, sorted by frequency
- personal witness by Christians
- attractive lifestyle of Christians
- love / friendship shown by Christians
- reading Bible
- dissatisfaction with practice of Islam
- evangelistic meetings
- answered prayer
In a nutshell these Muslim converts encountered the living Jesus, the living Word of God, and living Christians.
Source:
Why Do Muslims Come to Christ? Five Case Studies
