A Devout Muslim Defender of Islam
Nabeel Qureshi was born on April 13, 1983, in San Diego, California, and raised in a devout Ahmadi Muslim family. From a young age, he memorized large portions of the Quran and engaged in religious debates, defending Islam with zeal. However, his journey took a transformative turn during his university years at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. There, he met David Wood, a Christian apologist, and engaged in years of intense debates about faith.
A Crisis of Faith and Truth
Nabeel's internal struggle intensified as he sought truth. He described the moment of crisis vividly: 'On the first day of my second year of medical school, it became too much to bear. Yearning for comfort, I decided to skip school. Returning to my apartment, I placed the Qur'an and the Bible in front of me. I turned to the Qur'an, but there was no comfort there. For the first time, the book seemed utterly irrelevant to my suffering. Irrelevant to my life. It felt like a dead book. With nowhere left to go, I opened up the New Testament and started reading.'
Nabeel's journey was marked by dreams and visions that pointed him towards Jesus. In one poignant dream, he saw hundreds of crosses. Another dream, after fervent prayer, led him to the parable of the narrow door in Luke 13. These experiences, combined with his studies and debates, illuminated the truth of Jesus to him.
However, the decision to follow Jesus was not without pain. Nabeel recalled, 'I began mourning the impact of the decision I knew I had to make. I knew that accepting Jesus would be like dying and I would have to give up everything, because for Muslims, following the gospel is more than a call to prayer. It is a call to die.' His conversion led to a fracture in his relationships, particularly with his family. 'I gave my life to Jesus, and to this day my family is broken by the decision I made. It is excruciating every time I see the cost I had to pay.'
Despite the suffering, Nabeel found profound solace and purpose in Jesus. 'All suffering is worth it to follow Jesus. He is that amazing,' he declared. His faith journey led him to become a Christian apologist, authoring books such as *Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus*, and sharing his testimony worldwide.
Nabeel's life was tragically cut short by stomach cancer, and he passed away on September 16, 2017, at the age of 34. Yet, his legacy continues to inspire, a testament to the transformative power of Jesus, who reached him through investigation, dreams, and suffering.
