A Moment of Decision
The question hung in the air like words frozen in fear. It was a cold February day. On a construction site, a coworker and beloved friend of Musa had become suspicious of Musa’s unwillingness to kneel in prayer at the prescribed hours like everyone else. “Why don’t you take a break when it’s time for prayer like the rest of us? It’s your right, and you can have some rest.” To many people in the West, this question might seem insignificant. But this was North Africa, where Islam rules with a heavy hand. Not participating in religious practices can trigger scorn. Defying the faith can trigger terrible suffering.
Musa realized, This is it. This was the moment he had to decide if he was for Christ or against him. A phony or the real deal. All in or all out. After a long pause, he looked his friend in the eye. “Prayer,” he began, “is an intimate conversation with God, and it should be done all the time, in my heart, rather than at specific times using the same phrases and postures.” His friend’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t be serious, can you?” he questioned, then laughed uneasily. “You are joking with me, aren’t you, my friend?” Musa shook his head. He didn’t want to hurt his friend, but he would not lie. “I am quite serious. I am a follower of Christ.”
Consequences at Work
A few days later, the construction site supervisor called Musa into the office and asked, “Is this true? Are you now a Christian?” “I am,” said Musa, realizing that his friend had betrayed him. “Then you are fired for proselytizing-” “But I have not tried to convert anyone.” “Get out,” the supervisor ordered. “No pension. No severance. No final month’s wages. Begone, you traitor.” As he headed home, Musa reflected on how much easier—though not better—his life would be had he not chosen to follow Christ.
Journey to Faith
When he was in his early twenties, Musa had questioned the Muslim faith he’d been raised with. He had become uneasy with Islam’s view of justice that permitted people to be hurt and even murdered in the name of Allah. Nearly a decade passed, however, before his doubt led him to faith in Christ. At the age of thirty-five, married with three children, Musa did something nobody in his family had ever done: accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. From that moment on, he knew he had become a wanted man. Even if he never doubted his decision to follow Christ, he would always be looking over his shoulder. He even feared telling his wife, Farrah, about his faith because she might leave and take their children. So he prayed that she, too, would see the wonder of Jesus and embrace him. He began bringing home Christian literature from a library almost one hundred miles away and watching Christian television broadcasts.
To be continued…
Date: 18th October 2025
Martyr: Musa
Location: North Africa
Source: The Voice of the Martyrs ‘I am n’
Author: Not specified
Suffering Saturday 165
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