During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset to gain favor from Allah and to prove their devoutness to him. It is not uncommon for Christians to think, “I should give them space during this month. It’s not a good time to talk to them about Jesus.” This couldn’t be further from the truth!
It is actually because your Muslim friend is fasting that you should try to share the gospel during Ramadan with them this month. They are spiritually focused– some even more than they are the rest of the year. Ramadan is required of every Muslim, from the most spiritually strict and devout to those who are religiously slack.
Muslims are worried about being perfect during Ramadan for two end-goals: earning Allah’s favor and erasing their sins from the past year. Every day, devout and focused Muslims feel their spiritual fate resting on their shoulders like a heavy weight, and they are anxious and afraid.
Because spiritual matters are high on most Muslims’ minds during Ramadan, it is a great opportunity for Christians to do more than pray for them. Now is the time to engage in deep, heartfelt conversations about Jesus.
Questions to ask your Muslim friend while they are fasting Ramadan to start sharing the gospel
We believe that one of the best ways to get your Muslim friend to ask you questions is to ask them questions first! This allows you to understand where they are spiritually, and how devout and committed they are. Their answers will help you know what to talk about to speak the truth into their hearts. Asking them questions also proves to them that you sincerely care which eventually leads to building trust between you.
You can ask them these questions that are particularly good at leading into a conversation about Christ:
Why do you fast?
Do you believe that your fasting gets you into paradise?
How does fasting make you feel towards Allah?
Do you have a personal motivation for fasting or do you do it because it’s mandatory?
Did you know that Christians also fast? (Read our post about this!)
Suggested Bible passages and stories to help you share the Gospel during Ramadan
We all have our favorite Bible passages, verses, and stories that have had a great impact on our lives and help us greater understand God’s love for us. By walking alongside hundreds of Muslims who surrendered their life to Christ, we found out that there are specific passages that have opened the Muslims’ eyes to the truth about Jesus and who He is. Now we use these as core verses to share with other Muslims who are impacted in the same way.
Feel free to share some of the following passages, but also allow God’s Spirit to guide you to other ones. He will lead you!
Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount is revolutionary for the Muslim, especially during Ramadan. Jesus teaches about how to pray, fast, give, and love our enemies in a way Muslims have never heard before.
Luke 15: The Story of the Prodigal Sons replaces the picture of an Allah who is impersonal with the reality of who God is – the loving Father.
John 4: The story of the Samaritan Woman is a good peek into the nature of Jesus and highlights that He is the awaited Messiah. The story also reflects Jesus’ true love towards a fallen woman and how He treated her with honor.
Mark 4 or Matthew 15: The story of Jesus calming the storms emphasizes that He is the Creator who controls nature, and He is also the One who is able to calm the storms in our lives.
Specific Bible verses to share with Muslims who are fasting Ramadan
Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Emphasize God’s love for us even before we repent and turn from our sins. God does not wait for us to be perfect, instead, He makes the first move to love us even before we are saved! This is revolutionary for Muslims who believe that they must pay for their sins and earn Allah’s favor even after following him their whole life.
Psalm 36:7 - “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” This psalm highlights the personal and intimate relationship God wants with His creation. Sharing psalms with Muslims who are fasting Ramadan is impactful because they show the personal way we can talk to God, like a loving father and not a cruel master.
Matthew 7:7-8 - “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Encourage your Muslim friends to ask the Creator to show them the truth, and share this verse with them to embolden them. God will always answer those who are seeking Him!
How to talk about Jesus with Muslims who are fasting Ramadan
If your goal is to share the Gospel during Ramadan, you need to feel confident starting a spiritual conversation with your Muslim friend.
First, you can share your personal testimony, and how, at one point in your life, you chose to put your trust in Jesus and follow Him. You can also share passages from the Bible with them– like your favorite verse or one of the stories from above. Finally, you can share the Gospel with them by talking about the person of Jesus, because they already have some basic knowledge about Jesus. They call Him, Prophet Isa (pronounced, eye-e-sa). Learn more about what Muslims believe about Jesus here.
You don’t need to follow a script to effectively share the Gospel with your Muslim friend. Remember to focus on one main point: We cannot earn salvation, but Jesus paid the price so we don’t need to. This is especially relevant to your Muslim friends during Ramadan because they are currently working on fasting to gain Allah’s favor in hopes that he’ll let them into paradise when they die. Emphasizing God’s grace and redeeming love will speak directly to your Muslim friend’s heart because in Islam they can never truly know if they did enough to be saved.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for dying and rising from the grave so I could have a relationship with You. Please allow my Muslim friend’s heart to be stirred with curiosity this month as they follow Islam’s rules. Please give me the opportunity to speak into their life with love and truth! Amen.
