Source: IMB Connecting, August 1, 2015
“Farishta,” a young, unmarried woman from a large Central Asian family, wanted to show “Marcie” [an IMB missionary] how to perform namaz, the Islamic ritual prayer done five times a day.
Marcie shifted on the tea-stained couch and slowly shook her head as she told Farishta it wasn’t necessary.
Pointing to her cup of milk tea, Marcie asked, “When I leave and you wash this cup, will you wash the outside and the inside?”
“I’ll wash both the outside and the inside,” Farishta said.
“If you don’t wash the inside of the cup, will it still be dirty?”
“When we pray, it is important to have clean hearts before God. When I pray, I am sharing my heart with God and then listening to how he wants me to pray. Sometimes how God wants me to pray is different than I thought.”
Farishta looked at Marcie inquisitively, but changed the topic. A few minutes later, however, she brought up the topic again.
“Let me just show you how to do namaz,” Farishta insisted with a warm smile. Farishta did not understand why Marcie didn’t want to do Islamic ritual prayers. Everyone in Farishta’s community performs namaz.
“You know, namaz prayer has a special reward from God if you do it. I can show you how to do it right now,” Farishta said.
» Read the rest of the conversation. Also see sidebar stories about praying for Muslim women and hosting a women’s prayer tea.