Interview: Life Transforming Story of Asgar Ali
Asgar Ali is the second of the three sons born to Ali Zan in Uttar
Pradesh, India. Asgar was sent to a madrassa like any other Muslim
children for education. Asgar completed his tenth standard and began to
work in a factory. At this time Asgar had peace-less and sleepless
nights. Asgar became weary of the restlessness. There he began a
journey to the source of true peace with many thorny and bumpy roads.
Asgar, now a Christian apologist on Islam, shares his life transforming
story with Jerry Thomas of Sakshi Times.
Jerry Thomas (JT): Welcome Asgar to Sakshi.
Asgar Ali (AA): It is my pleasure Jerry.
JT: Let us begin with your life transformation itself. How did you accept the Lord our God Jesus Christ as your Savior?
AA: It all began when I was working with a factory in Uttar Pradesh. I
was very restless and sleepless. At that time, I had a Christian friend
named Joseph. I had shared my weariness with Joseph. He then told to me
that the true God can give me peace. I asked him who the true God is.
He told to me that He is Jesus. I resented to that. I answered that
Jesus is a prophet and not God himself. He did not argue but he prayed
for me. On the day he prayed, I had a sound sleep. I felt unburdened.
Next day morning, I went and shared my experience with Joseph. I
requested him to teach me that prayer so that I can also pray. He gave
me a New Testament and taught me which I later came to know as the
Lord’s Prayer.
JT: Truly, Jesus is the Prince of peace. Money can buy you bed but only
Jesus can give you sleep. But how did you accept the Lord as your
Savior?
AA: I started reading the New Testament. When I came to Matthew 5:4,
“Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” I felt very
happy. I was assured that God wants me. Then I continued reading the
New Testament for many days until I came to John 3: 16 “For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” I was
stuck. I went and asked my friend who is the Son referred in this
verse. He said it is about Jesus. I asked him how God can have a son
when he does not have a wife. He said he does not know about these
things but he directed me to one scholar named Vital Das in Chennai. I
went to Chennai and met Brother Vital. Bro. Vital knew both the Bible
and the Qur’an. He compared Surah 21:91 where it says “We breathed into
her from Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a Sign for all people”
and Luke 1:35 and explained to me that Jesus is not a biological son as
it is misconstrued by many Islamic preachers. It clarified me the
issue. Also when I was in madrassa, we were taught Isa means savior. So
I had no difficulty in accepting Jesus (Isa) as Savior. And I accepted
Jesus as my Savior.
JT: It was literally a long journey in fact!!! How did your family respond to this news? Did you tell them all immediately?
AA: I went and told to my family about the life transformation. My
brother was very furious. He went and discussed it with a Maulana.
Maulana came to our house. Maulana told me to leave the Christian faith
and reconvert to Islam. But why will I leave Jesus. He gave me the
peace. So, I refused to do so. Maulana abused me a lot with vulgar
words. At this time, a voice within me continued to ask me to keep
quiet and leave the place. So, I kept quiet. Later my brother asked me
to leave our house. So, I left home and went to a Bible college in
Lucknow to study.
JT: Indeed you left the family, father, mother and brother just as our
Lord commanded in the Bible. Patriarchs and prophets also left
everything for the Lord. Surely, Jesus Christ, Lord of patriarchs and
prophets, will never leave you or forsake you. Let me ask you a
different question. I have encountered Muslim converts who have great
difficulty in accepting the Trinity and Incarnation. Was it difficult
for you also?
AA: Indeed yes. For almost five years after I accepted Lord Jesus as my
savior, I had great difficulty in accepting Trinity. Finally it came to
a point when I thought I will leave Christianity and go back to Islam.
I thought I will revert to Islam and continue to accept Jesus as a
savior within Islam. I fasted and prayed. Then I came to the verse
Psalms 110:1 “The LORD said to my Lord”. David was inspired by the Holy
Spirit to write it. In Matthew 22: 43-44 Jesus himself interpreted this
verse to mean about Himself. Then I understood Deuteronomy .6:4, which
proclaims "Sh’ma Yisrael Adenoi Elohainu Adenoi Echud," which is
literally translated as "Hear O Israel, Jehovah our God(s) is Jehovah a
Unity.” Echud here means unity and more than one. All my doubts
vanished when I understood the Sh’ma properly.
JT: Yes in fact. Elohim also indicates a plurality. Elohim is the
plural form of the singular noun El. So you have the uni-plurality of
God mentioned right at Genesis 1:1 and throughout the Old Testament.
More than anything else, the infallible interpreter Jesus Christ has
clearly interpreted Psalms 110:1 which you again pointed out. We will
discuss more when we take up this topic again. I must say I am shocked
by the utter ignorance of Christians who were with you for all these
five years and could not make a theo-logical case for Trinity. To add
insult to injury, these Christians are Bible College students-
so-called scholars!!! These days Christians swallow the camel (major
doctrines) and chew the gnat (minor doctrines). But I am sure that
their ignorance of the loftiest doctrines would not have prevented them
from being arrogant and judgmental towards you. How did the Christians,
who were with you, treat you?
AA: Yes, that is another story. Since I did not accept Trinity at that
time, my friends in the Bible college at Kerala (by this time I had
gone to study in a Bible college at Kerala) started accusing that I
came to Christianity to marry some women or make some money. They even
started making some stories about me with another staff in the Bible
College. I was so fed up that I left the Bible College. But then in a
dream Jesus appeared to me as crucified. In the cross, I saw Him
undergoing all mockery, terror and pain. He said to me, “Asgar, I had
undergone all this for you. Will you not suffer for me?” That vision is
etched in my heart for ever. I began to cry. This vision will remain
with me. Then, I went to another Bible college to study.
JT: I am touched by this. Jesus accepts us with all our infirmities.
Amen. He is the Lover of our Souls. In fact, He is the one who should
have got offended by your disbelief in Trinity. But see, He loves us in
our imperfection, even in our doctrinal imperfection!!! But did you
have some difficulty in accepting incarnation?
AA: Yes, I had difficulty in accepting incarnation. One of our
brothers, Srinivas, then told me that the best teacher is God himself
so ask Him about my doubts. Then I fasted and prayed for three days.
And then I read John 17:5, “And now, o Father glorify Me together with
Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
Yes, Son was with Father, together with Him in glory before the world
was. I accepted that Jesus was indeed God Himself.
JT: Yes, Son always made distinction with Father to show us about the
triune persons within Godhead. Then He also made clear and unambiguous
statements to show that He is God Himself, second person in the
Trinity. For example, Matthew 18:20 which says “For where two or three
are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them”
without ambiguity shows that He is omnipresent. God bless brother
Srinivas who guided you to Jagad Satguru Sree Yesu. As I said, we will
take up this topic in our next interview. Let me ask about your
ministry. How did Muslims respond when they heard you preaching?
AA: Yes, initially, I was beaten up a few times. And there was almost
no response to the gospel call. I thought Muslims will never accept the
message and I was disheartened. Then again Jesus appeared to me in a
dream and asked me to go to a Muslim dominant village with one of our
brothers, Anil. After two weeks, brother Anil suggested that we both
should go to that village. Since the dream was in my mind, I went with
him. This time there was tremendous response to the Gospel from
Muslims. I understood that we must go where our Lord leads then there
will be great fruit. Also, I got an opportunity to preach in Urdu
programs in radio through Gospel for Asia. There was so much of
response to this program. One remarkable difference I always found was
whenever I fasted and prayed God gave tremendous results. If not, it
was always gloomy. The secret of successful ministry is to go where
Christ leads and continue in the battle with fasting and praying.
JT: Yet another question from the family side. How is your family treating you now?
AA: We were not in touch for a long time, two years I think. Then I
contacted my home. During this time, my brother had a Christian friend
who was trying to evangelize him. My brother’s association with him,
softened his stand towards with me also. After my marriage (I married a
Muslim convert), I went to my home. They did not come for the marriage.
But when I went home, they treated me so lovingly and gave me a lot of
respect.
JT: That was so nice of them. Asgar, I would like to end this interview
with such happy endings. Thanks so much for joining. Meet you again
next week to continue our discussion.
AA: Thanks Jerry.
Sakshi Times
Copyright 2007 Sakshi: An Apologetics Network in India www.sakshitimes.com. Published with Permission.
Leave a Comment: