Nozad
New Born in Christ

The Rajab Ali Nozad story paraphrased in modern English by Colin Melbourne

© 96-08 Born-Again-Christian.info

In February 1905 a former Shiite Muslim, who for a number of years had been a believer in Christ, was baptized in the chapel of the Presbyterian Mission of Teheran by the Reverend J.L.Potter. His name was Rajab Ali. When some years later, the Iranian Government required all of its subjects to choose family names, Rajab Ali chose a name that means New Born, he has become known throughout Iran as Nozad.

A book about Nozad begins;

Nozad became a Christian about 30 years ago, and was one of the very first Muslims in Persia to accept the Gospel. During 30 years of Christian experience, this man has been re-made by the power of Christ. He is now senior elder in the Persian church where his power in prayer, wisdom, independence and common sense are invaluable. His grasp of Christianity is remarkably comprehensive.

As I write, we are on an evangelistic trip together to a solidly Muslim city. He is at his best when he presents the Gospel to Muslims who have never heard it before. Fanatics who come to annihilate his arguments find that he skilfully disarms their prejudices. Soon they are listening quietly to the Good News of Christ, who was witnessed to by the Prophets, lived among us, and died for our sins. He is always fearless, though it is still the law of the land that an apostate of Islam should be killed!

Here follows Nozad's wonderful story that he wrote in Persian in 1927. It is entitled:

How a Human Being May Be Transformed

Thirty years ago, on the last day of Ramadan, a large crowd gathered at sunset to watch the new moon. The crowd expressed its joy and rapture. One man grabbed a friend and whirled him round, accidentally striking a bystander such a heavy blow in the abdomen, that he became seriously ill, and died 3 days later.

Of his family there remained one 8-year-old son, two younger daughters, and his pregnant wife. He left no savings, so that his widow was forced to sell all her possessions to support her family until the son grew up. The son changed jobs many times and fell into bad company.

All mankind is depraved and this man indulged himself to the full. Since the sins of this man are beyond description I will forgo setting them down. I should say, that I was that young man.

In observing the tenets of the religion of my fathers, I was fanatically zealous. I prayed without neglecting any appointed times. The fast I kept. I remembered the martyrs, and went on pilgrimages. My fanaticism went beyond that of others my age, yet sin had dominion over me, and I fulfilled all of its desire. Although my heart was unsatisfied and my conscience rebuked me, I was a slave to sin.

Islam

Inside Islam by Reza Safa
An Iranian former-Muslim explains what it is like to live in an Islamic state and why he became a Christian.

After a while, I made a friend who was scholarly and learned. He was extraordinary and taught pupils from aristocratic families; medicine, history, mathematics, religious doctrine, physics, chemistry, Persian, Arabic, astronomy and geography.

He was 70 years old and had never married. His only possessions were a room of books, handwritten in Persian. He spoke with respect of Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna), and the theologian Mullah Sadra. He paid great respect to the New Testament.

By talking with him, I learned the elements of medicine, geography, physics and history. But whenever I raised the subject of religion he pretended to be ignorant.

Finally, I said, "Why do you always try to avoid the subject of religion?"

He answered, "If I told you what I know, you would not want to listen; and if I told you what you want to hear, it would be contrary to my conscience."

After many occasions of such reply, I said, "Sir, whatever the answer to my question, do not withhold it. I promise on hearing, that I will show self-control."

He answered, "If you give such a promise I will speak."

I said, "Be pleased to tell me what your religion is, and what divine book you know to be the true one."

He answered, "I believe in God who is the Maker of all the worlds; because this creation cannot exist without a powerful and able Maker, whose existence and being are eternal. But I have no belief in any person who claims to be a prophet, except Jesus. For a long time I have tried to resist him, but I cannot."

Such a reply caused my ears to burn and I was filled with indignation. Yet I controlled myself.

I asked, "Why are you interested in Christ but not the others?"

He replied, "The others have done works which I can say were possible by the wisdom of men, but the things Christ did are not the work of man."

I queried, "What were these things Christ did?"

He answered, "They are of great range. One is that the dead cannot be given life by the wisdom of men, only by the power of God."

I said. "On what do you base your beliefs, and how do you know they are true? Do you have proof of the validity of your belief?"

He replied, "If there was just one Gospel, I would have doubts, but there are four versions of the Gospel, written by four people at different times and in different localities. Yet their truth, meaning, and substance are identical. In every one, the miracles of Jesus are related in great detail. This is the solid proof of the authenticity of the book. The deeds of Christ are universally accepted as genuine in Iran, Arabia, Egypt and Africa. If you ask a physician why he has not cured a patient, he will reply, 'Am I Jesus, the Messiah, that I can give life to the dead?'"

I said, "What do you say with regard to Moses, David and the Others?"

He made answer,
"I am engaged in a study of Jesus, and I have two questions giving me trouble. Whenever these two questions are answered, I shall become a Christian. Every Christian must accept the prophets of the Old Testament because Christ has accepted them."

"With regard to the Prophet Mohammed and the Koran, what do you say?" I inquired.

He answered, "Neither in the Koran nor in Mohammed do I see anything that I consider to be from God. Islam is founded on the sword, pillage, blasphemy, obstinacy, selfishness, power mania, and sensuality. There are to be found in it some sayings and precepts that were extracted from the Old Testament and the Gospel. What we see and hear today in Islam was made up and later written into the Koran under the guise of traditions and sayings. They were not there in the beginning. On the contrary, the purpose was world conquest, burning of books, spreading the Arabic language, destroying the civilization of Persia and Rome, plundering treasures, raping young women and killing men, silencing people, and compelling the acknowledgement that there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet; but the essential intent was that Mohammed was the Prophet of Allah."

I said, "Sir, in the Koran, is there anything to be found that you acknowledge as the word of God? Perhaps you have not studied it with care."

He smiled and answered, "The greater part of my life has been spent studying Islam. In Islam, I am a leader competent to practice religious jurisprudence. There is nothing in the Koran or Islam that is hidden from me. Whatever of the verses of the Koran you wish me to quote, I will repeat from memory, and the interpretation of the commentators with regard to these verses."

"You know I never make a statement without a sound basis. I have been to great lengths in my study, and had there been any truth in Islam I would never have given it up."

"I am not demented. I am not an enemy of my own salvation. Know this, that any person who has knowledge one-tenth as profound as mine concerning Islam, would turn from it, excepting three classes of person who cling to Islam:"

"First, those who gain their livelihood by carrying out its religious rituals;"

"Second, those who use religion for furthering their own ambitions, and by this means have found, or hope to find, personal advancement;"

"Third, the common people who have no learning and who piously accept whatever they hear in their own environment without proof or questioning."

"Without these three classes, Islam would not exist."

"The Koran is a book without beginning or end, hopelessly incoherent and bewildering. In it is the story of Solomon and Belghis (Queen of Sheba); the story of the ant and the wind, who are the emissaries of Solomon, the story of the unfortunate Zaid and his faithful wife, who became unlawful for him, but was lawful for Mohammed!"

"In it is the story of Maryam the Copt who was first lawful, then unlawful, then lawful, to add to Mohammed's numerous wives;"

"In it are the commands inciting murder and plunder, hundreds of stories devoid of truth, unrecorded in history, contrary to logic, contrary to science, reason, and justice."

"These few examples I mention. You may accept it or not, as you wish."

I cannot describe to you what happened to me upon hearing these words. But I knew it was my duty to kill him. All thought of food and sleep left me. Night and day I was frantically seeking an answer, and how to revenge myself upon him. I was positive everything he had said was blasphemy and could not be true, because I knew that Mohammed and the Koran were innocent, and faultless. I began to associate with Islamic scholars to investigate the truth.

After two years, I became certain that his statements to me were in fact not defamatory or malicious, but were all true. In the end, the religious commentators, by their own examples, showed the truth of his statements.

Finally, the lamp of Islam in my heart was extinguished; no matter how I tried to keep it burning. I despaired of everything and everyone. I had no belief in anything. I looked upon the world as a universe without sense. All of the prophets, to me, were impostors, and all of the sacred books were valueless. Mankind was a freak of nature. Who lived out his existence in futility, then was no more.

I looked upon the world as a dunghill; it was valueless. Life was a dark nightmare. I longed for death to end this futility. I said, "Oh that I could just die and get away from this master less world!"

One day, it came to me to talk with a Christian, to see what he had to say. Although, I was certain that it could not help me. I found a learned Christian missionary. Three times I went to his house and debated with him for hours, never really understanding what he said. The fourth time, which was my last call, he said to me,

"Just as malaria is widespread, and its cure is only brought about by quinine which is very bitter, in the same way, all mankind is sick with sin and the sole remedy is the Gospel. Everyone has the choice of accepting it or rejecting it." Then I left.

In a state of absolute distraction, I raised my hands hopelessly and said,

"O God, if you do exist and Jesus is from you and the Gospel is the remedy for the sickness of the world, please guide me, for I am very confused! If you are not, then I have spoken to the wind."

Suddenly, I saw above my head two spiritual forms whose faces and clothing were the colour of the sky, who said in loud tones,

God is and Jesus is true. Of that rest assured and come.

Immediately they disappeared.

This vision threw me into panic. A terrible fear gripped me and sweat poured from my body. I trembled, even though it was hot in the noonday sun, I felt so cold that my teeth chattered. I began to run in frenzy, until I found other humans, then I calmed down.

On account of this vision, I was changed. All at once, the dejection, gloom and resentment fled from me. A new happiness, joy and tranquillity took their place. I was in truth, a new creature, with a new life!

I wanted to read the Gospel (New Testament). It was the same book I had read before, but now I took great pleasure in reading it. Its verses delighted me, and all seemed to fit with my desires, thoughts and convictions. I was shocked that, it seemed so different from when I read it before. For four days and nights, I read the Gospel. Next I turned to the Old Testament. All the questions I had asked were now being answered. I was so happy that whenever I was on my own, I would dance with joy.

From that day, the Holy Bible became, and still is; my treasury, my recreation, the remedy for my pains, and the solution for all my difficulties. My hope, pride, and life; my salvation, faith, and absolute certainty. My King, my Lord is Jesus Christ, God's only Son, who was crucified, buried, and rose on the third day, He sits in authority at the right hand of God the Father, who is and was and ever shall be possessed of all glory, power and might.

This new life took away all my sorrow. My only grief is that my fellow countrymen do not know this grace and joy. My prayer is that God will reveal His light to their hearts so that, putting aside all ignorance and fanaticism, they will come to know the blessing, love and salvation that is freely offered to every person who wants it, so that all may have eternal life.

Afterwards, I searched until I found fellow believers. My job did not allow me to visit the church every Sunday because I was the steward of all my Master's properties, land and household. However, I tried to attend church as often as possible. My Master and his family knew I was now a Christian and many times I read my Bible to them. He showed no antagonism.

Concerning my dear friend who first spoke to me about the truth of Christianity and the real nature of Islam. I was in Iraq on business when he wrote to me,

"If you do not see me again, know that the two questions have been clarified for me; from now on, I am a Christian." When I returned to Teheran, months later, he had died.

In those days, the ruler of Iran was Mozaffar-ed-Din Shah, under him was Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Atabeg. One of his servants seized some possessions of my sister on a false pretext. My sister asked me if there was any way out of this difficulty.

It came to my mind to go to the chapel and pray. I said,

"O Christ, you know, that my sister has nobody to help her, and I can not cope with this powerful man. I commit this affair to you; do as you know best."

The same day I prayed, the man sent back all my sister's things. Afterwards, I heard he had said that if those articles would remain in his house, it would burn down. I was very impressed with this answer to prayer.

Another time, the same sister had a baby that developed a large swelling in his throat. Gradually, it grew to be as big as the child's head. Whatever treatment the Doctor gave, it got worse. The pain was so intense; the child could not drink milk or swallow anything. He could not move. When he was near to death, I went to pray for him in desperation. I said,
"Pain, in the Name of Jesus go out of the life of this child by this hour tomorrow night."

Then I breathed on his face. The child opened his eyes, got up, drank milk, played and smiled with no pain at all. The next night, the swelling had burst of its own accord and a great amount of pus was expelled. The boy was playing, and only a small opening remained, which closed up in a few days.

In summary, I can say that I have become acquainted with God through God himself and He receives any person who comes to Him through Jesus Christ. I was the worst of sinners, and yet have been brought into fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Above all, I state that from my own experience, the service of Christ causes a person to become strong, abstain from evil, and wish nobody harm. A Christian is in communion with God and always seeks to do His pleasure, to help others, give up evil habits, and do good deeds. His faith is put into action to glorify God.

So I say fellow people. Understand that salvation is of God, not of yourself, it is free and eternal.

Do not refuse it lightly. Do not sell it for the things of this world.

Life is fleeting and ends either in destruction in Hell, or in the presence of God through Christ.

God has placed this choice within your hands: Now you must decide.

Ask yourself this question:

"Where are you going, towards death, or towards life?"

Christ is calling you to accept Him as Lord and Saviour now. You can accept Him or reject Him. My prayer is that God will direct the rays of His enlightenment into your heart.
Amen

Rajab Ali Nozad (Nozad died in 1944, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ.)

Prayer to Receive Jesus Christ as Saviour

© 96-08 Born-Again-Christian.Info

Paraphrased into modern English by Colin Melbourne from, 'Ten Muslims Meet Christ' W.M. McElwee, Eerdmans Pub. Co. 1969. Used by kind permission