牧者心聲

當一個人被問到，究竟如何確認並建立自己的身分認同時，認真跟隨基督的門徒，答案必然離不開他與三一神的關係。然而，相較於穆斯林，基督徒信仰並未太深入各個生活層面。而伊斯蘭信仰則嚴格規範著生活，涵蓋語言、社區建築、服飾、飲食禁忌、節日、婚姻制度、社交模式、喪葬儀式，甚至思想意識和行為。因此，當穆斯林放棄伊斯蘭信仰時，他便完全失去了他的身分認同與生活網絡。

生於孟加拉穆斯林家庭的愛德華．安優卜指出，在穆斯林群體中，門徒訓練往往比傳福音更加艱難。以下綜合他所提出的挑戰與方法，結合我的觀察與了解，盼望北宣家更多為穆宣代禱。

許多穆斯林公開信仰基督後，隨即面對父母、親人的敵意與迫害，因此他們常採用「在穆斯林中生活如穆斯林，在基督徒中生活如基督徒」的雙重生活模式。可是這樣的生活很容易讓人保留過往不道德、不合符真理的行為和習俗；當面對穆斯林對基督教的攻擊，不敢也無法作出辯護。這種腳踏兩條船的情況，留下日後退回伊斯蘭信仰的極大空間。一位初信的穆斯林歸主者告訴我，他希望努力學習聖經真理，並在三年內向家人公開信仰。願他蒙神保守！

穆斯林歸主者是否應保留部分穆斯林生活方式，在穆宣中存在極大爭議，甚至有宣教士在工場「是否配戴頭巾、面紗、布卡（穿長袍）」、「是否和穆斯林一同進入清真寺禱告」也意見分歧。至於如何陪伴穆斯林歸主者，以基督信仰實踐取代伊斯蘭文化，對宣教士而言是極大挑戰，但確是必須面對的課題。求主保守向穆斯林傳福音的基督使者，叫他們有勇氣提醒對方信主後可能面臨的壓力，同時也傳遞主基督同在的平安與永恆盼望。

一位穆斯林歸主者表示，要帶領穆斯林信主，便要同時關心他們的實際生活需要，因他們會遭受排擠，被迫離開本族。許多宣教士設法為他們創造就業機會：一方面他們確實貧困，另一方面也可作為接觸未信者的渠道；再者，他們更了解自身文化，能成為很好的同工。不過，安優卜提醒，絕不可向穆斯林背景的信徒展示物質豐盛、安全保障或未來機會等可能引發錯誤信主動機的誘惑，以致誤導他們偏離真實的盼望。在關顧同行時，要防範人因利益而假意信主，求主賜傳福音的人智慧與分辨的靈。

  When a person is asked how they can affirm and establish their identity, for a disciple who earnestly follows Christ, the answer must inevitably be rooted in their relationship with the triune God. Yet compared with Islam, the Christian faith is generally not woven as deeply into every aspect of daily life. Islam, by contrast, strictly regulates life, encompassing language, community architecture, clothing, dietary restrictions, festivals, marriage systems, patterns of social interaction, funeral rites, and even ways of thinking and behavior. Therefore, when a Muslim leaves the Islamic faith, they lose not only their entire sense of identity but also the network that has supported their way of life.

  Edward Ayub, who was born into a Muslim family in Bangladesh, points out that within Muslim communities, discipleship is often more difficult than evangelism. What follows is a synthesis of the challenges and approaches he has identified, together with my own observations and understanding, in the hope that the NPAC family will pray more for ministry among Muslims.

  Many Muslims, after openly professing faith in Christ, immediately face hostility and persecution from their parents and relatives. As a result, they often adopt a double way of life: “living like a Muslim among Muslims and like a Christian among Christians.” Yet such a way of life can easily lead them to retain former behaviors and customs that are immoral or inconsistent with the truth. When Muslims attack the Christian faith, they may neither dare nor be able to defend it. This attempt to have a foot in both camps leaves considerable room for them to return to Islam eventually. One new Muslim-background believer told me that he hopes to study biblical truth diligently and openly profess his faith to his family within three years. May God protect and uphold him!

  Whether Muslim-background believers should retain certain aspects of a Muslim way of life is highly controversial in ministry among Muslims. Even missionaries on the field disagree over questions such as whether they should wear headscarves, veils or burqas (long robes), and whether they should enter mosques and pray together with Muslims. As for how to walk alongside Muslim-background believers as they replace Islamic cultural practices with expressions of the Christian faith, this presents an enormous challenge for missionaries. Yet, it is an issue that must be faced. May the Lord protect Christ’s ambassadors who share the gospel with Muslims, giving them the courage to make clear the pressures people may face after coming to faith, while at the same time communicating the peace that comes from the presence of the Lord Christ and the eternal hope in Him.

  One Muslim-background believer remarked that, in seeking to lead Muslims to faith in Christ, we must also care for their practical needs, because they may be ostracized and forced to leave their own community. Many missionaries therefore seek to create employment opportunities for them: on the one hand, many are genuinely poor; on the other, such opportunities can also provide a means of reaching those who have not yet believed. Moreover, because Muslim-background believers understand their own culture more deeply, they can become valuable co-workers. Ayub cautions, however, that we must never hold out material prosperity, security or future opportunities before Muslim-background believers as enticements that might give rise to wrong motives for believing, thereby leading them away from the true hope of the gospel. As we care for and walk alongside them, we must also guard against people professing faith merely for personal gain. May the Lord grant wisdom and a discerning spirit to those who share the gospel.