Yamal in Thailand
Just today we started a new chapter in Thailand. Today marks the day when we shifted classes and some focus from Buddhism towards the study of Muslims and their faith. After class we fanned out to different local Mosque. In Chiang Mai there are several different kinds of mosque. There are at least 5 mosque locally in the old city section of Chiang Mai. There is a Chinese mosque, an Asian mosque, a Pakistani Mosque and others. I was blessed to be able to visit a Pakistani mosque where I met Yamal. Yamal was kind enough to discuss some things with us about the Quran as well as to show us abolition, which is the ritual cleansing practices before entering the mosque to pray. It largely consisted of cleaning of hands, arms, ears, nose, mouth, neck and head. Also it included the washing of the feet and ankles and back of neck. This ritual is a must prior to entering to pray. The practice is repeated three times daily. Yamal informed us that he was not the Iman (Leader of the local Mosque) but rather an adherant to Islam.
Yamal discussed many passages out of the Quran with us and then allowed us to approach the area of worship, as students.
While conversation was casual and informative for a time it was largely a one way conversation of him answering our questions or speaking at length about some subject matter.
Things moved along nicely until we asked questions about Jesus and the statement that Jesus made while he walked on the earth saying, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Light and no man comes to the Father except by me" Yamal explained that the words of Christ were basically no longer of effect or able to be applied because after Jesus came the "new" revelation of "The Recital" or the Quran through a series of purported visits by the angel Gabriel. Jamal became a bit agitated at times shaking the hand and shaking the finger as he spoke.
In the end Jamal said that he had not wanted to do this and could not do it kindly because the Quran stated that all infidel Christians and Jews were going to burn in eternal hell fire. I was blessed to be able to look him in the eyes and share with him that through Jesus Christ I was blessed with the grace to know that my salvation was accomplished on the cross and that it was ok that I would not burn. I told him that Jesus living in me would keep me from being condemned.
With Jamal's permission and feeling a bond of sorts we took this picture at the Pakistani Mosque. Jamal's sister kindly provided warm milk for all of us and an invitation to return tommorow.
I was blessed to be able to provide to Jamal a copy of the Bible in Thai and English along with Thai Bible tracts. I made sure to provide this to him by the right hand. In Arabic cultures things should be given by the right hand always and never the left hand.
Jamal took the Bible and materials into the Mosque and then home to study.
I asked Jamal if he had every had a dream about Jesus and he said that he had not but that one time he had a very vivid dream that he had been ran through with a sword and his last words were, "Ali Akbar"= God is Great. I told him that I would pray for him that new words would be given to him to utter and that Jesus would reveal himself to him by the written word and by a dream declaring himself as the Messiah.
Perhaps tommorow we will see Jamal again. Pray with me that the words will be given to all of us as to how to speak in kindness and love to those sons of Ishmael who God is calling to his household.
Blessings from Asia
