Ramadan ‘offers a singular opportunity’ to share the Gospel, says missiologist

Ramadan provides a “unique opportunity” for Christians to share the Gospel with their Muslim neighbours, in response to a missiologist. 

Writing in a latest series of articles by the Lausanne Movement designed to assist believers interact purposefully with followers of other faiths, Dr Emil Saleem Shehadeh notes that many Christians feel unsure learn how to talk about Jesus with Muslims, yet Ramadan could also be one of the natural moments to start.

“In the West, Muslims are on the rise,” he observes, noting demographic changes through migration and birth rates.

One of essentially the most common questions he encounters in ministry is: “How will we witness to Muslims?”

His response centres on informed, relational engagement fairly than debate.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is marked by fasting from dawn until sunset, alongside increased prayer, repentance and charitable giving.

For Muslims, the month is considered a period of intensified faithfulness to Allah, marked by devoted time to reading the Qur’an and attending additional nightly prayers.

Because the month heightens spiritual awareness, Dr Shehadeh states: “As such, Ramadan is top-of-the-line opportunities for a respectful gospel-shaped interaction, not least because during Ramadan, many Muslims are literally in a spiritually looking for mood.”

Drawing on his own research involving 4,833 Muslim-background Christians (MBCs), he notes that almost all encountered Christ through meaningful personal relationships fairly than public preaching or media.

“Relational engagement plays a central role in journeys to Christ,” he explains, presenting Ramadan as a key window for constructing those connections.

Among his practical recommendations is the importance of showing respect during Ramadan, including refraining from eating or drinking conspicuously in front of neighbours or colleagues who’re fasting.

He also encourages Christians to take a real, pastoral interest by asking thoughtful and empathetic questions, similar to how someone is coping with the fast or what Ramadan means to them personally.

If invited to share in an iftar meal, he advises accepting courteously, describing the evening gathering to interrupt the fast as a meaningful expression of friendship and trust.

Hospitality, he suggests, may also be offered in return, whether through hosting an iftar, providing food parcels, or sharing a Gospel or a biopic of Jesus.

He further proposes that Christians might consider fasting in their very own way, combining prayer and voluntary self-denial, which may naturally result in conversations in regards to the distinction between ritual obligation and the Christian understanding of grace.

His research found that 17% of respondents who left Islam cited concerns a few works-based understanding of salvation as a consider their spiritual journey.

In response, Dr Shehadeh encourages Christians to clarify clearly, and gently, the biblical teaching that salvation comes “by grace … through faith” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

He highlights that the first appeal of Christianity lies in Christ’s life and character. Rather than specializing in critique, he urges believers to centre conversations on Christ – His life, sacrifice and offer of assurance.

The article concludes by encouraging churches to treat Ramadan not as a barrier but as a bridge: “The message is: Understand Ramadan and what it means to Muslims. Use it as a bridge builder and a possibility to share the love of God with these sincere seekers after God.

“Be considerate, kind, respectful and sensitive. But above all, share the story of the Lord Jesus, and the way he got here to fulfil the law, and take away the burden of rituals and feasts.

“Offer a contrast between what a Muslim has and what you will have to stay up for within the life to come back.”