In Memory of Nabeel Qureshi

Nabeel Qureshi loved Jesus.

So much more could be said about his accomplishments in life–as a physician or as a Christian apologist–but that one statement is what everything else hung upon.

Peyton and I had the privilege of hearing Qureshi speak at a Summit Worldview Conference in 2013. There was a stage for him to stand on, but that’s not where he chose to speak from. Instead, he stood down on our level. He talked straight to us hundreds of students, sharing his testimony of how Jesus took him from being a devout Muslim to a devout Christian. (You can find his story here: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus)  Later during the conference some friends and I talked with him. We were inspired by this powerful speaker that was also so down-to-earth.

When I heard the news that Nabeel Qureshi had lost a battle with cancer, my heart was grieved like so many others who have been touched by his testimony. Ravi Zacharias shares in his article on The Washington Post about the life and ministry of Qureshi:

“I mourn for our broken world, where so much hate and destruction abounds. We have a cancer called sin. The disease that kills the body is minor, but the disease that kills the soul is eternal. Nabeel would want more than anything else that we carry the message of Jesus to help change the world. Only then can we understand that the sad news of Nabeel’s death is temporary.” (Ravi Zacharias on The Washington Post, “Why this Muslim-turned-Christian speaker resonated with so many before his death at 34,”)

Qureshi lost the battle with cancer, but he won the race of life.

He received his prize. He’s now free from cancer, free from the hardships of this life, and safe with His Savior that he devoted his life to.

In memory of Nabeel Qureshi, I want to share these three prayers that we can pray during this time:

1)Pray for outreach to Muslims. Qureshi was a powerful voice in this world, not only sharing the Gospel to Muslims, but also sharing his testimony that has encouraged so many Christians. Pray for more people to have a heart to share the Gospel with the Muslim people.

2)Pray for Nabeel Qureshi’s family. We know that Qureshi is safe in the arms of Jesus, but he left behind his wife, Michelle, and his two-year-old daughter, Ayah, and countless friends and others whose hearts are broken. Pray for comfort for them during this time, and that God will do a new work of healing and redemption in their lives.

3)Pray that Yahweh will continue to use Qureshi’s testimony to reach many. We only live so many years on this earth, but legacies live on, and so does Qureshi’s testimony.

Today let’s live life on purpose.

We can’t take any day for granted, so let’s “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” before our God (Micah 6:8). Like Nabeel Qureshi, let’s live a life that leaves behind a legacy for the glory of God.