Knowing that Hadija’s husband oppressed her, Hadija’s Christian friend came to visit her during Ramadan last year and eventually shared her faith and the gospel with her hurting friend. Hadija learned from her friend that she could pray any time in Jesus’ name and that God would hear her and answer.
“That was such an amazing revelation,” Hadija says, “that my Great God and Creator could speak to me! It touched me so deeply.”
But what was next? Hadija was still living with a husband who forced her to participate in Muslim rituals. That oppression had only increased with Ramadan.
Hadija knew that making a public confession was a fatal decision. “My husband would have killed me if I converted,” she says.
When the time of next prayer came, Hadija went through the motions of spreading the mat and kneeling alone in the room to say her prayers. But she felt she couldn’t pray like she did before. Instead, Hadija took the Injil (the New Testament in the Turkmen language) and started to read Scripture.
Suddenly, her husband came in. Hadija could only hide the book in her long dress. Hadija pretended to be saying Muslim prayers, but when he went out, she prayed in the name of Jesus.
“Now I pray in the name of Jesus every day,” she says quietly yet joyfully. “I hated the Muslim prayers as they were always something I was forced to do. Now I like praying so much and do it anytime and everywhere. It heals my heart and fills me with love for other people.”
*Names changed for security
