Nabeel Qureshi (author)

Nabeel Qureshi
Born (1983-04-13)April 13, 1983
California, U.S.
Died September 16, 2017(2017-09-16) (aged 34)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Cause of death Stomach cancer
Education B.A. Old Dominion University (2005)
M.A. Biola University (2008)
M.D. Eastern Virginia Medical School (2009)
M.A. Duke University
M.Phil. University of Oxford (2015)
D.Phil. (in progress, never completed) University of Oxford
Occupation Christian speaker
Known for NQMinistries, Itinerant Speaker for RZIM
Spouse(s) Michelle Qureshi (m. 2008 - 2017 his death)
Children 1 (Ayah Qureshi)
Website www.nabeelqureshi.com

Nabeel Qureshi (Urdu: نبیل قریشی‬; April 13, 1983 – September 16, 2017) was an American Christian and convert from the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam.[1][2] He was a speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) from 2013 until 2016 and the author of three books, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (Zondervan, February 2014),[3] Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward (Zondervan, March 2016),[4] and No God But One—Allah or Jesus (Zondervan, August 2016).[5][6]

Background

Qureshi was born in California to Pakistani Ahmadiyya parents who immigrated to the United States. With his father in the U.S. Navy,[7] he moved many times as a youth before settling in Virginia.In 2001 He attended Old Dominion University and served as the president of the Pre-Medical Honor Society. Qureshi also studied Islamic apologetics and engaged Christians in religious discussions. After one such discussion with a Christian at Old Dominion University, David Wood, the two became friends and began a years-long debate on the historical claims of Christianity and Islam[8]. Qureshi's resulting conversion to Christianity was chronicled in his first book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Qureshi formally converted to Christianity on August 30, 2005, shortly after graduating from college. In addition to being a New York Times bestseller,[9] Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus was awarded the Christian Book Award for the categories of both "Best New Author" and "Best Non-Fiction" of 2015, the first time in award history.[10] Christianity Today heralded Qureshi as one of "33 Under 33"[11] in its cover story on emerging religious leaders in July 2014. Qureshi attended medical school at the Eastern Virginia Medical School after graduating from Old Dominion University. After completing a medical degree, Qureshi decided to spend his life studying and preaching the Christian Gospel and became an itinerant preacher for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. He subsequently completed three more masters degrees in theology and religious studies and was pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Oxford at the time of his death.

Qureshi lectured to students at more than 100 universities, including Oxford, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Hong Kong. He has participated in 18 moderated, public debates around North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2015, Qureshi debated at Wayne State University with Muslim scholar Shabir Ally.[12]

Qureshi was married to Michelle. The couple had one daughter, Ayah[13] born in August 2015.

Education

Qureshi earned a bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University with an emphasis in interpersonal communication and a minor in biology, an M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical School, an M.A. in Christian apologetics from Biola University, an M.A. in religion from Duke University, and an M.Phil. in Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World from the University of Oxford. Qureshi was unable to finish his D.Phil. in New Testament studies at the University of Oxford due to his battle with stomach cancer.

2010 arrest in Dearborn

Beginning in the late 2000s, Qureshi began attending the Dearborn Arab Festival. In 2009, Qureshi, and other members of Acts 17 Apologetics were kicked out of the fair on the pretense that they were passing out Christian literature. Reportedly, Qureshi walked up to a booth with the sign "Got Questions? We've got answers," picked up a brochure on Islam and asked a question, as the booth's sign invited anyone to do. As Qureshi was engaged in conversation, a Muslim man walked by, snatched the brochure out of Qureshi's hand, and approached security personnel with it. Security personnel used this to create a confrontation with Qureshi and his colleagues, telling them to leave without telling them why, and ultimately assaulting them.[14] Returning in 2010, Qureshi and his colleagues resolved not to engage anyone in conversation unless it was initiated by someone else. Furthermore, the members of Acts 17 Apologetics filmed the entirety of their interactions, as they had done the previous year. During the 2010 Festival, Qureshi was shown being asked questions by a small crowd of Muslim teenagers. Police officers soon[15] arrested the group and confiscated their video cameras, charging Qureshi with disturbing the peace and refusing a lawful order from a police officer.[16][17] Qureshi and his group spent a night in jail for this arrest.

Soon after the arrest, Dearborn mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr. released a statement indicating that the missionaries were engaged in hostile, angry shouts with the crowd, blocking access to the booths. The mayor stated that Qureshi was getting violent and confrontational with police officers attempting to peacefully calm the situation.[18] After reviewing the video evidence, a jury found Qureshi not guilty on all counts. A separate civil suit[19] found that Dearborn, Michigan had violated Qureshi's constitutional rights, finding that there was no basis in law for his arrest. In 2013, the city then settled the suit. As part of the settlement, the city had to issue a formal apology and maintain that apology on their website for three years.[20]

Commentary on Wheaton College comments

In December 2015, the private Christian university Wheaton College suspended Professor Larycia Hawkins over a public comment she made in a hijab that Muslims "like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God." The suspension was criticized by the Chicago Tribune, which described Wheaton's actions as "bigotry… disguised as theology."[21] Yale professor Miroslav Volf said, "There isn't any theological justification for Hawkins's forced administrative leave. Her suspension is not about theology and orthodoxy. It is about enmity toward Muslims."[22]

Qureshi received many requests to provide input on the Wheaton College suspension. Qureshi had many Ahmadi family members and friends, and regularly encouraged Christians to consider gestures of solidarity with the hope that, somehow, this affection will trickle down. He even recommended that Christian women consider wearing the hijab in certain circumstances, and counseled Christian men to consider fasting with their Muslim neighbors during the month of Ramadan, as long as it is clear these gestures are out of Christian love and not submission to Islam.

On January 13, 2016, Volf and Qureshi debated the topic "Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?" on an episode of Seeking Truth with Julie Roys with Volf arguing the position that they worship the same God and Qureshi arguing the position that they do not.[23]

Commentary on international Islamic terrorism

Qureshi commented on international Islamic terrorism in several media outlets, including USA Today[24], Fox News[25], Newsmax TV[26][27], TheBlaze[28] and the Huffington Post[29] where he detailed his conversion to Christianity and his belief that Islam is inherently a violent religion.

Cancer diagnosis and death

On 30 August 2016, Qureshi announced that he was in the advanced stages of stomach cancer. Qureshi took to his Facebook page to inform fans and followers of his illness saying the prognosis was "quite grim."

"This is an announcement that I never expected to make, but God in His infinite and sovereign wisdom has chosen me for this refining, and I pray He will be glorified through my body and my spirit," Qureshi wrote. "My family and I have received the news that I have advanced stomach cancer, and the clinical prognosis is quite grim. Nonetheless, we are going to pursue healing aggressively, both medical and miraculous, relying on God and the fact that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."[30] Qureshi died of stomach cancer on September 16, 2017, at the age of 34.[31]

Works

  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (Zondervan, February 2014)
  • Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward (Zondervan, March 2016)
  • No God But One—Allah or Jesus (Zondervan, August 2016)

References

  1. ↑ Ravi Zacharias (17 September 2017). "Why Nabeel Qureshi resonated with so many before his death at 34 - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi, "Some Thoughts On The Death Of Nabeel Qureshi". bismikaallahuma.org. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ Qureshi, Nabeel; Strobel, Lee (2014-02-11). Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity. Place of publication not identified: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310515029.
  4. ↑ Qureshi, Nabeel (2016-03-08). Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310531388.
  5. ↑ "No God but One: Allah or Jesus?". www.christianbook.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  6. ↑ "Muslim convert to Christianity Nabeel Qureshi: 'Christ has revolutionised my life' | Christian News on Christian Today". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Justin (September 16, 2017). "Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017)". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  8. ↑ Creed26Ministries (2012-07-24), Engaging Islam: The Gospel & Nabeel's Testimony, retrieved 2017-09-23
  9. ↑ "Best Sellers – The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  10. ↑ "ECPA Announces the 2015 Christian Book Award® Winners – ECPA". www.ecpa.org. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  11. ↑ "33 Under 33". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  12. ↑ Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (2015-04-08), What is God Really Like: Tawhid or Trinity? Dr. Shabir Ally and Dr. Nabeel Qureshi Debate, retrieved 2016-04-19
  13. ↑ CBN News: Nabeel Qureshi's Wife: 'Thank You for Loving My Daughter'
  14. ↑ Acts17Apologetics (2009-06-24), Arab Fest 2009: The Unedited Footage, retrieved 2017-10-04
  15. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0relDfMQ4xQ
  16. ↑ Nabeel Qureshi, David Wood, Paul Rezkalla (June 19, 2010). Dearborn Arrests (Unedited Video Footage, by Request)medium= YouTube video. Dearborn, Michicgan: Acts 17 Apologetics. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  17. ↑ Four Christians arrested outside Arab festival, Christian Examiner, retrieved Sep 1, 2016
  18. ↑ Jo, Mary. "The Mayor of Dearborn Responds". Confident Christianity. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  19. ↑ Acts 17 v. Dearborn, Case: 2:11-cv-10700-SJM -RSW (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan 2011).
  20. ↑ American Freedom Law Center (May 6, 2013). ""City of Dearborn Apologizes for Arresting Christians at 2010 Arab Festival; Settlement Reached in Lawsuit"" (Press release). American Freedom Law Center. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
  21. ↑ Tribune, Chicago. "Religious bigotry is a dangerous weapon". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  22. ↑ "Wheaton professor's suspension is about anti-Muslim bigotry, not theology". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  23. ↑ "Seeking Truth: Volf & Qureshi Debate — Do Muslims & Christians Worship the Same God?". Julie Roys. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  24. ↑ "The Quran's deadly role in inspiring Belgian slaughter: Column". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  25. ↑ "Why are young Muslims being radicalized?". Fox News. 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  26. ↑ "Former Muslim: Reading of Quran Shows It's Not Religion of Peace". Newsmax. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  27. ↑ "20160322- Karol Markowicz on Brussels; Nabeel Qureshi Sought Allah and Found Jesus". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
  28. ↑ "Prominent Ex-Muslim Was Asked if Islam Is a Peaceful Religion. Here's His Response". The Blaze. 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  29. ↑ "Do The Roots of Jihad Lie in The Quran?". The Huffington Post. 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  30. ↑ "Christian Apologist Nabeel Qureshi Diagnosed With Advanced Stomach Cancer, Says His Prognosis Is 'Grim'". Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  31. ↑ "Christian Apologist Nabeel Qureshi Dies at 34", by Edward Shih, The Gospel Herald

See Also

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