CHAPTER TWO
TURN THE TABLES
NEW CHRISTIAN STRATEGY
After fifteen years of strenuous efforts to obtain a visa to visit
the Sudan, I received one, at last, in 1992. 1 was welcomed by
that country, and conducted a lecture tour. The purpose of the
tour was to arm my Muslim brethren against the Christian
missionaries who are trying to gain ascendancy there. At
question time at the end of one of my talks in Khartoum, a
university student posed the question:
“Christian crusaders from Britain and America are knocking at
our doors in Khartoum: we Muslims welcome them with our
traditional Arab hospitality of (loosely
translated, means as being part of the family with no formalities).
“Once settled, these missionaries question us whether we Mus
lims believe in the Day of Judgement? Our response is ‘of
course!’ They follow this up with another question: ‘After
Judgement is established, you will inherit heaven if you deserve
it or hell if you have earned it. Do you believe in it?’ Again our
answer is ‘yes!’. In a well planned strategy, this is followed by a
third question: ‘This Heaven of yours; where will it be located, on
Earth or in the skies? What does your Qur’an say?’ We would
like to know from you, Sir, as to what the answer is.”
The dig is in the question — “What does your Qur’an sa y ?” If
you answer — “On Earth,” he will ask, “Show me! (i.e. in the
Qur’an).” If you had answered — “In the skies," He is ready with
the same retort, “Show me!” The enemy is well-trained and well-
armed. He has studied his clients closely. He has discovered that
90% of the Muslims, though they have their preferences, either
for the “Earth” or the “Heavens," they will not be able to point
to any specific verses in the Holy Qur’an to support them. This
is exactly what he wants you to admit. Once you have admitted
your inability to prove your point from the Holy Qur’an, then he