Buried Alive!

But Lived to Share My Story

For a long time, I was restless. As a child, I studied magic and joined my parents in making ritual offerings to the dead. On special days, my friends and I would visit the graves of our ancestors, praying to the ancestor spirits for hours at a time. I also performed ritual Muslim prayers three times a day and read the Qur'an. Not satisfied with these activities, I sought satisfaction in alcohol, gambling and fights.

Then I found a job as a security guard. One day a young man greeted me and asked for some water to wash his hands. As he washed, we talked. He was positive and friendly. The next day he came again. We met almost every day, until I regarded this young man as a friend.

One day, I shared my life story and the problems I was facing. My friend told me I needed the help of the one True God. He told me there is just one True God, the God who revealed Himself to humanity. I eagerly asked, "Who is that God?" He started explaining what the Qur'an says about Isa al Masih.

At home, I studied the Qur'an, asking myself, "Who is this Isa al Masih?" The Qur'an says that Isa al Masih was not conceived as we were, but by the command of Allah. Isa is the most powerful being on the earth and in the heavens. He has the power to perform miracles, even bringing food from the sky. He has power to chase away evil spirits, heal diseases and even raise dead people. I was impressed.

I had never heard before about the power and authority of Isa al Masih. When I saw my friend again, he told me that I could learn more about Isa al Masih in the Injil (New Testament). We began to read the Injil together. Finally, I decided to receive Isa al Masih as my Savior.

After I became a follower of Isa al Masih, I had many challenges and trials. First a typhoon knocked my house down. Then my child died. My neighbors began to taunt me saying my child died because I follow Isa al Masih. My neighbors made many negative accusations against my family. They regarded me as an apostate, but I am still a Muslim.

One day my uncle challenged me, "If Isa al Masih has power to raise dead people, let us bury you." I answered, "If I am buried alive and die, I will die because of Isa al Masih. I am not afraid because I will go to heaven. But if I survive, it means Isa al Masih has the power to save my life." That evening, I was put into a grave and it was filled in with dirt. In the grave, I was still able to breathe even though the earth pressed on my body. I could not see anything. I kept praying. I was buried for about one hour. Later my eldest child, together with some family members. dug up the grave and carried me out. They were amazed that I had survived. It was time for me to declare publicly that Isa al Masih has power on the earth and in the heavens.

I shared with my family and friends about Isa al Masih. Many rejected him, but some believed. We began to meet to study the Injil, share about our lives and pray together. In the beginning we had few members, but now many friends and family have joined. Our lives are always being changed by the Injil. We are Muslims who are born again in Isa al Masih.


Prayer Points

  • Thank God for the good things that he has been doing in the author's life. Pray that as the author shares his story with family and friends, many of them would decide to follow Isa al Masih.
  • Pray that the author's prayer group would continue to be transformed by the Good News, and that many similar groups would start among Southeast Asia's Muslims.