Good Book Company Events Manager Dean Faulkner shares his memories of a packed conference where the recently deceased Nabeel was the main speaker.
I first met Nabeel Querishi in the early part of 2016. He was the main speaker at an event I was involved in. Despite the demands on his time and the obvious attention he attracted Nabeel remained calm, hospitable and generous in how he engaged with people and dealt with the situation around him.
It was in preparation for this event that I started reading his books and discovering just what a journey this man had been on. Born in to a Muslim family and immersed in Muslin culture and Islamic apologetics, it took great courage and no little strength of character to examine in detail the claims of the Bible to the point where he came to faith through debate with a medical friend.
At that conference in East London, Nabeel spoke with great clarity, insight and understanding on all sorts of cross cultural issues. He answered the many general questions that were put to him in a way that was both profound and persuasive. But I was especially struck by the way he answered those of a more specific and personal nature in a sensitive and caring way; Every answer was rooted in and guided by scripture.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and Answering Jihad, just two of the books written by Nabeel have been outstanding in helping my understanding of the differences between two cultures and faiths. Through them Querishi helped me know how to engage with the various debates on world religion and gave me a deeper insight into the Muslim faith in general. His approach was from a deeply personal perspective, which makes these books unique. I would thoroughly recommend both.
Nabeel's death this weekend will be deeply felt by his family, and by his friends and colleagues at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). More, it will leave a huge hole in the cross-culture, cross-faith debate and the understanding needed to bring Muslim and Christian believers closer together in their understanding of and engagement with each other.
So I for one will be giving thanks for a life that, while shorter than we would have hoped, has impacted so many individuals around the world, and will continue to do through his books.
Join us in praying for the family, friends and colleagues of Nabeel, and for giving thanks for his life and witness.
Dean is the Sales Manager at The Good Book Company. He engages with churches, organisations and individuals to provide them with useful resources for their varying ministries. Dean attends St John's Church in Woking, where he lives with his family.
