[Field Story] Somali Christian convert stabbed by Muslim relative

A man who converted from Islam to Christianity was attacked and seriously injured by a Muslim relative, and his wife and five children were all kidnapped.

According to Morning Star News, Mohammad Abdul (40), who converted to Christianity on March 20, was attacked with a knife by Muslim relatives on May 5 outside Kismayo, a port city in the Lower Juba region of southern Somalia, but survived. left. However, a pastor who requested anonymity reported that while Abdul was recovering in hospital, his relatives took his wife and children.

“While Abdul was recovering from his injuries, Muslims returned to his house, destroyed it, and took his wife and five children away,” the pastor said. “The wife said the Muslims were looking for Abdul and that he should not return to them.”

Abdul suffered a deep cut to his head and a fracture to his hand after being stabbed. Fearing for his life, he fled to another city in Somalia.

Last March, Abdul accepted Christ when a pastor living outside Somalia visited his home and preached the gospel. Since then, Abdul and his family prayed and studied the Bible with the pastor.

Then one day, the youngest child, 5 years old, told a neighbor about the meeting, and Abdul's wife, concerned for the pastor's safety, asked the pastor to leave.

(Omitted)

Abdul asked for prayers, that the God, who still speaks to him, would also take care of Abdul’s family.

According to the U.S. State Department, Somalia's constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and prohibits the spread of other religions. The law also requires compliance with the principles of Sharia, the Islamic law, which applies to non-Muslims without exception.

According to the mainstream school of Islamic jurisprudence, the death penalty for apostasy is included in Islamic law.

Somalia's Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab is allied with Al Qaeda and adheres to the same teachings.

Al-Shabab and its supporters have killed several foreigners in northern Kenya after Kenya's military led African Union forces against Somali rebels in 2011 in response to attacks on tourists and residents along the Kenyan coast.

Somalia ranks second out of 50 countries on the 2024 World Watch List (WWL) selected by Open Doors, a Christian persecution monitoring group.

Source: News

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95: 1-3)

Lord our God, the Rock of Salvation, we praise you for saving Mohammad Abdul with your great grace.

We hear the very sad news that Mohammad Abdul was attacked by his Muslim relatives and had his wife and children taken away after he accepted Jesus Christ.

May the wounds and fractures caused by the attack be healed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and may his family also return safely.

We pray that Mohammad Abdul and his family, who continue to pray and rely on God even after the life threatening attack, would be able to praise the Lord as their Rock of Salvation and to even lift up Somalia in their prayers.

May Mohammad and his family be the ones to declare the good news to the dying souls of Somalia, who do not know the truth and are dying away believing in a false god. May Somalia rise up as a people to follow Jesus Christ, who is a great King above all gods!