From Cairo to Christ: How One Muslim’s Faith Journey Shows the Way for Others by Abu Atallah and Kent A. Van Til

Abu Atallah was “a good Muslim kid” who grew up in Cairo, Egypt, in a culture where his “religion was not an afterthought about what life after death might be like, but a holistic understanding of what life is now.” In fact, he says, “the air I breathed was Islamic.”

When both his father and a cousin whom he dearly loved suddenly died, Atallah’s world was shaken. For a short time, he became involved with the Muslim Brotherhood, a conservative group of Egyptians whose goal was to make their nation an Islamic state. Atallah soon witnessed violence the Muslim Brotherhood meted out on its opponents, and he quietly left the group.

Soon after, Atallah met a group of Christians who spoke of God as a loving Father who sent his Son Jesus to save people and to restore the cosmos to himself. He also witnessed how loving the Christians were toward each other. He was confused yet curious. Though drawn to the love of Christ, he was painfully aware of the repercussions of conversion: “If I were to become a Christian, it would mean not only changing my religion but changing my whole identity and bringing shame upon my family. Changing from Islam to Christianity would mess up my life forever.” In fact, Atallah knew that his life would be threatened and he would have to go into exile.

Atallah’s conversion narrative is filled with painful losses. More important, it is a story of gaining Christ, the greatest treasure. Since then, God has used Atallah to lead hundreds of Muslims in many countries to Jesus.

Atallah’s insights into both Islam and Christianity, as well as his personal experiences and those of other Muslim converts, make this book an inspiring, informative, and practical resource for all who desire to witness of Christ’s love to Muslims. Discussion questions for each chapter are suitable for individual or group study. (IVP)