Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, Vol. 18 [2023], No. 2, Art. 2
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the dream, the Qur'an and the Bible. Even when in disagreement, their
tone was never that of an attack. It was brotherly. They spoke to me in
a loving way that I had never experienced before, especially by my own
religious teachers.”
“We have discussed many things: all three messages of the angels, that
there is only one God, and that the Sabbath is his sign, and we have had
conversations about Isa Al-Masih. I am still learning about God and his
messages.”
“Thave begun to understand what I had only partially known before—
Allah, God, sends the dreams, and then he sends the people who can help
one understand the dreams. Still, conversations can be difficult. There are
many things I do not understand. I am Muslim, and this is a shift in my
thinking. But I know two things: the man in white spoke to me, and there
are Christians who can be kinder than brothers. Please keep praying for
me on my journey.”
Common Features of Dreams
When Jesus reveals himself to a Muslim, he uses recurring themes in
the dreams and visions to provide continuity—necessary so that everyone
knows they come from the same source and authority—providing unity
to the message and confidence for the recipients. These recurrent themes
answer their worldview and the longing of their hearts and minds.
Jesus Identifies Who He Is
Jesus identifies himself as the Way, the Truth, the Life (John 14:6), and
the Light of the world (John 8:12). Muslims are unfamiliar with the term
“the Way,” but the Qur’an encourages them to search for the straight path.
Muslims ask God to lead them to the straight path 17 times a day. Jesus
uses the term “the Way” to lead Muslims to the Bible and the discovery
that he, the Way, is the Straight Path for which, for whom, they have been
looking.
The Qur’an also depicts God as truth and identifies him with the light
of the world (Sura 24:35), both recognizable to Muslims. Further, the
Qur'an states that God is the only one who gives life and takes it. As Jesus
speaks of the three angels’ messages, he emphasizes the first angel's mes-
sage and the necessity of worshipping the Creator. For the Muslim, this
thought of the Creator God harmonizes with Sura 3:49 from the Qur’an,
which says, “I will create for you from the clay.” Thus, through these sym-
bols, Jesus identifies himself as God.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jams/vol18/iss2/2
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/ 10.3262 farmseol18/MiXidn Studies