Not many people have a big group of Muslim friends. If you were a Muslim, chances are you have a large network of family and friends who are still Muslims. This is a unique opportunity that you can use to tell them about Jesus.
Maintain close ties
It is common for a person to be ostracized from the family and/or community at large when they leave Islam to become a Christian. It is also natural for the new Christian to want to avoid his Muslim family members and friends for fear of persecution.
If that is the case, then the Christian may be walking away from precious opportunities to win them to Christ. I would advise the believers to maintain close ties with their Muslim family and friends as much as possible for the sake of evangelizing to them.
Show them your life is different
Your Muslim friends will be watching you closely. Has your life changed for the better or worse after you have become a Christian? If your life is no different, it would be difficult for them to be motivated to become a Christian.
On the other hand, if they notice that your life has been transformed, even they will be curious to know what caused it. That would be a great opportunity to tell them about Jesus.
Have a target list of those you want to reach out to
If you don’t have a target, chances are you will miss it. People who fulfill their goals are people who have spelled them out at the onset.
If you want to win people for Christ, you have to be focused and targeted.
List down the people you would like to share the gospel with.
Become friends with them
Why friendship is important
Muslims are unlikely to become your brethren until they first become your friends. True friendship is one of the strongest bonds in this world and where Christians are able to build and develop such friendships with Muslims, they simultaneously lay the strongest possible foundation for an effective witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ. This means that it is imperative that we should seek to establish personal contacts with Muslims, praying to God to create opportunities, and to cultivate these until solid personal relationships grow between them and us. *
Studies have shown that people normally have seven to nine contacts with the gospel message before they receive Jesus. That means that we should not approach evangelism with a hit-and-run attitude. We should continue to maintain contact with someone even though they may not immediately believe.
We should have common interests with non-believers so that we can spend time with them. Christians should not box themselves in their own world and become so heaven oriented that they have no earthly good. Jesus always has time to spend with non-believers. He did not spend all his time in the synagogue.
Friendship with the family
The need for developing open family friendships has been recognized by virtually all who work among Muslims. The family unit is one of the most cherished values in the Muslim world and, wherever possible, Christians should seek to befriend whole families and involve their own spouses and children in the family-to-family friendship. In such a way lasting relationships develop where true friendships are best established.
Acts of hospitality
Muslims are given to hospitality and Christians should welcome invitations to share meals with them. Christians likewise must be willing to invite Muslims to their homes in return.
Few Muslims will object when a Christian says grace before a meal begins as this is common in Islam as well. Likewise, when Christians are careful to find out in advance which foods are acceptable to Muslims and which are not.
Acts of love
Nothing gains the heart and confidence of a Muslim like true love put into practice. Among the many things that make up true friendship evangelism, none is more vital or important than selfless love from the heart. If we are to truly give Muslims a foretaste of the kingdom of God, we must act towards them charitably, unselfishly, and with a caring spirit.
Pray for opportunities to share Jesus with your friends
Pray that God will give you the opportunity to share with your friends about Jesus.
(Col 4:3-4 NIV) And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. {4} Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
You can turn normal conversation topics into something deeper to share Christ with them. Read more.
Jesus is a worker of miracles in both the Quran and the Bible. Read more.
If a Muslim shares with you his needs, there may be an opportunity to show the power of Jesus to meet his need.
Encourage them to search for truth
Some Muslims may have apprehensions about talking to Christians about religion matters. Assure them that it is all right to have discussions with Christians. Encourage them to read the Bible for themselves
Muhammad encouraged his followers to have dialogue with the Jews and the Christians.
Surah 16:125. Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious…s
And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which we (i.e. Allah) reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture before thee (Surah 10:94).
There is no need to fear discussion because truth stands clear from error.
Surah 2:256. Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error.
Tell them that it is all right to search for truth. Muslims fear that Allah’s wrath will be aroused if they try to question Islam or the Quran.
Should we quote from the Quran?
Appeal to the Quran because Muslims know very little and do not accept the authenticity of the Bible
Many Muslims know very little about the Bible. Many have never read the Bible (except certain extracts torn from their proper context and wrested to support the foregone conclusions of Muslim writers).
Even if a Muslim has read the Bible, he still denies its authenticity, genuineness, and authority. That is why it is best to start with an approach that uses the Quran. The Bible can be introduced at a later stage after you have caused him to think deeper about his Quran.
Appeal to the Quran because Muslims attach much weight to it
No appeal to the Bible can have any weight until the objections that Muslims bring against it are removed. The best way to do this is, as experience has proved, to show that these objections are opposed to the Quran’s own clear statements.
It does not mean that a Christian who appeals to the Quran is acknowledging that it is completely a revelation from God
Christians are sometimes asked why they quote from the Quran when they do not believe in it. We can take the approach that while we do not believe in the whole Quran, there are truths in the Quran that both Muslims and Christians can agree on and use for discussion.
We do not appeal to evidences from the Quran because we acknowledge that it is really God’s word to men. But we quote it to show that the beliefs that Muslims have are contradictory to the statements of the book that they themselves believe to be God’s Word.
The importance of apologetical debates when witnessing to Muslims.
A Christian evangelizing Muslims will almost of necessity find himself, to a greater or less degree, compelled to engage in some kind of debate/discussion with them.
It is necessary to be ready with a suitable reply to the Muslim’s objections.
(1 Pet 3:15 NIV) Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…
We must never seek controversy merely for its own sake, but we must never shun it, lest we convey the impression that no answer can be given to the Muslim objections.
Try to avoid sensitive topics
Never be led into answering such a question as, “What do you think of Muhammad?” or into making a direct attack upon him. To do so would be to offend your hearers and do immense harm.
Even Christians should not forget the good points of Muhammad. He did a good job in leading people out of idolatry. Although what he taught may disagree with Christians believe in certain areas, we can still find a lot of truths within the Quran.
Use polite titles for their prophets
The missionary should be careful to give some title of courtesy to Muhammad or the other prophets. For example, instead of saying “Muhammad” we say “Prophet Muhammad”.
There is nothing wrong with a Christian doing that because our Muslim friends acknowledge him as a prophet, even if we do not.
Be careful of the what theological terms you use.
Do not use words that they may not understand e.g. atonement, redemption, kingdom of heaven, etc. Whenever possible, use his own theological terms, making quite sure that you fully understand them.