CONVERSION FROM ISLAM: The Conversion Story of Rasaq Olaniyi From Islam to Christianity

INTRODUCTION:

As a lecturer in the Prestigeous Bible School 'All Nations for Christ Bible Institute International' which was founded by the late archbishop Benson Idahosa, I have been privileged to meet with students from different culture and background. But one thing that always seem to intrigue me and is very common among the Muslim converts to Christianity, is the divine orchestration around their conversion story. Here is a brief story of how Rasaq Olaniyi got saved and converted to Christianity.

My name is Rasaq Olaniyi, I was born in the bustling city of Lagos nestled within the coast of West Africa, as a child, I was raised in a devout Islamic family. From a young age, my parents instilled in me a deep reverence for Allah and the teachings of the Quran. Raised in the embrace of a community, my destiny seemed clear—I was destined to follow in my father's footsteps and become an Imam, a respected spiritual leader among our people.

As I grew older, I immersed myself in the study of Islam, committing verses of the Quran to memory and mastering the intricacies of Islamic theology. Under the guidance of my father, I learned to recite the call to prayer with reverence and lead congregational prayers with humility. With each passing day, my devotion to the faith deepened, and I embraced my role as a future Imam with unwavering conviction just like so many others had done within my family.

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But like every other kid within my neighborhood, I was largely a fan of football, and it was a sport which was permitted within my faith. I enjoyed playing football and was highly admired and respected among my friends and teammates for my skillfulness and ability to deliver the team (Pepsi Academy) by scoring goals during competitions.

However, as fate would have it, my life took an unexpected turn when I reached adulthood. Driven by a desire to assist my family, the willingness to seek new opportunities and broaden my horizons began to rise within me, so I made a decision to venture beyond the confines of my hometown and seek employment in the distant city of Benin, Edo State. I Bids farewell to my parents, the entire family members and friends, as I embarked on a journey into the unknown, with my heart filled with hope and anticipation.

Arriving in the ancient city of Benin from Lagos, I was instructed by my family to stay with a man who was not just a Muslim but an Alfa who was into diabolism and various fetish things. I was asked to stay with him so he could be my mentor who was to continue guiding and also train me in the ways of Islam while I was working in Benin. But after spending some weeks in Benin, my expectations were completely smashed, I witnessed so much hardship and suffering. This made me to contemplate returning to Lagos, but at the time, I could not tell what kept discouraging me from doing so and persuading me to stay back. So somehow, I kept holding on and stayed back in Benin.

I eventually found work in a bustling marketplace, where I toiled tirelessly under the scorching sun, earning a meager livelihood to support myself. Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, I found myself drawn to the diverse tapestry of cultures and beliefs that surrounded me. I encountered people of different faiths and traditions, each with their own unique perspectives on life and spirituality.

MY CONVERSION TESTIMONY

Living very close to me in Benin was a very beautiful girl named Chioma (not her real name), I was extremely attracted to her and wanted to be as close to her as possible. I was willing to do anything just to be around her and to spend some time with her. Then one day she invited me to her church. I had never been in a church before, at first, I was reluctant and hesitant to accept, but I could not miss such an opportunity to please her and then get to spend so much time with her, so I had to accept the invite.

On the day of the program, I woke up feeling strange and having so many doubts in my mind, I didn’t know what to put on for the service, and much more, I didn’t know if Allah would be angry at me for entering into the place of worship with the infidels who often blaspheme His name. But I didn’t want to offend Chioma, I had to keep to my promise. When I got to the church that night, everything they were doing was very strange to me, the people were busy dancing, jumping, and clapping in praise to God. They seem very happy and excited about what they were doing in a way that I could not explain. Somehow, deep within me, I wanted to be that free and happy worshipping Allah. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of emptiness and loneliness within me, and something told me I do not belong here and needed to leave. I felt that everyone in the room was much more righteous than I am, I felt less of a person than they all, I felt they had something that I didn’t and could never have.

Also, for the first time in my life, I saw a man (the pastor) calling out people, telling them about their past, family background, the root cause of their problems and praying for them. I saw the sick been healed instantly and they were diverse kinds of miracles happening, at a point during the service, people began to fall to the ground and speaking in a strange tongue. I knew they were not faking it because the atmosphere changed in a way that I could not understand or explain. You could feel a force or power moving within the atmosphere. I was completely overwhelmed. On getting home, because of what I saw that night, it triggered me to ask myself, is the God of the Christians different from the one I knew before? Is he more powerful than the one we worship in Islam? I was curious about so many things which prompted me to go again with my friend a second time but all I wanted to hear from that man (the Pastor) was for him to tell me that I will have money, when I will have it and how it will come, just the way he spoke to so many people about their personal problems the other night.

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When we got to the church, my heart and thoughts were pacing as I did not know what to expect. I can’t remember what the pastor was preaching about but somehow, I was completely captivated deep down in my spirit, and I felt like I was completely lost, and undeserving of the love of God. I fought so hard to hold back the tears that filled my eyes as I didn’t want my friend to see me cry. And the pastor asked that if anyone would want to accept Jesus, I hurriedly went out without hesitation, it was as though a force pulled me out, I did not even understand what they were talking about, but then I surrendered my life to Christ.

In the days that followed, I began to attend Christian gatherings and engage in conversations with members of the church. I listened intently as they shared stories of faith, love, and redemption, each tale resonating deeply with my own longing for spiritual truth. Through their guidance and support, I embarked on a transformative journey of discovery, delving into the teachings of Jesus Christ and the message of salvation.

As I immersed myself in the study of Christianity, I was grappled with conflicting emotions and doubts, torn between the faith of my upbringing and the newfound truths that resonated within my heart. Yet, through prayer and reflection, I found clarity and conviction, embracing Christianity as the path to redemption and eternal life.

With courage and conviction, I made the decision to publicly profess my faith in Jesus Christ by informing my parents and going ahead to perform the baptism as a symbol of my newfound commitment to follow the teachings of the Bible. Though this decision brought anguish to my family and community, and i was even disowned and disinherited by my family but I remained steadfast in the faith, trusting in the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit to guide me on this journey.

In the years that followed, life became a testament to the transformative power of faith and love. As I continued to walk the path of Christianity, I found solace and strength in the embrace of a new spiritual family, bound together by a shared belief in the grace and mercy of God. Though this journey was fraught with challenges and hardships, I remained steadfast in my devotion to God, knowing that I had found a true home in the arms of a loving Savior.

I then attended the Hami Prophetic Bible College after which I was ordained to be an evangelist and after that, God spoke to me in a vision directing me to go and be trained at the All Nations For Christ Bible Institute International, founded by the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa where am currently running my degree in biblical theology.

CONCLUSION

And so, the story of Rasaq Olaniyi serves as a reminder that faith knows no boundaries and that the journey of the heart is guided by the hand of a higher power. In embracing the call of his soul, Rasaq Olaniyi discovered the boundless grace and love of God, transforming his life and illuminating the path to everlasting peace and salvation. They church must brace up to its evangelical responsibility and must be willing to assist and take care of Muslim converts as majority of them are often disowned by their family for embracing Christianity.