Book Review of The Crescent Through The Eyes Of The Cross by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour

If I was asked to describe this book in one word I would have to say, “WOW!”

In two words, “Eye Opening!”

Dr. Jabbour did a masterful job at making me realize that I have no idea what Muslims believe or how they view us as Christians. OK, I will stop being politically correct; Dr. Jabbour busted my chops!

Dr. Jabbour was born in Syria, grew up in Lebanon and lived in Cairo for fifteen years, so he has a deep understanding of Muslim culture and religion. Dr. Jabbour created a fictional character, Ahmad, which was the culmination of many of the Muslims he has known over the years. Through Ahmad, Dr. Jabbour puts together a case for the Muslim faith. While building this case he points out how we as Christians do not understand Muslims, and as far as I’m concerned he hits the nail on the head.

Here is one of the points Ahmad makes that really blew me away:

“If a young Palestinian man who is an American citizen leaves this country and goes to Palestine and uses his only available weapon, his body, to defend his occupied territory, you perceive him as a terrorist. When you read in your Bible how Samson died, do you perceive him as a terrorist? Do you blame Samson for using his only available weapon, his body, to kill innocent civilians?”

Now don’t misunderstand the point. Ahmad was not condoning suicide bombing, but just saying that our position on it is inconsistent. We see Samson as a hero because he died for what he thought was right. Don’t the suicide bombers die for what they think is right?

I think the biggest effect this book had on me was it showed me that I do have some prejudices toward Muslims that are unfounded and wrong. Christ died for them too. They need the gospel just like I do. They are people with souls and hearts, and many of them are searching for something real. If we are ever going to begin reaching out to Muslims effectively this book should be used as the starting point.

Upon completing this book, Dr. Jabbour gives you the opportunity to contact him directly and he makes more resources available to you free of charge. This guy is the real deal and this book is a must-read!