A Four Question Interview by Boundless with Nabeel Qureshi New York Times bestselling author of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.

Author Nabeel Qureshi has a personal stake in making sure that American Muslims are not misunderstood and persecuted: Although he is a Christian, he grew up in a loving Muslim family that still practices Islam.

Qureshi’s journey to becoming a Christian began in medical school when he was debating matters of faith with a fellow student, who was a Christian. Qureshi read the Bible for the purpose of research, and eventually, he embraced Christ as Lord, rather than simply a prophet. In the years following, Qureshi began working with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and wrote the bestselling book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Qureshi talked about his conversion in a 2014 interview with Boundless.

The recent rise of violence from some Muslim groups has troubled Qureshi and prompted him to write a new book, Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward, to provide clarity amidst the cacophony of voices speaking out about what defines Islam. In an interview with Boundless, he began by addressing how Christians should approach their Muslim neighbors if they do not trust them.

1. In your book, you reject the idea that Islam is a “religion of peace,” because, as you say, “violence is writ large throughout the pages of Islamic history, including in its foundations.” But at the same time, you say “that does not mean our Muslim neighbors are violent.” The reassurance about Muslim neighbors is cold comfort for people who fear that, under the right circumstances, belief in a violent religion could beget violent action. How should Christians, in particular, love their Muslim neighbors if they find themselves struggling to trust them?

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus! Jesus loved His enemies, even those who were crucifying Him! In Luke 23:34, Jesus says of His crucifiers, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Truly, we are the ones Jesus died for — how beyond hope this world would have been if Jesus had waited for evidence that He could trust us before loving us! We, as Christians, have been called to live like Jesus, to transform this world by God’s radical grace through us, even dying for it if we have to. The sooner we realize that this is our mission, the sooner the world will be transformed. Until then, though we call ourselves “Christians,” we won’t be living like Christ, so we will be taking the Lord’s name in vain.

For non-Christians, though, I would emphasize that people are not purely logical systems. Though their worldview might be built upon violent foundations, this does not mean they will become violent. Most people never investigate their worldview, let alone live consistently with it. When they do investigate it, though, it behooves us to be present and help them process what they find. When Muslims are finally confronted with the reality of Islam’s violent foundations, they will reach an important intersection in their lives and will pick one of three paths: apostasy, apathy or radicalization. Let us not shy away from being their friends — that way, we can walk with them before they reach that fork in the road. Only then will we have earned the right to speak into their decisions and lead them away from the path of radicalization.

2. To a lot of Christians, you’re something of a folk hero because you came from Islam to Christianity and now publicly proclaim Christ. How does it feel to know that some of those same people would view you with derision if you hadn’t yet begun following Jesus?

I have the great privilege of traveling with and learning from Dr. Ravi Zacharias. He once imparted upon me a nugget of wisdom that I guard close to my heart. He said, “Nabeel, to stay humble as a young minister, don’t believe the things people say about you.” I think the same is true of both praise and criticisms. People are quick to dole out criticism to perceived enemies, warranted or not. The reality is we are all human, both those doing the criticism and those receiving it. The only opinion that ultimately matters is God’s opinion of us. Praise Him, we are so graciously blessed that He has made a way for us to be seen as His sons and daughters!

That said, your question hits close to home on why I constantly encourage Christians to love their neighbors. Any suspicion or derision that they mete out to a Muslim could be pushing away my cousin or my uncle. In fact, it could be pushing away the next Paul. Let us not forget that Paul was himself a great persecutor of the church, and yet God used this man as a vessel to compose Scripture. Romans, Philippians, and First Corinthians, just to name a few, were written by a man whom some people today describe as a “terrorist” before he met Jesus. If God encouraged Christians to love a “terrorist” when the church had all the fragility of a newborn, how much more ought we be willing to love our peaceful Muslim neighbors as a full-grown, global body of Christ?

3. The thing that first struck me about Answering Jihad was the dedication. You dedicate it to your sister and then say, “I miss how close we were in our childhood … You are the most loving sister a younger brother could ask for. I pray that your love for people would extend into a love for truth. I am begging God for the day that we can worship Him together.” That’s provocative, Nabeel. I mean, you basically come right out and say that she doesn’t love truth. Are you worried about how she will respond if she sees this?