What will people say? Collectivist cultures, like those from which our Muslim neighbours come, prioritize the needs, goals, and harmony of the group over individual desires. Thus, in big decisions the phrase “what will people say?” is very meaningful. This is especially so in making any counter-cultural decisions, like in matters of faith.
Latest posts
Network updates
Muslims show the greatest respect to the Prophet Muhammad especially during the celebration of Mawlid al-Nabi. And that makes Mawlid a great time to talk about how important Jesus is to us, not just as a prophet, but as our Saviour. Starting a conversation can be tricky, but it’s as simple as asking ‘How will you be celebrating Mawlid?’
This month we’re sharing some ideas on how we can engage with, and pray for, our Muslim friends and colleagues.
Did you know that we have a Mahabba prayer group just for millennials? It was launched in January. It is for anyone aged between 18-40. This month we’ll learn a little more about the group and the volunteer who leads it as well as looking at the Support Circle and inviting you to be part of our face to face – virtually.
We hope that you were one of the many who joined our bi-annual prayer meeting last Friday. It was an encouraging time with music, testimony and prayer. Have you ever wondered what the Mahabba circles are all about? They’re part of our vision of being a grassroots organisation.
This month we want to share with you two events that tie in with our values of Encouraging Prayer and Enabling all Christians. Our vision is to grow regular, persistent prayer for our Muslim brothers and sisters. We also want to see Christians grow in confidence, equipped to share Jesus with their Muslim neighbours. Are these things that you could be involved in? Could you invite people in your church to join you in your vision?
The summer is often a time when things slow down as people take time for holiday and relaxation. This provides a great opportunity to reflect on the year so far and to look forward to the autumn term. We at Mahabba thought we’d do the same and share some thoughts with you.
Did you manage to wish your Muslim friends ‘Eid Mubarak’ (blessed Eid) as they celebrated Eid ul-Adha last weekend? You may also know of people who are undertaking the Hajj at this time. These are both great occasions for sharing stories about your faith and the Biblical take on these topics.
For Mahabba, it’s all about the relationship – not strategies, not techniques just a real love for our Muslim friends and neighbours. And that’s why we love hearing stories from our groups. Stories are a genuine reflection of the work that our members are doing, and they spur us on and encourage us.
Muslims around the world have recently celebrated Eid el Fitr, the festival that concludes the Islamic month of Ramadan. At the Mahabba Network we’re celebrating the success of our Ramadan prayer meetings, and particularly the ‘Night of Prayer’ meeting.
The 8th March marks International Women’s Day, this year the theme is #BreakTheBias.
Mahabba Network members have been working with women across the UK (and the world!) for several decades. Here are three areas for prayer, as shared with us by members of Mahabba.
Blogs and Vlogs
A Mahabba group member shares about the opportunities they have to speak about the Bible at their local mosque during Ramadan.
The Islamic month of Ramadan is a time of opportunity to start conversations with Muslim friends and colleagues.
This was my first experience of the Muslim Eid of Mawlid, the celebration of the birth of Muhammad. There is another aspect to this particular Eid. It is bitterly contested within the Muslim community.
Christmas and Easter are great opportunities for us to be sharing the meaning behind our celebrations and to point our Muslim friends to consider Jesus.
The book of Revelation has a recurring phrase: “ To him who overcomes will be given …” Some preachers would stir our hearts to activity and a “success” mentality by implying that this phrase refers to fruitfulness. But might it really be pointing to faithfulness and perseverance?
In Matthew 10, we read of Jesus sending out the 12, giving them instructions as they go to share the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus goes on to warn them about the conflict and antagonism to come - but there are also encouragements that we should take on board.
How many of us have felt the pressure to be ‘fruitful’ in ministry and have heard that voice inside our heads that we must be working harder, doing more or making it happen? Some say that there is a dichotomy between faithfulness and faithfulness. Is this the case?
Action & impact
In the kingdom of God there is always lots to celebrate, but this month we are particularly thankful for the successful face-to-face meeting of Mahabba Coordinators, for answered prayer and for new volunteers.
We’re excited to tell you about a Mahabba event that happened in Croydon last weekend called the Hope Event. This regular gathering is designed for people to bring a friend from another faith background. This time they had an African theme, celebrating God’s diversity and creativity. We also want to highlight some of the other things that Mahabba is involved in such as Millennial and Juma prayers.
As the Mahabba group we strive to be proactive in what we’re doing, supporting those who are living out the Mahabba vision – encouraging prayer, enabling all Christians, envisioning the Christian community, engaging with Muslims. Read about some of the ways that we’re doing this.
The Mahabba Network is unlike many other charitable organisations in that we work with a grassroots setup. We are all about the network groups that meet for prayer, support and encouragement. Those groups are the thing that drives us forward and motivates the work that we do.
This month we have three stories to share from people from the Mahabba network who are reaching out to and befriending Muslims in their communities. We are thankful for the support that Mahabba receives that means that we can have a part to play in stories like these.
The train strikes prevented a face-to-face meeting, but the Mahabba trustees still met online to discuss how best to continue with our network origins, listening to those at a grassroots level and how we can better communicate. It was an encouraging and fruitful time.
Lovefast
Latest events
The Islamic month of Ramadan runs from 10 March to 8 April this year (2024). Ramadan is a great time to start conversations with Muslim friends and colleagues and to focus on praying for Muslims in our local community and across the UK. These next few weeks are full of opportunities!