03/16/2023 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Women who grow up in a Muslim household are often at the mercy of the men they are married off to. They typically lack the education and resources to make it on their own as single women due to cultural norms and standards.
Many Muslim women who come to faith in Christ are faced with the painful decision to share their faith and risk losing everything or stay underground and live an outward lie. And to add to the pressure, these women are often mothers, and their marriage provides their children with the support and security they need to thrive.
Jane was 26 years old when she was married. Her husband treated her well for the first eight years until he married two more women and began to severely mistreat her.
The situation steadily worsened over the next five years, culminating in her husband’s refusal to pay for the basic needs of Jane and her children in 2020. Desperate for a source of income to cover her children’s food, clothes, and school fees, Jane attempted to start her own business.
However, it ultimately failed due to a lack of starting capital. For two years, she and her children continued to struggle greatly. Her husband still allowed them to live in his home, but his constant abuse made their lives miserable.
In May 2022, Christian preachers came to her town and shared the gospel with her. They told her to cast her burdens onto Jesus, and at that moment, Jane decided to trust in Jesus and became a Christian.
“After receiving Christ, I went back home and told my husband. The only answer I received from him was that he should not find me at the house when he returned from Muslim prayers, but I thought it was a joke,” Jane said. “When he returned home, he asked me if I had become a Christian. I said yes, but before I could finish speaking, he slapped my face and pulled me out of bed. He pushed me outside the house and started throwing my things after me. He went back inside, woke up my four kids, and told them to go outside with their stupid mother who had decided to become a Christian.”
He told them mockingly, “Let her take you to her Jesus.”
Jane and her children spent the night outside, not knowing what to do next.
“He said he would accept us again only if I denied Christ and returned to his religion. I could not do that because I knew the Christ I received could not fail me,” Jane said.
Jane and her children ended up staying at a Christian friend’s house temporarily but they then pressured her to leave after a few weeks.”
An ICC staff member heard about Jane’s situation and in September 2022, ICC sent her the funds to rent and stock a retail shop with a house attached. It was the startup capital she previously lacked.
In response, Jane said, “I thank God for this shop. My salvation is not in vain now because God has done it for me. I am so excited that I have received my dream. I have desired to own my shop for years, and now I have one. My life will change with this shop, and I will do my best to make it work no matter what.”
ICC equips dozens of women around the world every year who have been kicked to the curb because they chose to speak up about their faith.
To read more stories like this, sign up for ICC’s free monthly magazine.
