30 Days of Prayer - Muslim Universities

Muslim Universities


Ramadan 2007 / 1428 : Day 28 for October 10

The evolving world of Islamic universities has become a major challenge for Christians. The mission of Islamic education is to establish Quranic values and promote Islamic rule and influence worldwide through university community life and studies. The biographies of leading Muslim fundamentalist intellectuals have become essential reading for many students. Muslim academics are often persuaded that the West (which is often perceived as being Christian) is a major threat to Islam through secular democracy, globalisation, individualism, and liberalised morals.

God at work in Islamia University
The Jamia Millia Islamia has become the largest Muslim University in Delhi, India with 10,400 students and over 1,500 faculty and non-teaching staff. In the Urdu language, Jamia means University, and Millia means National. JMI offers bachelors, masters and PhDs in 32 specialised departments with twenty specialised research centres partnering with Universities around the world. Indian Muslims attend the University and international students come from 38 nations including the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia. JMI students and teachers are predominately strong Muslims yet God is at work!

One JMI student recently had an encounter with Christ through a dream, and today he is a committed believer sharing his faith with others. God continues to open several doors at this university for the Gospel. Making disciples of Muslim students and effectively training them to walk with God is vital to reaching Muslims worldwide for Christ.

Strengthening the Moral Character of Islam
The Jamia Markazu University near Calicut has recently become one of the major cultural and educational institutions in Kerala (Southwest India), attracting students from various parts of India. Ten thousand students study Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic law, Arts, Science and Technology. According to the university’s web site “Its influence reaches far beyond the walls of communal and social barriers. Its work strengthens the moral character of the Muslim society. By developing the leadership capacities of leaders and the Muslim community, Jamia Markaz directly affects the cities, towns and even the rural areas … Armed with renewed vigour and Islamic spirit, Markaz students return to the society with anew wholeness, a new sense of responsibility and practical skills to bring about a moral revolution.”

Many Indian Muslim students and university personnel are involved in or support the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which is officially illegal. This group is actively seeking to orient Indian society toward Islamic values over against Hinduism and secularism. The movement encourages living on the basis of the Qur’an, the propagation of Islam and jihad for the cause of Islam. SIMI, and groups like them play a significant role in propagating fundamentalist Islam worldwide. The student led movement seeks to present Islam creatively through an intellectual and scientific approach (with some success).

Prayer points:
* Pray that Muslim students and staff will have many opportunities to meet Christians with godly life styles and servant attitudes.

* Pray for supernatural encounters with God through dreams and visions among the students and the staff.

* Pray for students to be open to the Gospel and become followers of Jesus. May they plant churches among their own people when they go back home after their studies.

* Pray for God’s wisdom for an effective approaches and partnerships among those witnessing to Muslim university students and staff.

Background information, map and statistics about India can be found on site here