Monthly Archives: August 2026

This email is Muslim Connect number 500. In a few months we’ll celebrate ten years with prizes, balloons and popsicles. But for today, I’m feeling both grateful and a little sad. 

Grateful for the valiant people who read Muslim Connect, for those who’ve written back with thanks or kind words, and for those who’ve responded to set me straight. (Which I definitely need from time to time.) I’m grateful for every kind action directed toward a Muslim person and every faithful prayer directed to God on their behalf. 

I’m grateful for the rich history of Islamic people groups and for the kaleidoscopic beauty of their cultures.

I’m grateful we live in a day and age where more Muslim peoples than ever before have access to the good news about Jesus and more Christians are actively reaching out to them. Muslims are finding life in Christ and glorifying God like never before. 

I’m sad that Muslims continue to be a focal point for our national angst. I assume the percentage of us who make inflammatory content about Muslims roughly equals the percentage of Muslims doing publicly stupid things. But too much of such content gets too much visibility. 

Finally, I’m hopeful God will accomplish everything he wants. He’ll gain the glory and the followers he deserves. And we’ll enjoy the fullness of his kingdom with countless friends from Muslim backgrounds. 

As a small effort toward that great end, Muslim Connect will continue to encourage us to think about Muslims the way God does and love them like Jesus does. Thank you for reading, praying and taking action.

Guess how members of the Muslim Connect tribe are like my dog. Oh, never mind, you’ll never get it.

A couple days ago, I went out our bedroom window onto the roof over our front porch to fix our internet receiver that had gotten smoked by lightning. As I set the old one down inside I saw a flash in my peripheral vision: Our dog jumped through the open window, sprinted across the porch roof and launched himself into space and onto the gravel 10 feet below. He then proceeded to tear off down the road. . . after a rabbit! 

You see the connection, don’t you? You and I’d jump off a roof to go say hi to a Muslim! Well, maybe not literally. But I’ve changed plans, seats and even countries to get to a good chat. God has simply given us a love and a desire. It’s Jesus; not us. And it can be a lot of fun. 

Here’s a new, timely reason to open a conversation. Its shelf life is short, but I’m betting it’s a low threat, high fun way to connect:

Next week is Mawlid al-Nabi (or simply Mawlid, Milad, or Mevlid), the celebration of Muhammad’s birthday. While some Muslims do not celebrate this, convinced it’s an unauthorized addition to the faith, many do and in a variety of ways. 

Some of them are eerily similar to Christmas: There are songs, poems, sweets, and pageants. Also like Christmas, some Muslims commemorate Mawlid with thoughtful, sober prayers and remembrances of Muhammad. 

This year’s celebration happens next Tuesday, August 26th. 

Here’s the challenge: Ask a Muslim friend or acquaintance, “Do you celebrate Mawlid al-Nabi?” If they say yes, there are a dozen follow ups, including, “Can you tell me a fond Mawlid memory from when you were a kid.” If they say no, drop to plan B and ask, “What other holidays have importance for you?” If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s Muslim Connect. It’s a special one! 

There are a number of things that keep me humble. One is semi-regularly learning amazing things about which I had no idea. Today’s? Arbaeen. (arr-bah-EEN)

Have you heard about this? It’s a Hajj-ish Islamic pilgrimage, but mainly for Shias. Sunnis and Shias split over succession of community leadership after Muhammad’s death and when the dominant guys killed Husayn ibn Ali, Muhammad’s grandson in the Battle of Karbala, the minorities found their forever martyr. 

Shias begin to commemorate Husayn’s death on Ashura each year. Then forty days later they gather at his grave in the city of Karbala for prayers and memorials. 

Here’s where it gets crazy: 

• While Saudi Arabia caps Hajj attendance at around 2 million. Arbaeen sees around 20 million these days. It’s the Hajj 10X and relatively little mention makes it to the popular press!
• Many of the pilgrims begin their journey in Najaf in southern Iraq, then walk 45 miles north to Karbala. Along the way, volunteers, often local people along the route, feed, house, charge phones and generally care for pilgrims.
• One million Iranians joined this year’s pilgrimage to commemorate Husayn’s death. They see history echo in the recent killing of their leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• Arbaeen was disallowed during the reign of Saddam Hussein from 1979 until his U.S.-led overthrow in 2003. This may be part of the reason many of us have not heard about it.
• The pilgrimage is called Arbaeen because that is the Arabic number for fortieth and it signifies the end of 40 days of mourning for Husayn. 

For more information on Arbaeen, check out this reel featuring the biggest shwarma spit I’ve ever seen! Read this essay for a possibly too positive description of the pilgrimage and Wikipedia for the straight scoop.

You saw this, right? Last week around 60,000 mostly young, male Moroccans swam around a fence into the city of Ceuta. I wouldn’t blame you if you’d never heard of it nor can pronounce it. I hadn’t. I can pronounce now it because I’ve been working on it. It’s SAY ū ta. Did you get it right?

The exclave of Ceuta belongs to Spain, but is part of Africa! It’s normally home to a few more than the number who showed up last week. Most of the migrants have gone home now, either of their own accord or at the butt end of a baton. As you’d imagine, Ceuta is still on edge, wondering about the migrants who remain and if this will happen again. 

This matters to the Muslim Connect tribe because 99% of Moroccans are Muslim. While some portion of the world looks on them as lawless, dumb criminals intent on destroying every good thing in Europe, we know them to be people created in the image of God and died for by Jesus. 

Were they breaking the law? Probably. Were they taken advantage of by smugglers telling a too-good-to-be-true tale? Possibly. Were they pawns in a tiff between Morocco and Spain? Wouldn’t be the first time. 

And it might not be the last: Rumors abound that another crush will happen on August 15th. 

Have you ever fallen for a deal that was too good to be true? I have. I nearly lost a ton of money scrambling senselessly to buy a bunch of silly-cheap Blundstone boots from a spoof site. 

Imagine having no job and no real hope there’d ever be a job for you and then hearing reports that Spain is opening the door to migrants. I’d be tempted to try to be one! Wouldn’t you?

Check out Muslim Connect reader, John Lites’ incisive and funny Facebook post riffing on the “invasion.” If reels are more your thing, this one is a helpful intro. 

Finally, thanks to the kind, helpful and obviously amazing Muslim Connect readers who shared some of the questions and opening lines to connect with Muslims. You can check them out here (And add yours, as well!)