I Dared To Call Him Father - Bilquis Sheikh
Published by Kingsway Publications: Eastbourne, England, 1982 (1978).
This book has been sitting on my shelf for years, waiting to be read. I picked it up half-heartedly two days ago, not really convinced I was going to get very far through it.
I read almost two thirds of the book in a single sitting and have finished it already.
It's one of my favourite books this year.
Bilquis Sheikh tells her own story of coming to faith while living as a prominent Muslim land-owner in a small village in Pakistan. An encounter with the spiritual world drives her to seek God, initially by reading the Koran, and then (out of curiosity regarding the 'other' texts mentioned in the Koran) reading the Bible. A number of vivid dreams motivate her to seek out answers, and as she continues to act on what she feels is the prompting of God, she befriends some missionaries, learns about the nature of God, and, yes, reaches out to God as her Father.
The ongoing excitement that Bilquis finds in her faith journey, and her openness in admitting the times she has got things wrong, make this a challenging and inspiring read. As she is filled with the Holy Spirit, Bilquis begins to trust 'the Presence' of God in her life, and comes up with a simple method for learning obedience to His will: "Whenever I did not feel His nearness, I knew that I had grieved Him. I would search backwards until I spotted the time when I last knew His Presence. Then I would review every act, every word or thought until I discovered where I had gone astray. At that point I would confess my sin and ask His forgiveness." (page 100). In doing this, Bilquis learns that God may have different methods than we would anticipate, and that it is His job to use our obedience to further His kingdom. At one point she feels Him tell her: "The results are not your problem. All you have to worry about is obedience. Seek My Presence, not results." (page 109)
As a Muslim convert in a predominantly Muslim country, Bilquis begins to face opposition and threats, eventually heeding God's instructions to leave the country. Before this happens, though, she continues to live her faith out in her community, and the thing that intrigued me the most about this segment of the story was how influential she could still be even in the face of increasing hostility. She mentions very few conversions in her story, but it is obvious that her obedience to the voice of God left a real impact on many other unbelievers in her local community. It would be fascinating to see what became of the seeds that Bilquis was able to plant in that time.
Bilquis comes across as a very ordinary person, but one who is unapologetic in her faith and is willing to step out - even leap out - when she feels the prompting of God. It is important as a believer to read stories of the faith journeys of others, like this one, and be inspired to trust God more fully than we have.
A simple story and easy read that carries a heavy weight of challenge to it.
Highly recommend.
Completed 14 November 2020.
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