Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity

Nabeel Qureshi was born in 1983 to Pakistani parents who had immigrated to the United States, moving to various locations as his father pursued a career in the US Navy. His upbringing was marked by a devout adherence to Islam, specifically within the Ahmadiyya tradition, a reformist movement founded in 19th-century British India that emphasizes peaceful propagation of the faith and rejects violent jihad. The Ahmadiyya community provided Qureshi with a close-knit religious environment. His parents instilled in him a deep commitment to Islamic practice, including regular prayer, Quranic study, and participation in mosque life.

Qureshi attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. During his university years he encountered David Wood, a Christian student who became both his closest friend and his primary intellectual challenger. Their debates over the truth claims of Islam and Christianity prompted Qureshi to undertake a serious investigation of the historical and textual foundations of both religions. This investigation eventually led Qureshi to the conclusion that the evidence better supported Christianity than Islam. His conversion to Christianity came at tremendous personal cost. His parents were devastated by his apostasy, viewing it as a betrayal not only of their faith but of their family and cultural identity.