From Mecca to the Messiah: John Ghanim’s journey of transformation

A devoted Muslim raised in radical Islam in Yemen

From the earliest stage of his life in Yemen, John was a devoted Muslim. He This is a shortened version A longer version can be substituted at a later date was raised to strictly follow Islamic traditions and believe that Islam was the absolute truth, and was taught how to pray, fast, and read the Qur’an with deep devotion. But along with religious devotion, he was also taught to hate the West and to view non-Muslims as those destined for hell. The radicalism which was deeply embedded in the culture encouraged him to proclaim extremist slogans such as “death to America; death to Israel,” curse on the if required Jews and victory to Islam” . These words became a mindset, shaping his perception of the world.

Marriage and religious dedication

John’s life followed the traditional path expected of him, and in 2012 he entered an arranged marriage to his cousin, and together they had two daughters. He embraced his role as a husband and father, continuing to live as a devoted Muslim, fulfilling his religious obligations with sincerity. By 2014 he was a university student studying Business Administration, but despite his commitment to his faith, he had begun to experience a deep inner struggle.

A season of doubt and searching

John had always believed that if he followed Islam faithfully he would feel close to the Creator but, despite his devotion, he felt disconnected from Allah, and he started to ask himself why this is. His doubts terrified him, as he had been taught that questioning the faith was dangerous, but this only led to more questions. When he sought answers from Islamic leaders, they only quoted verses from the Qur’an:

The pilgrimage that changed everything

John arrived on his first pilgrimage to Mecca, in 2014, with great anticipation. He believed that by performing the rituals of Hajj and seeking Allah, his doubts would disappear, but instead of clarity he was overwhelmed with more confusion. As he circled the Kaaba, he looked at the massive crowd; millions of Muslims reciting endless prayers. Then a thought hit him; are we really worshiping the Creator, or are we worshiping this black stone, which Mecca calls ‘the house of Allah’? The sudden conclusion that this was merely man-made became clear, and by the end of his pilgrimage, he realized that his faith in Islam had gone. This revelation shattered everything; his identity, his faith, his family, and his community. John returned to Yemen, lost and directionless, without faith, meaning or purpose. In Yemen there is no freedom of speech or religion, and leaving Islam is forbidden, with the death penalty hanging over those who dare to do so. For three years he lived in secret as an agnostic, and looking back he would recall that these were, perhaps, the hardest years of his life.

A divine encounter in Greece

In beginning of 2017 searching for freedom John left Yemen, and after passing through a number of countries, ended up in Greece towards the end of the year.

One day he met a Syrian man with a cross tattooed on his hand, and as tattoos are forbidden in Yemen John asked about it. The man smiled and answered “This cross is the sign of the Messiah—Jesus Christ. He is the Saviour of the world. He died for our sins, and on the third day, He rose again. He is alive, and He is the only way to salvation.” John had heard about Isa in Islam, but he learned that the Isa of Islam is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Seeing that John had been stirred by his words, the Syrian man invited Add the year of the pilgrimage John to a Bible study, where he heard many things about Jesus Christ for the first time, mand this led to an invitation to come to church.

On that memorable Sunday morning, John walked into a church for the first time in his life, never expecting to see what he saw. Initially he thought that these people were crazy, but as he kept watching, something unexpected happened; he felt jealous, wondering how could worship with such confidence and joy. Deep inside, he felt as if a secret power, a divine presence, was filling the place; something he had never experienced before. At the end of the service John received a New Testament in Arabic, which he began to read with a searching heart, and for the first time felt a real connection with the Creator. Previously he had been spiritually disconnected but now he felt that Yahweh, the God of the universe, was speaking directly to his heart; that Jesus Christ had died for him, risen again, and was calling him to Himself through the Scriptures.

Filled with excitement, John knew in his heart that this was the God that he had been searching for, and the God that he wanted to follow. On the next Sunday John was back at the Church, and gave his life to Christ. On finishing his declaration of repentance and faith, John felt as if he was seeing the world in new colours; brighter, clearer, and full of life. Joy filled his heart because he now knew the God of love.

John was baptised at the end of 2018, and left his old name of Mohammed, and take a new name, John and a new life in Christ Jesus. On coming up from the water of baptism John felt the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to him, saying “You are going to share Me with the nations.” John’s life mission had begun.

Going Public

After his baptism, John felt a passion to share his faith with everyone, especially his own people. Unable to find Yemeni believers on social media, john started to share his own storey on social media, which soon went viral, with immediate back-lash. The intensity of the hatred against John was palpable, and real. The imam of his village’s back in Yemen for the mosque declared John an apostate under Islamic Sharia law; his marriage was annulled, his wife taken from him and access to his daughters denied forever.

The weight of this pressed in on John, but he found the Lord faithful as he gave himself to prayer and Bible study. He remembered Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”, and knew that what he had lost was nothing compared to what he had gained in Christ.

Evangelism to the nations

Having lost everything for Jesus, John stepped out into his calling as an evangelist. From his base in England he now shares the good news, of salvation in Jesus Christ, through his various social media platforms, as well as through speaking engagements. His mission is to call the lost to living faith, and to strengthen and equip the church in response to the great commission.