A Book Review
This is the remarkable true story of Bilquis Sheikh, an
aristocratic Muslim woman from Pakistan who converted to Christianity
and referred to the God of the Bible as her Father. In this review, we
will discuss her life before and after her conversion, including her
decision-making process and her final days on Earth.
Bilquis was
born into a wealthy and conservative Muslim family. Her ancestors owned
a palatial estate in the Northern Frontier Province of Pakistan, which
was once a part of northern India. She lived like royalty, with
fourteen house servants at her disposal, who had served her family for
generations. Bilquis was a direct descendant of a prince and feudal
landowner.
Before her
conversion, Bilquis was a glamorous-looking lady who had hosted many
important people from around the world. She used to travel to Paris and
London with her husband, General Khalid Sheikh, who was Pakistan’s
Minister of the Interior. However, after her husband divorced her at
the age of 48, she retired to her family’s land in Wah, Pakistan. She
was close to her father, spending most of her time with him until his
death.
Bilquis'
turning point came when she encountered a frightening Presence that
tapped her shoulder while finishing her evening walk. This was followed
by two dreams, the first of which she sought answers from the Koran,
and the second from the forbidden Bible in Urdu, which she got from her
servant. However, there were no shops in her area that sold Christian
literature, and any attempt to persuade a Muslim to convert to
Christianity was considered dangerous. Bilquis' family had once warned
her not to employ Christian servants. Even her Christian servant,
Manzur, was hesitant to get her a Bible until she threatened to fire
him.
Despite
these obstacles, Bilquis managed to find a New Testament in modern
English from a missionary named Mrs Synnove Mitchell. She decided to
talk to God as if He were her father, following a suggestion from a
female doctor. As she read through the Bible, she realized that the God
of the Bible was not the same as the Allah of the Koran. Finally, she
invited Jesus into her life and became passionate about sharing her
faith with others.
Bilquis
faced opposition from her family and clan, who became increasingly
resentful towards her after she conducted self-baptism in her own
bathtub. Her own children were worried about her safety. She even
represented Jesus at two successive funerals, where she encountered a
converted Englishman to Islam who tried to dissuade her from her
newfound faith. Despite all this, she continued to share her testimony
with others, even giving a talk to a large audience in Singapore.
After
selling her property and moving to the US with the help of Peggy,
Bilquis managed to find peace with the Lord in the midst of precarious
circumstances. She passed away in her native land, with a spotlight
illuminating her peaceful face during her funeral as if it were a
welcome-home sign from heaven. Her tombstone bore a cross, her name,
birth and death dates, and a simple inscription underneath that read,
'Loving the Lord.'