Sara Akhavan: from fear of Allah to finding Jesus
The Iranian author published "Bajo el velo encontré a Jesús" with Editorial Peniel, about how fear shaped her faith.
Sara Akhavan was born in Iran, into a Muslim family, and her spiritual search is captured in "Bajo el velo encontré a Jesús", published by Editorial Peniel. Her testimony was shared by La Corriente.
The Ramadan that turned into guilt
Raised in an environment where religious practices were mandatory, Akhavan describes years marked by fear. "I grew up with a great fear of Allah for not being able to fulfill all the practices imposed on us," she writes in the book. Missing any of the five daily prayers filled her with anguish: she wondered what God might do to her.
Reading the Quran and praying in Arabic, a language she did not know, was a barrier for her. Relating to that god felt difficult and distant.
«Fear and grace produce two different lives: one lives in constant awareness of punishment; the other rests in God's love.»
The scene that marked her fourteenth year happened during Ramadan. Her father prayed to consecrate the family and her heart beat hard out of fear of her sins; she feared punishment. For her, that month was never about cleansing, but about guilt. Editorial Peniel presents the book as the account of an Iranian woman persecuted for her faith.
When faith stops being fear
Fear and grace produce two different lives. Those who believe out of fear live in constant awareness of punishment; those who believe out of grace rest in God's love. Scripture says it this way: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18, ESV).
And it adds what no religion of self-effort can offer: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV).
Akhavan says she wrote the book, in part, to show how a woman lives in an Islamic country and to give a voice to many women who, she says, are silenced every day. Her story does not seek to discredit a people: it narrates a search that ended in Jesus.
How to come alongside a Muslim friend
If you have Muslim classmates or neighbors, the first step is not to win an argument. Pray before you speak and treat them as people made in God's image, with dignity.
Friendship opens more doors than debate. Share your table, listen to their story and do not caricature their faith. Many grow up, like Akhavan, carrying a guilt that no one took away from them.
Talk about grace, not triumphs. You can tell them what Christ did for you without despising their culture or their family, and respond with your own story when they ask. Conversion is God's work; our part is to love with patience and leave the result to him.
If you know someone who exchanged fear for grace, tell us their story. And if you have a Muslim friend, start this week with a prayer for them and a shared meal.
