‘Jesus is the only answer’: former Muslim finds Jesus, attends [un]Apologetic conference

Nadeem Hajir was raised in Abu Dhabi by a split Muslim and Catholic family, with the Islamic faith being “built into [his] belief system, [his] worldview.” He and his family moved to the United States during his high school years, where he started to hear people talk about Jesus. 

“I never really thought much [of it]. I thought it was just another religion,” said Hajir. “At that time, I was practicing Islam, but I wasn't really, I'd say, devout. I had a time when I was in middle school when I was actually trying… to honor Allah, but I felt like I was doing it just to check a box.”

That all changed when Hajir met a believer while working the Chick-fil-A drive-thru in 2021. 

“I was 19 years old. I was [still] living that high school party life and doing all these things I wasn't supposed to, and I made a friend. His name [is] Pastor Mike. He actually came into the drive-thru pretty consistently, and he would order the same thing,” explained Hajir. “We ended up becoming close friends.” 

As their friendship progressed, Pastor Mike would invite Hajir to lunch and share the gospel with him. Hajir said he was “so closed off” at the time that he never accepted the gospel when Pastor Mike presented it. 

Nearly two years later, though he’d lost touch with his pastor friend, Hajir met a woman who would become his fiancée, and she began to tell him about “the same Jesus” that Pastor Mike previously told him about.

Only days later, Hajir ran into another friend he hadn’t seen in a few months. She also began telling him how Jesus changed her life. 

“[I was] like, ‘What's going on here?’ My now fiancée is telling me about Jesus, this good friend of mine is telling me about Jesus, and … at that coffee shop [where] I saw that friend [is] when I gave my life to Jesus. Then I went back to my [fiancée] and [said], ‘I don't know what this means, but I just gave my life to Jesus.’” 

Shortly after receiving Jesus in March 2023, Pastor Mike reconnected with Hajir. 

“The Lord knows exactly what he's doing. Pastor Mike reached out to me [around] the same time that I met my fiancée and this friend,” said Hajir. “At that time, I was just like, ‘I really feel like God is trying to talk to me right now. I really feel like God is trying to show me something or show me who he is.’” 

Learning how to defend Christianity to Islam

Hajir attended the [un]Apologetic conference in Sept. 2024 at First Baptist Church El Paso with a friend who invited him to be part of a class their church was hosting to reach people from other religions with the gospel. 

“I had never, ever been to an apologetics conference. I've noticed that there's such an importance [and] there should be an emphasis on being able to defend the faith,” said Hajir. “There's so many biblical truths… that God has left for us, and they are as clear as day. If we sit down and objectively compare the different hints or clues, it's so clear that Christianity, that the Bible and Jesus is the only answer.”

Hajir said learning about apologetics has allowed him to feel better able to share the gospel with nonbelievers.

“It's given me a newfound confidence to be able to approach, especially, Muslims. I've approached Muslims [with] conversations about Jesus, and [am learning] to have grace towards nonbelievers because I think there are so many ways that we drive nonbelievers away just by how we act. But if we treat them with love, with an unconditional love that Jesus has treated us with, then that will be more attractive to them,” said Hajir. 

Before the [un]Apologetic conference, Hajir began reading Nabeel Qureshi’s “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” as a part of the class at his church. He said Qureshi’s testimony is “tremendously impactful.”

“We recently finished the semester of an apologetics class… and we use[d] ‘Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus’ as the course materials. We were able to go through the video study that Nabeel Qureshi has online for ‘Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus,’ and I had several students there that were on fire taking notes” said Hajir. “I'm thankful that I was able to be there to share my experience because I think that there's a big kind of intimidation around speaking to Muslims, but they're like some of the nicest people ever. It's definitely given me more [confidence], like I know now what I'm talking about.” 

Eric Hernandez, Apologetics Lead & Millennial specialist at Texas Baptists, said he is encouraged by Hajir’s heart for the lost.

“I'm deeply encouraged by Nadeem's heart to reach those in the Islamic religion that he left. His story is a fascinating example of how apologetics transforms a believer into an evangelistic disciple of Christ,” said Hernandez. “I wish more people understood this principle because, if they did, they may find themselves with a heart for the lost like his.” 

Being intentional in seeking Jesus

Hajir said as he continues walking with God, he desires to “honor him with what I have” and be intentional in seeking him. He said he would also advise those seeking to know God to be intentional because “he wants a personal and intimate and deep relationship with us.” 

“If we sit down and we truly, intentionally want to know God, he honors that, and he meets us where we're at,” said Hajir. “I'd say one of the biggest differences between Islam and Christianity is the dynamic between us and God. In Islam, it's a slave and a servant. There can be no relationship between Allah and humans there. … With Christianity, Jesus wants a relationship with us.”

The 2025 [un]Apologetic conference is set to take place from Feb. 28 to March 1 at Dallas Baptist University. To learn more and register for the conference, visit txb.org/unapologetic.