An international year of prayer for
Morocco
| Week 51 |
FuneralToday, I saw a group of Moroccan men solemnly chanting while carrying a funeral bier. Since there are believed to be less than a thousand believers in this country of thirty million people, this deceased person is probably already spending eternity in Hell separated from the one true God. Many people have chanted the Qur'an on his behalf. They believe he will be judged according to his works and are asking Allah to have mercy on his soul. The deceased was a devout Muslim. He testified that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger. He recited his prayers five times per day and gave alms to the poor. He fasted during Ramadan and even made a pilgrimage to Mecca.Certainly, Allah will have mercy on him, won’t he? His mourners can’t help but wonder if he (or they) will make it into heaven. Will his good works outweigh his bad? For Muslims there is no guarantee. The prophet Mohammed is said to intercede before Allah for the dead but only Allah decides who will go on to an eternity in heaven or in hell. There is little reason for hope at a Muslim funeral. Every day Moroccan Muslims lay to rest hundreds of their dead wrapped in cloth and buried in shallow graves lying on their sides facing Mecca. Bereaved loved ones wail in anguish and plead with Allah for mercy on their souls. Will anyone hear? Will you? "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27,28 "Jesus said: "No one comes to the Father except through me."" John 14:6
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