'When I asked God if he was Allah, I heard a voice reply "I am Jesus Christ"'

I was raised in a Muslim family in Birmingham. Both my parents had been Christians but converted to Islam before I was born. I went to Islamic schools within a large Caribbean Muslim community. However, my teen years were rebellious. I hung out with the wrong crowd, causing conflict with my mum.

I became depressed and, at the age of 18, attempted suicide. I was just about to take the tablets when I heard a voice saying: “There is so much more to your life, you cannot do this. You are destined to help people beyond what you can even imagine.” That stuck with me. I realised that I had a purpose. 

I wasn’t familiar with Christian beliefs at that point. It was more of an internal voice but, now that I know who I am in Christ, I recognise that it was the Holy Spirit.

I continued working as a nurse for four years before I hit a brick wall with my mental health again and my doctor put me on antidepressants. Eventually, I ended up living in Dubai for five years, which is where I found Jesus Christ, on 18 May 2023. The sequence of events leading to that commitment are remarkable. 

Prompted by God

My Christian cousin felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to send me a video about a Muslim man who found Christ. When she sent it to me, she said: “Look, I don’t want you to be offended but the Holy Spirit told me to send this to you, even though you don’t have Christian beliefs.” 

I thought it was strange because I had never heard of Muslims becoming Christians. I had seen Christians becoming Muslims but not the other way around. Then, because of the algorithm on TikTok, I started to see more and more videos just like it. I became interested in these stories and understanding about their encounters and experiences.

One day, I went down to the café beneath my apartment. As I got there, I received a phone call from a lady whom I had met three years before. She had taken me to her church in Dubai twice before. She said: “The Holy Spirit has placed it on my heart to call you and invite you to church again.” I said: “Who?” And she said: “The Holy Spirit.”

Then I said: “Yes, I would like to come to church with you.”

As I hung up the phone, another woman, who was sitting near me in the café, leaned over. She said: “I hope you don’t mind me eavesdropping, but I heard you mention church. I wanted to ask if you are a Christian?” 

I prayed: ‘God, I have seen what you have done today, and I want to know who you are’

I explained that I was a Muslim, but I had attended a church with a friend. Then I said that I wanted to be close to God and understand who he is. The woman told me that she was a Christian too and began to explain the Trinity and the gospel. At that moment, she stopped and said: “Oh my goodness, that’s why the Holy Spirit sent me here!”

The woman said that she never usually crossed the nearby main road, but the Holy Spirit had led her to the café, and even to the seat opposite me. I told her about the phone call from the other woman and my cousin sending me Christian testimony videos.

She said: “That is not a coincidence, the Holy Spirit is pursuing you and revealing to you that he is after your heart.” Then she pulled her chair closer and laid hands on me before praying a beautiful, profound prayer and inviting me to church. 

When the woman left the café, I had little money to pay the bill, but the waiter produced a receipt showing it had already been paid. A message was written on the receipt: “God loves you so much. God bless you.”

Allah or Jesus?

Later that night, I prayed: “God, I have seen what you have done today, and I want to know who you are. I am going to ask you, are you Allah or Jesus?” I heard a faint voice saying: “I am Jesus.”

The next day I asked the same question again. This time, in a slightly louder voice, I heard: “I am Jesus Christ.”

Again, the next evening, I questioned God. I heard loudly: “I am Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.” I didn’t know at the time that this is a Bible verse [John 14:6].

I went to church with the woman from the café. I couldn’t stop weeping. I felt scared about pulling away from Islam but too much had happened to me to deny Christ.

The church sermons seemed to convey personal reassurances for me, and I responded one day to a public invitation for prayer. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and someone holding my shoulders.

When I opened my eyes, I realised there was no physical hand there. I closed my eyes again and the woman praying for me invited the Holy Spirit. I saw a bright white light and I could feel warmth on my back. 

At that point, the people praying for me had taken their hands off my back. They told me that it was the Holy Spirit. 

I felt a huge weight had lifted off me and my life has never been the same since. It has been incredible what God has done. 

Ruqayyah Valencia-Dacosta was speaking to Chris Eyte