Bary - Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus

Rifqa Barys story is a powerful testimony to standing for the truth in the face of many difficulties and tall odds. In the words of this young woman who has already been through so much, we are painted a picture of stark cultural contrastthat of slavery and liberty, duty and love, and bondage and freedom. As much as anything, this is a story about the first freedom upon which America was builtthe freedom to believe and live ones life according to those beliefs. Rifqas inspiring story reminds us why we must continue to stand for faith and freedom!

T ONY P ERKINS , president of Family Research Council

Rifqa Barys story unveils God as the Father to the fatherless whose pursuit of His children is fiercely beautiful. Once I started reading, I couldnt put it down. She invites readers to walk beside her on her fascinating road and to see the God she saw when she said her very brave yes to Jesus.

S ARA H AGERTY , author of Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet

An extraordinary glimpse into the faith of a Christ-follower and the sovereignty of God. Rifqas story informs, inspires, and empowers.

M AX L UCADO , pastor and author

This is truly an inspirational story of a young Muslim girls journey into the arms of Jesus and the discovery that Jesus is everything that she had been looking for. Her heartbreaking journey is hard to fathom, and yet her suffering was the one thing that led her to Jesus. This story will give you not only insight into what it means for a Muslim to convert to Christianity and the heavy price associated with that, but also the importance of Christians breaking through the stereotypes and reaching out to Muslims in love.

N AGHMEH A BEDINI , wife of imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini

Not only does Rifqa Barys story bring to light key tenets of Islam we so need to understand, it will show you the courage true faith provides. This is a book you will finish in a hurry, as youll want to know what happens next! Thank you, dear Rifqa, for counting all as loss for the sake of our Savior.

K AY A RTHUR , cofounder of Precept Ministries International and author of When the Hurt Runs Deep

Enrapturing heart and spirit, Rifqa masterfully shares insights into immigrant Muslim life, tearing the veil of mystery with the power of the gospel. Although chronicling her own account, her words echo the cries of young Muslim women worldwide, and manifest on each page is the signature of our sovereign God. Rifqas story is authored by Jesuscome read what Hes written.

D R . N ABEEL Q URESHI , best-selling author of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and speaker with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

I hope you can feel the gentleness of Rifqas heart as I did when I read her storyI love it! In my own experience as a child, I had hidden in a cocoon of despair and lived with the brutality of lonelinessI understand how she felt. When you give your heart to Jesus Christ, you have to be brave. I was so touched by the sadness and the joy of someone who never denied Jesus.

N ICKY C RUZ , evangelist and author of Run, Baby, Run

Rifqa is my hero, and this book details her amazing story never before told in its entirety. Even though it was all over the national news, if you thought you knew what really happenedthink again. I stayed up all night reading this book. Hiding in the Light is a testament to what happens when one ordinary person is touched by the one extraordinary Savior of the World.

J OHN S TEMBERGER , president and general counsel, Florida Family Policy Council

H IDING IN THE L IGHT

P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS

12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Certain names and details have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.

Any resulting resemblance to real persons is coincidental and unintentional.

Hardcover ISBN9781601426963

eBook ISBN9781601426970

Copyright 2015 by Fatima Rifqa Bary

Cover design and photography by Kelly L. Howard

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bary, Rifqa.

Hiding in the light : why I risked everything to leave Islam and follow Jesus / Rifqa Bary. First Edition.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-60142-696-3 ISBN 978-1-60142-697-0 (electronic) 1. Bary, Rifqa. 2. Christian converts from IslamBiography. I. Title.

BV2626.4.B36A3 2015

248.246092dc23

[B]

2015001464

v4.1

a

To my precious baby brother, Mohamed Rajaa Bary.

I can only imagine the unanswered questions that may plague you. Why did the big sister you adore leave you and never come home again? My hope is that this book is a long letter explaining why.

Although you may never understand my answer, my prayer is that the words bound within these pages allow your heart to heal. My prayer is that one day you will forgive me for the pain I have caused you. I left not because I did not love you enough. I left because I encountered a God who was worthy of forsaking alleven the most prized little man in my life.

If only you could peer through my dreams and see how I ache to hold you in my arms like I did so many years agobut this time I never let you go.

Authors Note

In 20092010 my story broke in national and international media. As often happens, many of the news reports centered on speculation and untruths. This book fulfills my desire to give an accurate account of my personal experiences within my family and community. Please understand it is not my intention to malign Muslims or Islam.

Though the story contained in these pages is true, I have changed the names of many individuals for reasons of privacy and safety.

Prologue

T he mosque discovered my secret.

And now my parents knew it too.

The cover of early morning darkness was fast slipping away. Mom was still sleeping. Dad had cut his trip short and was on his way home. I had to get out of there now to survive. It was the only way I could escape the penalty, not for any crime Id committed but for what I believed.

I wrote with trembling hands in those final, desperate moments, inches before sneaking from my bedroom to the front door and out into the unknown:

Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I refuse to deny Him, nor will I ever. I pray and hope you find His mercy and forgiveness. Love you both dearly.