Which Christian denominations believe that God can be credited for the spiritual transformation and sanctification of a Muslim?

Question

I would like to delve into the Christian perspective on whether God can be credited for the healing process of an individual who, initially not a Muslim, converts to Islam and undergoes genuine spiritual renewal, or at least claims to undergo such a renewal, based on their self-reported experience. One can find many such testimonies on the web (example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4, example 5). I want to understand the Christian viewpoint regarding divine involvement in the well-being and spiritual growth of individuals who undergo a religious transformation, particularly in the context of the conversion of a non-Muslim to the Islamic faith. Is it conceivable that God plays a role in the spiritual development of a Muslim convert? Are there any Christian denominations that believe this is possible in principle? Or are all Christians denominations necessarily committed by theological reasons to ascribe any improvement and healing experienced by a Muslim convert to psychology, sociology, the influence of deceptive spirits, or any combination of these factors?

Note: While this question can be broadly applied to individuals reporting healing and spiritual growth in various religions, my primary focus is on Islam, given its close association as an Abrahamic faith, alongside Judaism, with Christianity.

Answer 1

God sends rain on all men. He heals and saves them all in times. However, you are confusing emotional and misguided conversion stories with spirituality. Spirituality cannot be disconnected with Truth. If you feel moved, motivated, dedicated to something false and ungodly, that doesn't mean you experienced spirituality. There are many motivational speakers or scammers in America, they have their own huge industry of motivation, and its adherents too can be described as having experiencing euphoria, motivation, energy, positivity. You can cater this question to fringe deviant sects or popular movements within Christianity to better suit the scope here, rather than focusing on Islam. Consider the New Age Movement of New Thought which governs various new age Christian movements in America. According to encyclopedia site:

A formal statement of New Thought's foundational idealism is offered in the "Declaration of Principles" of the International New Thought Alliance (INTA), which declares (among other claims): "We affirm God as Mind, Infinite Being, Spirit, Ultimate Reality.… [and] that our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our experience in daily living" ("Declaration of Principles," 2001, p. 19)

There are a wide range of popular celebrities, gurus, and preachers that can be associated directly with this philosophy to control and manipulate gullible followers by selling them hope of success and wealth. Watch the documentary of James Jani: The Dark World of New Age Gurus for detail. Just because someone is feeling a positive reaction or experience with any such new age or non-Christian religion, it cannot be associated with God. Worldly success and emotional well-being is no indicator of spirituality.

[Acts 14:14-18 NLT] But when Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, "Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings-- just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts." But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.

Social Not Divine Factor Behind Islam's Success

I assume you have watched some British conversion testimonies of Muslims. Islam has been a huge success in the UK, due to social factors. Islam particularly attracts criminal gangsters for controversial reasons. It gives them a sense of belonging, solidarity and security in a universal gang, things that do not exist under the individualistic isolated culture of Europe. Due to the complete downfall of Christianity, and the rise of socialism which gives rise to crimes and hopelessness, a great number of people find themselves attracted to the religion which is a symbol of domination and power, unlike as the status of a Christian which is deliberately viewed as a negative and oppressive. Thus, social and psychological factors (such as the frequent regular ritualistic prayers for conformity) all work together to draw people to the counter-western or counter or anti-Christian religions like Islam. The following is an illustrative testimony of a conversion of a "former" gangster, Darren Gee from "Muslim Conversion Stories" channel. It describes how Islam is growing among prisons in UK, US, Australia etc. UK Gangster Reveals the Real Reason Why prisoners Convert to Islam

"Darren gee further describes that there is no hierarchy in the prisons anymore there's just one group that runs the show and that is the Muslims there's no hierarchy in the prison system, there's one group that run the prison system and it's the Muslim fraternity". He believes that the reason why Muslims have come to the top is because of their solidarity he talks about how if there is a situation where if one white person is being attacked by six Muslims no one will come to his help but if one Muslim is being attacked by six other individuals, all the Muslims will come to his rescue whether they know him or not if you're in jail, and you've got a white boy getting attacked by six Muslims none of them's helping them even if the normal don't know the white boy, no one's helping him but if you've got a Muslim boy getting back to buy Six individuals whether these Muslims no or not they're going in and helping them and that's where it's that's where their strength is he says that he finds this very admirable and that this kind of loyalty and strength is missing in other religions, for now answers but what I do admire is the loyalty and the strength and you know the Brotherhood and that's that's what's missing you know the religions at the moment is the Brotherhood the Islamic Faith's got and that's why it's taken over Redemption, Islam offers the promise of forgiveness

Answer 2

Islam is an Abrahamic faith.

What was the faith of Abraham? It was and is the faith of Jesus Christ.

Some have apostatized from that faith in various ways over time. The heirs of apostate creeds are not as accountable before God as are the originators of such creeds; "the sin be upon the heads of the parents" when they teach their children not to believe the fullness of the Gospel.

Remember the Abrahamic covenant, in which the Lord promises, in part:

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; (Genesis 22:18)

How can God fulfill His promise that all nations would be blessed in Abraham's seed, if the Muslim could not in some measurable way be blessed through the posterity of Abraham? Therefore God delights to bless His children through His covenants, be they of whatever nation or religion or circumstances they may.

Part of that covenant was that the Lord would gather those who have been scattered from Israel. That gathering is taking place today and is more of a spiritual gathering than a physical one. If there is a spiritual work of gathering those who have strayed, does this not apply to those who once had more of the faith of Abraham, but have since departed from parts of it? It does. God will force no one to accept more than he is willing to accept, and refusing the Lord leads to diminution, but He does extend His mercy and His offer of repentance and forgiveness to all people, as the Apostle Peter expressed regarding the conversion of Cornelius.

Note that the Scriptures also prophesy that all who have erred in doctrine but remain at the Lord's Second Coming will arrive at the full knowledge of Christ:

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Hebrews 8:11)

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:13)

As I mentioned in another answer, God rewards people according to the degree of their faith and diligence in Him. This means that salvation and exaltation (the highest salvation) is not a binary. The Lord said, "In my Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2)." Therefore there are degrees of blessings He gives for degrees of faithfulness.

If a Muslim keeps the Lord's law of the fast, he will be blessed for doing so. If a Muslim keeps God's law of chastity, he will be blessed for doing so. If he gives to the poor in keeping with the Abrahamic tithe, he will be blessed according to the Lord's promise. How did the Muslim know about fasting, or chastity, or almsgiving? Through the commandments the Lord delivered to father Abraham. Thus we see a beginning of the blessings of Abraham flowing through his posterity who keep the commandments of God to bless all nations of the Earth. God reserves the highest blessings for those who show Him the highest fidelity and valor, but He does not refuse to bless those of a lesser understanding and commitment according to the heed and diligence which they give to abide by all that they become aware of that comes from Him.

Note that sanctification implies becoming holy, which would require the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. This can only be authorized by ordinance; although a man may be justified by faith according to the laws that have thus far been revealed to him, sanctification requires ordinances by the power and priesthood of God.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isaiah 28:10)

Therefore we should not suppose that a Muslim is not blessed for obedience to the laws and commandments of God as far as he knows them. Salvation and blessing are not an all-or-nothing proposition, reserved only for those who--Calvinistically, we must suppose--happened to inherit the fullness of the "true faith", while all others are elected by the wrath of God to be damned, no matter what they do. The claim that God does not bless His children and entice and assist spiritual growth in people is completely unfounded and presupposes that the entirety of Christianity is congruent with Calvinism, which it is not. What we do in this life really matters, and we have freedom of choice, including freedom to convert and upgrade our spirituality as we each learn more and become aware of things we hadn't considered before.

So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. (Isaiah 52:15)

Paul affirms that this is speaking about the role of missionary work towards those who had not so much as heard of Christ previously:

Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. (Romans 15:20-21)

Therefore evangelism is to play a major role in conversion to Christianity, which may be by degrees as the Lord displaces darkness and the scales shall fall from the eyes even of those who have persecuted us, and yet have found repentance. The reformation was this kind of iterative process of realization and some repentance, which prepared the way for the Restoration spoken of in the Scriptures. Therefore predestination is false and there is no good cause to be contentious, prideful or spiteful towards those of another faith background. Christians most of all should teach and exemplify an attitude of understanding towards all men. The Lord came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved, and He commands us to love even as He loved. The self-righteousness of many self-denominated Christians who suppose predestination to be the case is itself a pagan creed that remains to be shattered. Distinguishing between the way that is Christ's and what is not of Him may even in some cases take professing Christians the better part of a millennium to learn.

All who keep any of God's commandments will begin to grow and be blessed by their faithful choices. Those who keep all of God's commandments will be justified by the Lord's grace through their faith, and those who do all His will will receive eternal life.