The question that must be answered individually, even though I have no idea what the nature of proceedings on judgment day will be, I am convinced that it will be an individual affair while on earth. Hebrews also established the fact that the judgment is inevitable. “Just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27) contrary to the earth’s judgment where one is free to hire a lawyer or is privilege to live on earth, two things here are unavoidable (1) Death and (2) Judgment. Therefore it will be nice to prepare for them. The preparation includes your choice of who to worship while on earth (God or the devil).
In one of my conversations with my mother on the above fact, she lacked an answer. This may apply to so many. Let me acknowledge that this conversation was one of the most expected opportunities I have been praying for. Then I asked her why in the first place she became a Muslim, which resulted in giving birth to me as a Muslim. (Though the testimony of how my parents became Muslims you will read in subsequent publications). My questions to her (my mother) continued with why is she still not willing to leave Islam since her background was Catholic. Interestingly, she confessed that, “Where to start from if she converts to Christianity?” of course the simple and short answer is, “to start with the Lord Jesus”. This is what humanity can think of and some of the challenges the devil may have been throwing to so many that deny their conversation. Note here that the problem my mother is facing is not that of salvation but how to start in Christianity after so many years as a Muslim and how probably she will loose her Muslim relationship that had been built over a period of over forty years.
Many people today are facing this kind of challenge and so they find it difficult to change, not aware of the fact that religion is a matter of conviction not of societal status, as my mother mentioned. The challenge to all of us is; how many Muslim friends of ours we care to know why they are Muslims. Let me confess that the shortest way to attain conviction in the matters of faith must never have any consideration attached. Some Christians today are believers just because of the privilege they had in life of a Christian parent. Similarly many Muslims today are Muslims just for the fact that they were born and brought up as Muslims. The tension here is what of their conviction?
Every religious belief that is not on the ground of conviction is, to me, a religious enslavement. My Muslim brothers kept referring that our father (Ibrahim), before his death, urged all of us not to change our religion even after his death. This was with some threat of evil to follow anyone who disobeyed. The fact is that many of my younger ones and other Muslims alike are Muslims as a result of similar considerations and threat. This I refer to as Islamaphobia.
My Muslim brother, as well as friends, needs to know that when in Christ he is new creation. Such curses and threat are irrelevant and ineffective on him/her (2 Corinthians 5:17), such are the curses Christ took upon himself on the cross.
Individuals are responsible for where they shall return to after the judgment and not a reason will be accepted on that day. The safest thing is to avoid seeing religion as an inheritance. Many Muslims who had been Muslims from their parents and now have children yet can not comfortably answer the question of their salvation i.e. have no conviction, forsaking any form of consideration.
Today a good percentage of Muslims recite the Fatiha without knowing from verse to verse the meaning.