By Bobby Darvish
darvishintelligence.blogspot.com
As an Iranian-American who was born into Islam and spent much of my early life embracing its teachings, I never imagined that the course of my life would lead me to not only reject Islam but also to experience the profound transformation that comes with knowing Jesus Christ as my Savior and God. This journey was not one of simple belief, but one of undeniable experiences that I cannot explain away. I’ve died twice in this life—literally—and it was through these encounters with death and a vivid, divine dream that I came to know, without any doubt, that Jesus Christ is God, and not Allah.
At the age of 14, I had an accident that changed everything. I fractured my femur in a severe way, and during the emergency room procedure, they administered morphine to ease the pain. What followed was a moment that no one who was there will ever forget. The morphine had an adverse effect on me, and for a brief period, I was clinically dead. I can still hear the doctors and nurses frantically working to bring me back, but I was gone. In that moment, I was outside of my body, looking down at what was happening to me. I felt a sense of peace, an overwhelming calmness that, even now, I struggle to describe in words. I was not scared, I was not anxious—I was simply… gone.
The second time I died was at the age of 17, during a complicated bone graft surgery. In the procedure, they took a part of my fibula and placed it into my femur head. The surgery, however, did not go as planned. I lost five pints of blood and was once again declared clinically dead. This time, my body was being revived after a longer period, but what happened in between is where things took a radical turn.
I had a dream during this second death, a vivid, overwhelming experience that I can still feel in the depths of my soul to this day. I was walking on the road to Emmaus, not as myself, but in the body of Jesus Christ. The dream was so real, so intense, that it felt as though I was there, walking beside two disciples who did not recognize me, even though I was with them. They were talking about everything that had happened to Jesus, and I realized, in that moment, that I was Jesus, walking with them. I heard their confusion about who I was, and as they invited me into their home, I broke the bread, and their eyes were opened. At that moment, I knew the truth.
It was then that I fully understood: Jesus Christ is God. I had always been told that Islam was the only true religion, that Allah was the one and only God, and that everything else was a lie. But in that moment, my perspective was radically shifted. I knew, with a certainty that goes beyond any form of belief, that Jesus is God, and no other deity can compare. There was no question in my heart.
In the years following, I began to grapple with what this experience meant. I was an executive director at CAIR Columbus, a position that required me to defend and promote Islamic ideals, and I was also the president of the Muslim Forum of Utah. But no matter what I did, the truth of my encounter with Christ could not be erased. I began to see the contradictions in the teachings of Islam, the inconsistencies, and the emptiness that had once kept me trapped in a cycle of disbelief. My life had been built on the foundation of Islam, yet I knew that foundation had crumbled beneath me. Islam had promised peace, but the true peace I encountered was in Jesus Christ alone.
I left behind my vegan lifestyle, my commitment to Islamic principles, and my career in organizations that promoted the very faith I had left. In those moments of death, I was shown the truth. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the way, the truth, and the life. I am not just a man who believes in God—I know, with every fiber of my being, that Jesus Christ is God. And it is this unshakable truth that now defines my life.
As an Iranian-American, former Muslim, and Christian conservative in the LDS community, I stand firm in my conviction that Jesus is the one true God. I no longer follow the teachings of a religion that denies His divinity. I no longer live in the shadow of doubt. The experiences I’ve had—dying twice and encountering Jesus on the road to Emmaus—have forever changed me. I know, with all certainty, that He lives. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Citations:
- "Road to Emmaus: The Appearance of Jesus to the Disciples." Luke 24:13-35, The Holy Bible.
- "The Truth of the Resurrection." John 14:6, The Holy Bible.
- "The Testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 1:5, The Holy Bible.
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