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John Mahboob, a convert who worked among Muslims under the India Mennonite Brethren Conference, died August 3 as a result of a traffic accident in Hyderabad. Witnesses say that a van rear-ended the scooter John was driving, throwing him to the pavement. In hospital John regained consciousness and visited briefly with his family, but later went into a coma.
John accepted Christ in 1949. His grandfather was a Muslim murshid (or popular spiritual leader) just south of Hyderabad. At first, John worked with the Methodist Church. In 1984, John joined Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services missionary Dan Nickel in work among Muslims, at the insistence of Indian MB leader M.B. John. Together they began the Kalaam-e-Khuda (Word of God) Bible correspondence course in the Urdu language. After the Nickels left India in 1985, John directed the course for 12 years, placing advertisements in the Hyderabad and Delhi Urdu papers. Each month, many Muslims responded, and by 1993 more than 10,000 had completed the Bible study course.
John was 67 years old. He leaves his wife, six sons, six daughters and a large gap in the outreach to Muslims being done by the India MB Church. MBM/S representative Werner Kroeker wrote from India, "On the edge of the crowd at the graveside service stood a Muslim man, John's friend. He is the symbol of the many whose lives were touched by the faithful ministry of one who has worked in the task our Lord gave to us all. John's death leaves this now to the rest of us."
Gordon Nickel, MBM/S resource missionary for Muslim ministries
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