The last time Khada* saw her husband was an ordinary day – or as ordinary as any day can be in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Afghan citizens face daily restrictions, oppression and danger, and nobody more so than people like Khada and her husband, Ehsan*: Afghanistan’s underground Christians. On that ‘ordinary’ day, their worst fears came true. Ehsan disappeared.
Christians in Afghanistan have to make sure their faith isn’t discovered by the wrong people – but the church in the country is growing. They are part of a silent, worldwide group who don’t know each other’s names and may never see each other’s faces: the secret church.
Khada’s Secret Gift
Khada was born into a deeply religious Muslim family. She expected to follow the same path as her mother: marry the Muslim man chosen by her parents and raise a devout Muslim family herself.
Sure enough, Khada married Ehsan, as arranged by their families. She moved in with her in-laws, and the union was very happy.
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It was relatively common, then, for Afghan women to have jobs – something seldom now possible under the Taliban regime. Khada enjoyed working in an office and was close with her boss. “We became friends, and I felt free in front of her,” Khada says. “I shared all the stories of my life, and she shared her life stories too.”
One day, Khada’s boss made an extraordinarily brave decision. She gave Khada a Bible.
Amazed by the Bible
In Afghanistan, even before the Taliban takeover, it was extremely risky to give a Muslim a Bible. It’s illegal to convert from Islam and very dangerous to share your faith – Khada’s Christian boss took a huge risk in giving her the Word of God.
When Khada got home, she showed the Bible to Ehsan. They both knew the Quran thoroughly but didn’t know what was in the Bible, and were curious to find out. Over the next six months, they read through it all – and were amazed at what they found.
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Under the law, women are second-class citizens and expected to obey their husbands or male relatives. However, Ehsan was kind and respected and trusted his wife. “He loved me a lot, and we both always chose the same path,” remembers Khada. “When we read the book, my husband told me, ‘Whatever path you take, I am your best ally and I will follow you.’”
Together, they made the courageous, life-changing decision to follow Jesus.
Sharing the gospel with their family
Having made this choice, Khada and Ehsan decided to get baptised. They couldn’t do this in a church, of course – there aren’t any church buildings in Afghanistan. But it was still a very special moment. Khada even received physical healing at her baptism, having suffered from bad headaches for years.
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Khada and Ehsan knew they had to keep their new faith secret from the authorities. They couldn’t go to a church, worship aloud or wear a cross. But they didn’t want to keep their faith hidden from everyone. Some secret believers around the world can’t tell anyone at all about their choice to follow Jesus – but Khada and Ehsan decided to risk sharing the gospel with her family.
They started with Khada’s brother. “He was anxious due to unemployment,” Khada says. “I asked him to learn stories from the Old Testament, and he believed. Later, I shared stories with my family and they all became believers! My husband shared stories with his sister, and she became a believer. We continued spreading our faith.”
This courageous couple were seeing incredible fruit, and had a period of joy. But their happiness was short-lived.
The day everything changed
Khada doesn’t know how or when Ehsan’s secret faith was discovered. They had been cautious only to tell people they trusted. But one day, when Ehsan was on his way to an underground Bible study group, she realised the secret must have got out.
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“His phone was turned off and it didn’t ring. I thought at first that maybe his phone wasn’t working,” says Khada. “I also called someone from my family and there was still no news from him. I felt fear and all kinds of thoughts.”“His phone was turned off and it didn’t ring.”
Khada didn’t hear anything for two days. Then she received the news she’d been dreading. Ehsan’s dead body had been found. He had lost his life for his faith.
Khada courageously chose to keep following Jesus
Khada was absolutely devastated. She’s learned the huge cost of following Jesus in a country as dangerous for Christians as Afghanistan. But she also knows that He is worth that cost. “I continue to be a servant of Christ, following His example of humility and greatness,” she says. “In the difficult Taliban regime, we face challenges, but with strong faith, we persevere.”
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Every evening, she spends time in prayer with Jesus – the part of the day that she and Ehsan would set aside to read and discuss the Bible. “In the past, all my stories and conversations were with my husband,” she says. “Now, all of them are with Jesus, and I tell Him stories every night and every day. I believe that He is listening and hears all my conversations.”
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