Foreword
1. The remarks by Brother Andrew remind us that Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula are not born terrorists, and that all people begin life as innocent babes. How do you think an Islamic worldview is instilled in a person, and what factors help to shape their beliefs? What influences have shaped your own worldview? Do you believe it’s possible for an individual’s entire mind-set to be transformed? Why or why not?
2. Brother Andrew touches on the question of how different the world might be today if Arabia had been reached with the Good News of God’s love sooner. Give your thoughts on his statement, “Maybe we heard God’s call but did not go . . . did not tell, did not share, did not care. . . . Maybe we thought it was too dangerous. But not caring and sharing is far more dangerous!”

Preface
1. Reema mentions how events of the past two decades have made Arab Muslims a particular focus for the Church worldwide. Have you or your fellowship ever been involved in praying for or reaching out to Muslims? What was the response? Was it what you expected?
2. Reema alludes to the dangers that even seekers face when she says that, “the Muslim World is often a dangerous place. Where we live, leading a local to Christ is a punishable crime. Muslims who convert know they will probably suffer persecution or even death” (page xix). If you were born into a Muslim family and lived under Islamic rule but had questions about your faith, what would you do? How might you seek answers without causing suspicion and getting into trouble? In what ways could an informed and sensitive Christian help without hurting?
3. In closing, the author shares her family’s prayer “that Which None Can Shut will glorify God, inspire His people in their own walks of faith, and encourage believers everywhere” (pages xix–xx). If you have finished the book, have you personally been touched by its message in some way? What story meant the most to you? Why? If you have just started reading Which None Can Shut, what do you hope to take away from the book?

Chapter 1: The Open Door
1. The Goodes had no idea of the events that would unfold because of Mike’s fixing the neighbor’s car, or how it could possibly lead to such an open door for the Gospel in their community. Has God ever amazed you by using the seemingly ordinary or unlikely to do something great in your life? Why do you think He does that?
2. In describing how quickly the Gospel spread throughout the neighborhood, Reema muses, “Who would have dreamed it would be like this?” (page 13). What do you think most Christians would have expected? Why?
3. Several stories in this chapter vividly illustrate that this historically difficult “mission field” has dramatically changed from rock-hard ground into soil that is able to receive seed. This is news to many Christians in the West, but why? What do you suppose are some of the factors that have kept this wonderful news from being more widely reported? Do you think it’s good or bad that the word is now getting out? What effect might it have on the Church at large, and on missions to Muslims?

Chapter 2: Dealing with the Fear
1. It’s possible to let fear hold us back from things that God wants to do in us or through us. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Tell about a time when you experienced God’s provision in overcoming fear.

2. Sometimes the circumstances we’d most like to run from actually result in our most cherished testimonies of God’s goodness. In the story of the setup, Reema testifies that the only reason she didn’t run away was that she physically couldn’t! Has God ever placed you in a situation where all you could do was depend on Him? What did you learn about Him through it?
3. As believers we know that God can do anything, even the impossible. Yet often when He does it we are somehow surprised! Everyone was afraid of Hamdan, an angry, violent man who tried to stop the Gospel from spreading, yet apparently he came to faith himself. Does his story encourage you to share God’s grace with the “unlikely” people in your life?

Chapter 3: The Power of Questions
1. God prompts Reema to fast on the day of her visit to the princess and then uses it to start a spiritual conversation, thus exposing a whole room full of people to biblical truth. Do you think that the fasting itself played a part in the process or had any effect on its outcome? Have you ever fasted? What impact did it have in your life?
2. We’re reminded that Reema is a real, ordinary person when we read about her griping over a sink full of dishes after the prayer meeting. How unspiritual! But this story has a far more important point: as soon as Reema repented of her sin, God was willing and able to use her again. What a great God we serve! Are you encouraged in your own walk of faith when you see God using “normal,” imperfect people?

Chapter 4: When You Least Expect It
1. In this chapter, Reema explains how God turns an Islamic evangelistic event completely around and makes it into a forum for proclaiming the Gospel. Were you surprised at the Muslim guests’ sincere interest in hearing Christianity explained by “an actual Christian”? Do you think we sometimes fail to share our faith because of a tendency to assume that Muslims aren’t interested? Why do you think we make that assumption?
2. In several instances throughout the book, Reema mentions that her neighborhood’s stories are not unique. They are representative of a whole new trend in missions to Muslims, which Christian workers in every country of the Arabian Peninsula are experiencing. Where do you think this trend is headed? How does this compare with how God has worked, or is working, in other places?

Chapter 5: Family Matters
1. Maybe “there is no place on earth that is truly ‘safe’ from all evil,” but some places definitely feel safer to us than others! Is there any place you are unwilling for God to send you? What does it take, exactly, to make you feel safe somewhere?
2. When you think about it, can the things you just named ultimately protect you? On the other hand, is there any place you can go where God Himself is not enough to deliver you from all evil?
3. After first reading about Tim’s prayer, did you think it would rain? ☺
4. Do you think Jesus actually visited Lydia, was it a just special dream, or do you have another explanation for her account? In any case, God wonderfully cared for Lydia in a very tender, loving, and personal way. It’s no coincidence that the Lord allowed everything to happen just as it did. What do you think He purposely revealed to the neighbors about His true nature and character, in view of their original assumptions about Him? What did the Goodes learn about their God?

Chapter 6: The Jinn and the Evil Eye
1. Some people believe that evil spirits are active only in underdeveloped countries or in unusually evil circumstances. Some think demons simply have different tactics in more “civilized” places. What is your understanding?
2. Jamila thought that in order to become a follower of Christ she must adopt Western clothing, culture, and lifestyle. Some Arabs feel that, although they believe, they will never be able to “really” follow Jesus because they are Arab. Can Arabs become Christians and yet still be who they are? When Americans, Russians, Chinese, or Israelis become Christians, do they maintain their personal identities? Although “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1, NIV), we tend to pile expectational baggage on ourselves and each other. What are some ways that God is glorified by different people groups or nations through culturally unique expressions of faith in Him?
3. Another unfortunate stumbling block to faith is that people often assume “Western values = Christian values.” Since news and entertainment from the West portray immorality, alcoholism, drug abuse, abortion, and homosexuality as an accepted part of life, many Muslims assume that “becoming a Christian” means embracing these things. As followers of Christ who live in the West, what can we do to help overcome such an obstacle?

Chapter 7: Dreams and Visions
1. The chapter opens with a passage from Acts. In it the apostle Peter tells the crowd of his day that what they were experiencing at Pentecost was fulfillment of a prophecy in the book of Joel concerning “the last days.” If Peter declared his time period to be “in the last days,” where does that place us on God’s timeline? Are there other scriptural indicators that support your view? Please elaborate.
2. Many of the stories in Which None Can Shut follow a similar pattern: Biblical Truth is shared, and then “God shows up” to confirm that Truth to people’s hearts. In Ibrahiim’s case God shows up first in the form of a vision and later provides him with the Bible. Why do you think God sometimes uses supernatural events like this in people’s lives? What does it reveal about His heart?
3. When God does “something special,” it blesses not only the receiver but also all who hear his or her story. Do you have a special story? If so, share it so the group can praise the Lord together!

Chapter 8: It Takes a Body
1. Has there ever been a time in your life when God used the Body of Christ to do something for you that you simply couldn’t do for yourself? How did it make you feel? What did you learn about yourself? the Body? God’s ways?
2. The story of the mutawwa’s visit is a great example of the Body working together and of the power of prayer. We all know that prayer is a mighty force, yet often in practice we don’t rely on it as much as we do on other things. How do you stay passionate about your prayer life? What has made you a believer in the power of prayer?

Chapter 9: Mercy Drops
1. We tend to think of the apostle Paul as a great orator, yet in the opening verse of this chapter he admits to feeling weak and fearful to the point of trembling. In fact, the Corinthians called Paul’s speaking “contemptible” (2 Corinthians 10:10). Instead of being deterred by his own inadequacies, Paul relied on the Holy Spirit to confirm God’s Word to people’s hearts, and He did! The wonderful result was that the faith of believers rested on God and not man. Can we rightly expect this same principle to work in our own witness for Christ, despite our shortcomings? Is our own ability or giftedness ever a hindrance to the actual work of God? Why or why not?
2. Reema says her book contains “only a small smattering of what’s happening” in the Arab Muslim World today, and she predicts a tidal wave of Muslims turning to Christ. What do you think will happen in the next year, two years, five years, decade? How do you think events will unfold? On what do you base your opinion?
3. What is one specific step you might take to help reach Arab Muslims with the Good News, now that you are aware of how powerfully God is moving among them?