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Smuggled in a Coffin: A Somali Imam’s Journey from Persecution to Underground Church

48:08 Min. Listen

December 10, 2025

In this unforgettable episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pastor Doug and Rabbi Pesach sit down with Dr. Michael Brawan of Kenya and Rev. Adam Hajj Muhammad of Somalia, a former imam whose decision to follow Jesus cost him almost everything. Adam describes his childhood in a radically devout Muslim family, his rise as a respected Islamic judge and mosque builder, and the moment a divine encounter shattered everything he thought he knew. From that point on, his life became a dangerous walk of faith. 

Adam shares how his public declaration of Christian faith triggered a violent backlash: his mother and wives were murdered, early converts were slaughtered, and there was a price on his head. Dr. Brawan recounts the extraordinary rescue operation that smuggled Adam out of Somalia in a coffin, and Adam explains why he later chose to return and plant underground churches despite the constant threat of torture and death. Recorded in Jerusalem while leading an African Christian delegation through Israel, this conversation shines a piercing light on the brutal persecution of Christians in Africa — and on the kind of courageous faith that refuses to back down.

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