Manifold Valeya, a 70-year-old man from Neno District, was once known as one of the strongest opponents of the dawah team working in his community. As a respected leader in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, he had attended the church since the day he was born, and many people in the area listened to his guidance. Brother Manifold strongly warned members of his church not to attend the iERA dawah classes. He even told them that if he saw anyone from his church participating in those classes, he would remove them from the church.
His house was located close to the roadside, and he spent much of his time sitting outside, observing people as they passed by. Whenever he suspected that someone was going to attend the dawah classes, he would stop them and advise them not to go. Because of his influence and warnings, many people became afraid to attend the classes, and the number of participants began to decrease.
Concerned about the situation, the outreach team asked some of the regular attendees why many people had stopped coming. They explained that Brother Manifold’s warnings had frightened others from attending. After hearing this, the outreach specialists decided to visit him at his home and speak with him directly. When they arrived, he immediately asked, “Are you Muslims? Why have you come here?” They politely replied that they had come to share the message of Allah and invited him, as a community leader, to attend the classes and hear the message for himself.
To their surprise, Brother Manifold listened carefully and became interested in what they shared. He agreed to attend the classes and soon became one of the most active participants, asking thoughtful questions to better understand the teachings of Islam. After some time, he approached one of the outreach specialists and expressed his deep interest in Islam, saying that he wanted to become a Muslim. The team was overjoyed, especially because he had once been their strongest challenger. In the end, Manifold Valeya accepted Islam and took his Shahadah, beginning a new and meaningful chapter in his life.
