Just days after well-known Muslim-turned-Christian evangelist Nabeel Qureshi died, a GoFundMe account that he setup to help with his medical costs and to assist his wife and daughter has soared to over $758,000 as of Wednesday morning.
Qureshi, 34, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2016 and suffered over the past year as the fatal disease spread. He shared his journey with the masses as his illness worsened.
“Should the worst happen, I hope to leave the remainder of these funds to my bride Michelle and my little daughter Ayah,” he wrote in the GoFundMe description. “My life insurance policy was purchased just before I was diagnosed, and there was a 2-year window of contestability; in other words, our life insurance coverage is in doubt, and I am not sure if Michelle and Ayah will be okay.”
Qureshi also released a video back in May describing the fundraiser and his initial reluctance to accept financial assistance. It didn’t take long for him to raise an stunning $250,000, but the fundraiser has kicked into high gear since his death:
The evangelist had expressed worries in the past about his daughter growing up fatherless — and about his wife and child having the finances to survive after his passing. After Qureshi’s death on Saturday, it seems people have been stepping up to the plate to help.
As Faithwire previously reported, Qureshi was remembered throughout the weekend for his transforming ministry and staunch faith, even as he faced the harrowing struggles that came along with his disease. Among the most touching memorials came from author and apologist Ravi Zacharias, whom Qureshi worked under.
In a reflection posted by Christianity Today on Sunday, Zacharias remembered his young friend, calling him a “man with a mission” and a “spectacular passion to do what filled his soul” who “finished his race all too soon.”
Qureshi, who years ago left Islam behind and found Christianity, had passionately spoke about his faith and experiences through his books “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus,” “Answering Jihad” and “No God but One” and through speeches and addresses about the gospel and his conversion experience.
“Qureshi was not just an evangelical; he was passionately evangelistic. He desired to cover the globe with the good news that God’s forgiveness was available to all,” Zacharias wrote in Christianity Today. “I have seldom seen a man with such deep conviction and proportionate passion and gifting. When he spoke, he held audiences spellbound.”
Find out more about the fundraiser here.