Witnessing among Muslim-majority populations remains a central challenge for missions in the 21st century. It was during my years of missionary service in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman that I first noticed the untapped opportunity to understand Islam from the perspective of young Muslims. My hunch was that this population might yield new insights for more effective witnessing. The average global age of Muslims is 24 (nine years below that of non-Muslims), and within the Middle East and North Africa Union territory, it is 22. These young people are largely urban, highly educated and digitally connected. Research shows they are also at an age when faith is explored more intensively. Yet missiologically, young people remain the least researched cohort.
I began this research journey during my doctoral work among young Emiratis in the UAE. In 2022, I joined Andrews University as a faculty member in the Department of Religion & Biblical Languages. My research in Oman began in 2023, generously supported by an Andrews University Faculty Research Grant and the General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.
Few people can point to Oman on a map, yet this little-known gem is unique among the 53 Muslim-majority countries. It is the only one where Ibadi Islam, rather than the better-known Sunni or Shia traditions, shapes law and culture. Ibadi teachings of tolerance and personal autonomy have cultivated a peace-loving society, earning Oman the epithet “Switzerland of the Middle East” for its role as a regional peace broker. Oman was also the only Arab colonial power between the 17th and 19th centuries, with an empire stretching from parts of Iran and Pakistan through East Africa to Mozambique. Its society today is ethnically and religiously diverse, with Ibadi, Sunni and Shia communities coexisting harmoniously, making it a fascinating and promising research setting.
My study explores how university-educated Omani emerging adults (ages 18–29) construct Islamic identity in the digital age. I wanted to understand how these young Muslims navigate a culturally conservative, highly-surveilled society while engaging in global digital networks. I wondered what effect this framework has on their identity and what it might reveal for loving, relational witnessing.
My fieldwork, originally planned for early 2024, was delayed when the Hamas attack and the subsequent Gaza war sent shockwaves through the region, and my contacts went cold. I was eventually able to conduct fieldwork in the summer of 2025, followed by data analysis and preparation of academic presentations and publications.
Preliminary findings reveal generational tension over Islamic interpretation, with digital networks playing a central role. Young Omanis use their phones to access information that is beyond family, religious and government control. Redefining authority, they leverage Islamic sources found online to negotiate greater personal freedom of choice within Islam. This impacts traditional views on family, including, notably, the pursuit of romantic relationships in a society where dating is prohibited due to religious traditions. These young Muslims are reinterpreting and reshaping Islam from within.
This research places Andrews University at the forefront of missiological work in the Arabian Peninsula, offering insights into Muslim-majority context in the 10/40 window—a global priority for Seventh-day Adventist Church mission. Preliminary findings were presented to the Qualitative Research Writing Group during spring semester 2026 at Andrews University. A full report will be presented at the fall 2026 Andrews Celebration of Research & Creative Scholarship and will soon appear in specialized religion and digital media, mission studies, and church publications.