Here's my story

[Sha]

Peace everyone,

Here?s my story?

I was in partnership with a friend (a few years my senior) and we were the up-and-coming advertising agency in the city. The partnership ended in serious financial misunderstandings. I was amazed at the greed which success caused because we were both practicing Sunni Muslims. To me it seemed like a grave contradiction ? Muslims overtaken by greed and feeling absolutely justified in their actions? Truly that is not what Islam taught (or could teach).

I have had doubts which were once again confirmed ? practicing Sunni Muslims are not honest/fair in their dealings and they are absolutely self-righteous about it. I knew something was wrong but didn?t know what.

After the break-up of the partnership my father asked me to look after some of his affairs in another city. There I stayed with some relatives. One uncle (cousin to my mother) introduced me to the idea that Hadith are not to be followed. We argued for long hours but he couldn?t convince me ? probably because his arguments were not supported by relevant verses and the arguments were also not structured as well as I have seen some now.

I agreed with the basic idea Hadith can be wrong. But are they?

So I started reading the Quran seeking the truth (in a narrow fashion). I would read and confront him with verses that showed one or another aspect that connected with Hadith explanations (like the ?middle salat?) (yes its ?balanced? and not middle). Etc.

That was my first reading of the complete Quranic translation.

I moved to a village and stayed with another family. Here my uncle (brother to my mother) was a staunch ahl-e-hadith. I started discussing the possibility of the irrelevance of hadith with him. I would read the Quran and confront him with verses. At this stage I was looking for two points Can Quran completely guide us?And what?s the role of hadith in Islam?

I also started reading hadith books and looking up hadith history in the books available in the house I was staying, books in the library of relatives living in the nearby town and in the local mosque. The contradiction in Hadith, the unreliable history of hadith and their disagreement with the Quran were becoming more and more clear?

I also realized that the Quran was outrightly proclaiming the irrelevance of hadith throughout and in so many ways. I was now surprised how Muslims could have ignored such clear admonitions for more then a thousand years!

Having read the Quranic translation accepted by Sunni Muslims about six times by then I was convinced that following hadith was what God calls ?setting up partners?. I knew that the religion we were following was distorted beyond comprehension?I had by now rejected the religion of my forefathers?

But where to go from here? I knew what was wrong, but what was right? I figured it will take me two or three years of study before I can comprehend salat, zakat, pilgrimage, and so on?just from the Quran?

I also had another thing troubling me?Surely I can?t be the only person getting this?surely there will be people who are practicing and preaching Islam based on Quran alone?

Till that time Internet had not featured in my study. Quran had been the only source of guidance; and also hadith books since they were the ones on trial. On the internet I first searched for ?anti hadith? and came across an article about Kasim Ahmed in Malaysia. It was comforting to know somebody was out there who thinks just like I have come to believe.

I also read an article (regarding hadith) from free-minds the first day of searching. I came across the submission.org website too and found the 19 theory which was a bit too much for me for the time being. I wanted to understand the Quran?s message not numeralise it.

I got to the main page of free-minds.org and it made sense?I wasn?t afraid of being ?led astray? since studying the Quran many times over had already persuaded me that Quran alone is the right path?

Especially some articles like ?What is Religion? and ?How to Study the Quran? were making absolute sense?and providing a viable structure within which to understand God?s message to mankind?

I spent the next few days reading everything there was on free-minds.org?and, well, that?s how I came to and started loving this place? !

Sha