Friendships After Quran Alone

ImanXO

Did any of your relationships/friendships weaken after you followed Quran alone?

I have followed Quran alone for 4 years and especially the first 2 years I studied so much. I love it and feel such a strong sense of peace, but I feel it has affected my relationships. My Sunni family is completely against this way of thinking (well any independent thinking really). My friends all believe you have to listen to the scholars and the leaders in your community. I thought we would just have to agree to disagree. But now as I continue friendship with them, anytime I mention something I was studying in the Quran (even just a simple verse that has nothing to do with their rituals or hadiths) they just kind of gloss over everything I say and change the subject. Its like they are scared that I might veer them off their path or (gasp!) cause them to think for themselves.

I just don't see how I can have an authentic relationship with people that specifically dodge certain topics that they know I want to talk about, topics that are truly important to me. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Wakas

From my experience most Traditional Muslims are not well informed with regard to The Quran. In fact, vast majority have not read it in a language they understand. Also, most Traditional Muslims (like most Christians/Jews/atheists/etc) are not active truthseekers, so may not be interested in such discussion, especially one which challenges their beliefs. I wouldn't take it personally.

Most people follow religion as a socio-cultural experience.

lead by example
you can discuss things if an issue comes up.

You have found like-minded people here who like to discuss things you may be interested in. Not so bad.

Also, prophets/messengers experienced similar closed-mindedness etc. Some will not pay heed regardless of what one says.

Zulf

Life can easily get lonely for non-conformists, whatever it is about.
Pray for like-minded and supportive friends to show up in your life, IRL. That's what I do.

Peace

Jafar

Did any of your relationships/friendships weaken after you followed Quran alone?

I'm not a Quran Alone, I did once only for a very brief of time, but I changed once I realized my fallacy of such view.

And I'm not experiencing any of my relationship / friendship weaken at all, ever.
Because I don't see myself as the 'most correct' and I'm very opened to other people's perspective on things.
As matter of fact, once I adopted such attitude, I received huge boost on number of friends, ranging from myriad of cultural background.

My Sunni family is completely against this way of thinking (well any independent thinking really). My friends all believe you have to listen to the scholars and the leaders in your community.

Just like any other 'standard' Sunni family, my family acted the same way.
But nonetheless it didn't ruined my relationship with them.
If they asked my view on things, I always state my view in full honesty yet I never tried or intended for them to subscribe to my view either. So I'm not hiding my 'belief' on anything..

I also welcomed any criticism from them, as I see it as a 'test' towards my own view.
And often I did found fallacy of my view due to the criticism and changed it accordingly.

I thought we would just have to agree to disagree.

True, and agree to disagree is all ok, nothing bad about it..

Its like they are scared that I might veer them off their path or (gasp!) cause them to think for themselves.

They're scared, human don't like to take a step off from their 'comfort zone'...
I was too.. once ... felt the same way.. thus I fully understand the feelings.

I just don't see how I can have an authentic relationship with people that specifically dodge certain topics that they know I want to talk about, topics that are truly important to me.

Why?

Jane

The idol worshippers all love each other, for validating each other's evil - it keeps them from having to realise it.

Whereas the ones who think for themselves, and who do not set up partners with their inner voice....well, they will always be on the outside.

At least until The End of Times that is; when the God says we will see humanity embracing The True Way in droves, maybe it will be soon, who knows? )

unknownuser

I have gone through the exact same experiences, it is difficult to deal with at times - Peace!