In the Name of All?h, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
I am a Muslim by birth and by choice. I am not a person who follows a religion just because "someone" told them, for example close family and relatives like Parents, Grandparents. I am going to use my real name and be truthful to everyone because I am here to gain something, in a proper way. I have been a Sunni by birth. I studied the differences between the Sunni and Shi'a religion and what the other religions have to say about the differences. So far the only decision I have come up with is that I want to be "only" Muslim. That led me to this forum. I have many questions and concerns that I would like to clear up but the main one is about Mr. Rashad Khalifa claiming to be a prophet. I would like for the members to find time to prove to me that I should choose to be a "Submitter", or as be like you all, "a hadith-free muslim".
The Questions:
1. Why should I believe Mr. Rashad Khalifa claims of being a prophet?
My understanding: I will be straight up about this, I don't believe that claim. As a Sunni, we believe in false Prophets (Dajjals). Thinking inside the box, as a Sunni, I will have to put him under that category, if he is doing so using Islam as the religion.
2. According to Mr. Rashad Khalifa's code-19 theory, the following Ayats are not true
9:128 --- Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from amongst yourselves (i.e.
whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad
SAW) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to All?h, and beg Him to pardon and forgive
your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire),
for the believers (he SAW is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.
9:129 --- But if they turn away, say (O Muhammad SAW): "All?h is sufficient for me. L? il?ha illa Huwa (none
has the right to be worshipped but He), in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty
Throne."
(con't) Question 2: So according to you, the Qur'an has to work because of the mathematical sense and not the logical, everyday, common sense?
My Understanding: As far as I can understand, Allah is telling the people the mentioned things in order for the people to understand that the Prophet is nothing more than a Messenger and Allah is explaining his message. I am aware that progressive Muslims believe in the message I am not a doctor or a PhD. I am surely not a mathematician. The Qur'an was written down as a guideline for people to use in their everyday life. Islam and the Qur'an didn't come with the number 19, but it came with/through a Prophet. Some Sunni people don't realize the limit of respect that should be given, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't be respected at all.
3: From what I know, the message is more important to the free-thinkers rather than the messenger. True, I agree 100%, this theory will put me under the category of free-thinkers. If it's okay to follow the teachings and good-deeds of great and successful people (non-Prophets). We obviously do that because, if they were successful by adapting certain things that they did, we might be able to get success in life as well. Considering that, what's wrong with following our Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)? Is it wrong to follow the Hadith (i.e. sayings of the Prophet S.A.W)? Is it wrong according to the progressive Islam?
My understanding: As a practicing Muslim-Sunni (Follower of the Sunnah), I understand that we do so because we Believe that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) will go to heaven and he had a great healthy lifestyle. Since he was the last prophet and we have more information about his life than any other Prophet, and he also delivered the Qur'an, we believe that it would be good for ourselves to follow his everyday life. Don't get the idea that we believe he was the best prophet, etc. According to a Hadith, A Sahaba told Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) that he had argued with a Jew about Prophet Moses (Musa) being better than Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) said that don't do that because on the day of Judgement, everyone will faint, and as Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) will gain conciousness, Prophet Moses (Musa) will be sitting by Allah's throne, and Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) won't have the knowledge about who gained conciousness first.
Question 4: I was reading the Q & A in the website 19.org just now!!! (link:
http://19.org/index.php?id=15,18,0,0,1,0) and I found out that Edip Yuksel left the organization, (link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edip_Yuksel) but he is still a Qur'an Alone Muslim.
My question is Why disagree with the Hadith and not agree with Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), disrespect him, disgrace him and follow other people (Mr. Rashad Khalifa) instead?
My understanding: Qur'an Alone muslims basic idea is not to believe Hadith and Follow Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) as a prophet. But then again you choose to have a self-proclaimed "educated" prophet (Mr. Rashad Khalifa) who has very few followers and the Book he has "altered" was really written by an Illiterate person who could never read and write all his life (Prophet Muhammad S.A.W) this miracle that could only be done by Allah. Reading the Q&A (link:
http://19.org/index.php?id=15,18,0,0,1,0) just made me realize something. But I give the benefit of doubt because one muslim convert once said that he is so lucky he never met muslims before converting, otherwise he wouldn't have done so. But your basic beliefs are from a Prophet and Book that you are denying. I don't mean to be offensive but since I have placed my self in the category of free-thinkers, I can say this religion is not one of the choices that I would like to choose unless someone on this site proves to me otherwise. This is a new religion and the main founders should be nicer and more accepting, instead of disrespecting other religious beliefs. To tell everyone the truth, I haven't found any truth or any reason to believe this "Qur'an Alone" argument. According to a Hadith, before Qayamah (judgement day) everyone will have their own religous beliefs. Free thinkers contradict their own beliefs. If I keep on asking "why?" one day I will be questioning the law. Law is what you worry about more than questioning the religion itself, because that's in the near future, and the after-life doesn't matter anymore. Another Hadith states that before Qayamah, the Qur'an will be taken away from the Earth and people's hearts. Thanks for contributing to the two signs of the Judgement day. You have given muslims the right to freely change the religion and soon the law will be changed in your own minds because that's what your thinking allows you to do.
My First CONCLUSION: I am a free-thinker, but I don't take it to an excessive level. I realize that I don't choose what's best for me, Allah does. I allow the government to choose my rights and law, and I worry about the cops catching me for speeding, instead of opposing them, I accept my mistake and agree to pay (if needed). I don't take a copy of the constitutional rights and distribute it all over to get supporters and prove my point, which was never there. If I do so, I just changed it for my needs, so I can simply go and freely drive my car as fast as I want. But then after an accident, I will realize my mistake. Changing two Ayats and being an unbeliever of the Hadith is absolutely done for a pointless reason. Why can't I tell you why? because I can't judge someone's action, I am not God. Yes, I am a free-thinker but I know my limits, and "Qur'an Alone" is not the way for me.
Shi'a and Sunni religions make up for the 95% of the muslim population, and there numbers are growing world wide, Mash'allah.
My Final Question: WHY?
My Understanding: Ethics, Respect and the real Qur'an and Prophets are still present as a part of the basic foundation of the religion. There are no contradictions in the religion itself. One thing that needs to be clear about this is the fact that I am talking about the scripture and the real religion instead of the actions and behaviour of the followers. The conflict remains on the Khalifahs and some other minor subjects, that I will study and try to come up with a conclusion.
However MY FINAL CONCLUSION for this religion: There is probably a 0.5% chance for me to accept this religion, now. I am a Free-thinking, Sunni(follower of the sunnah) and a Shi'a (follower) Muslim. I have taken out some teachings followed by the sub-religions because they do not follow the Qur'an. As Far as Qur'an Alone is concerned, I am Sorry, but I cannot agree with the teachings given by Mr. Rashad Kalifah. He realized himself that he will need people to promote his new "product" so he became a self-proclaimed prophet. Contradiction is not found in Islam, this is not Islam. You cannot buy a product that you have no knowledge of, without it's instructions, so he became a prophet. He is right, I agree, therefore "Qur'an Alone" is a flop and not Islam because Qur'an Alone, isn't even Qur'an "Alone", it's coming with other false-prophets and mathematical teachings. This religion falls under the Wahabi and Free-Thinkers category, the people who don't believe in God at all.
Choose to be complete non-muslim free-thinkers for your beliefs to make sense
As an average free-thinking, muslim, I have crossed "Qur'an Alone" out as a choice for my religion, only in a couple of hours. It was great, and a nice experience, I learned a couple of good things that I would like to share as I depart from this site. I will be visiting frequently for the replies.
1. While being greatly successful and educated, one should not think of him/herself as a superior person, compared to others because one day that person might choose to be better than Prophets, Holy Books, and a really excessive limit would be being beter than God.
2. After learning about your religion, my appreciation about Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W) has been greatly increased. His Hadith have helped me to be a great person, with a nice, humble personality, with little or no negative thoughts or emotion.
3. As a free-thinker, you have a right to say whatever you want, whenever you want. You can absolutely trash the other person and his/her religion without a problem. There is no respect what-so-ever. It's mostly complaining, pointing fingers, disgracing, disrespecting others and being a complete ego-maniac. I have had friends from other non-accepted, so-called muslim religions. They backbite, and think of themselves as better people, and think it's okay. They have a bad thing to say about everyone except those who they are close with. If things don't go their way, they choose to trash the other person and their religion, but when it comes to their own religion or themselves (mostly retaliation against them), they are sensitive and they cannot handle it. They think and act like they are better than someone, and try to prove it. They are supposed to be innocent and the complaining victims after all of their behaviour. I am being Stereotypical? you really think so, try it. I can assure you that your free-thinker approach that I am using (stating an opinion and my understanding), will simply get replies of pure garbage instead of the educated and logical approach that this religion has advertised.
Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) said that the words he preaches aren't his own words, but are actually words sent to him by Allah.
The angels were delivering messages from Allah to the Messenger. The Hadith and Sunnah weren't pointless, Allah Knows Best!
If you really love your approach, just choose to be complete non-muslim free-thinkers for your beliefs to make sense!
Salaam!