Dear Mr. Edip Yuksel: Greetings! I haven't contacted you in quite awhile. I live on the north coast of California and have little contact with practising Muslims here. My only friends in the Faith are a married couple who converted to Ahmadiyya from being raised Sunnis. They are kind, gracious, pious and willing to here my questions without anger. However, i hear the husband during Fridays sermons sometimes quoting a hadith after using several Qur'an quotations. The hadith always seem so unnecessary to me because the Qur'an was clear in elucidating the sermon. Also, their call to prayer uses the Prophet's name. When he told me that anyone can be a Muslim, all they have to
say is that there is only One God, and Muhammed is His Prophet, well i picked up Dr. Khalifa's translation and started reading through the appendix again when i got home. I've only discussed the use of hadith with him once, saying that if i hear them, i will probably start confusing these quotes with thinking they are in the Qur'an. He seemed to agree, tho, of course he said that only the ones that don't contradict the Holy Qur'an are considered valid, and continues to throw one into the Friday sermons.
Mr. Yuksel, these are my only human contacts up here. I was thinking if i stand next to him during azan, not behind him with his wife, then i am free to not be participating in the use of Muhammed's name during prayers to Allah. What?
And do you know anyone up here i could email that is Quranist/Monotheist??
And do you have any particular things i may need to
know
about Ahmadiyyat jummat that may be helpful. I understand they work with many humanitarian projects, and see themselves as reformers to peace, tho i know the hadith and sunna are used as references in their commentaries.
I, of course would like to keep them as friends ... and if they are the only contacts i have up here (Eureka, CA) then maybe we should be coming together on Fridays. What do you think is the healthiest and most truthful and respectful way to go concerning our current differences. I am very new to all this (since March? 2009) and own several different translations with commentaries incl. the one-vol. Ahmadiyyat version which actually mentions the number 19 as quite possibly having to do with some great mystery of the proof of the Qur'an's cohesiveness and divine source. (My paraphrasing). I will ask you some questions about your translation at some other moment in time.
Please answer me when you have
the time...
And Peace be with you brother Edip.
Sister Alison P.
