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Salam brother. I recently came across your website and have found your thoughts in relation to the singular importance of the Quran very intriguing. I whole heartedly agree that if Muslims refocused on Quran rather than hadith many of our internal and external problems would be minimized.

Thank you for your efforts.

Assalamu alaikom dear brother Joseph Islam,

First of all, I want to appologize in advance if my English expression or syntax isnt how it should be.

I dont know how to express myself the way I have in my mind. I have discovered your site a few weeks ago. It really blew me away. Your way of explaining and elaborating complex issues is really a relief.

In fact you explain it the way I've always wanted to. So many topics so refreshing.

As I myself I started to "investigate" the traditions and Quran like some 30 years ago. I'm not a scholar at all, not at all. I did it by interest in the first place. The question that actually got me busy was the fact that how Islam has spread the message almost all over the Arabic world Asia etc in a few decades.
It was certainly not by violence

And now we have these beasts monsters, barbarians over out there claming that we have to force the non muslims to convert even by violence.
I'm sure you also know whom (what) I'm talking about.

Whenever someone mastering the Arabic language came to our house and read from the Ahadeeth books, I never could believe that the companions of the prophet or the people lived in his time could be this wrong! But really soo wrong!

There were so many irrational and illogical  hadeeths, beyond (my) belief.

I have always avoided or kept away from the hadeeths as most as possible.

I sincerly thank you...

Salamu alaikom

Salaam Aleikum Br. Joseph,

I am [Name Removed] from Kenya and I recently came across your site (www.quransmessage.com) which I found much interesting with regard to most of the greatly debated and controversial topics you touched on through the various articles there in. I was just seeking other possible references as to the subject of "seven heavens" question which I had recently come to understand before reaching your site.

I would like to be contacting you sometimes for some insight and your view regarding various subject in Islam. I have a recent found friend who actually does some very recommendable work using a similar approach to yours, and reaching same and somehow remarkable (of course non-popular) realizations/conclusions through deeply researched analyses.

Salam, I will be short in my writing.  I am very pleased with your work and for finding your website with Allahs wills.  As I begin to ponder on Islam and Quran, I began to realize that we need to take charge for our guidance and put Quran at the core.  Most of us dont.  I dont like the idea of Submission.org that reject all hadit and islamic history.  Similarly I am not in agreement with more traditionalist suni (and shea) interpretation of our deen.  Your work is unique as its centers on the Quran and also takes guidance from our collective historical sources (non imposing).  I had many questions which are gracefully addressed by your website.  I have been pondering over Quran for a long time as well as other sources.  I use common sense as well as the notion that Allah desires ease for us, that his commandments are flexible to cater to differentiating circumstances that we will come across till the end of time.

I appreciate the effort you are putting in.

Regards,

Brother ! Your research is precious and mind blowing. You have been successful in explaining everything in a systematic and lucid manner. Do you plan to write a book ?
You must look to preserve your work.
Where do you live and what do you do for a living ?
Who taught you Arabic and other stuff about Islam ?

Hi and hello (from US)

I just wanted to write you a quick note to say hello from one monotheist to another.  I am a masters student finishing up an end-of-the-semester paper and I found your helpful site.  I found your writing style to be particularly gracious and humble, even while also writing persuasively.  You may find it interesting to hear that my paper's topic is Apostasy in Islam, and your perspective is very helpful, being one that sees apostasy and riddah being ultimately a matter left only to God.  As I say to some of my other Muslim friends, including my brother-in-law, no less—I hope and pray that others will interpret the Qur'an and the Hadith more like you.  I say that with personal experience of working with many Persian refugees here in [Place removed] who, while allowed to keep their lives, were exiled from their country of Iran, because they chose to leave Islam.

I write as a Protestant Evangelical Christian so of course, you and I will not agree on everything, but I think finding and focusing on each other's disagreements is sometimes from the Devil, the Enemy.  Instead, I admire your humanity that shines visibly, your obvious devotion to God who created both you and me, and your pursuit of Truth above dogma.

I pray for many blessings on you and your family, and I pray nothing except for God to guide us both, and all of humanity, into the Truth, and nothing else.

As the apostle Paul was fond of writing:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

To Joseph -

It it truly a pleasure to read your fb profile I feel as if your understanding has enlightened my clouded understanding, it's as if years of researching finding out has now come to a halt at your expertise, I'm nor wise nor smart but learning threw the message and learning threw others in hope to strengthen my lack of the truth, I don't really know of what to say, I'm sorry if this is weird and awkward to receive, it's just your knowledge is truly inspiring, and your input is very genuine, nobody here at my age group or people in my life ever put me in the situation to change my original ways of Islam as we know today, I new in my heart what I was following was wrong I just knew it n it took me to travel a path I never thought I'd ever go, in fact it was only today I realised I was wrong to even believe in Devine interference with the whole Rashad khalifa thing, it's as if saying I'm wrong is ok, something as information was never mine, never owned it, sometimes people that find things themselves take great pride in there work unable to let go, I've made many mistakes in life not perfect, one Allah I always put faith in and that it's the same Allah that all twenty prophets mentioned in 19 scriptures came to be as it is all of the same, I got so many questions n nobody to ask, I just want to say thank you 

Dear brother Joseph,

I continue to read your posts on facebook and visit your website. It is absolutely fantastic that He gave me an opportunity to come across such a wonderful person like you. May all your endeavours, hard work for the sake of believers be rewarded both in this world as well as the eternal one.

God bless you and the ones you love (insh.)

Your brother in faith (insh.),

Salamunalaykum,

I have been reading your articles since late 2015, when I came to understand the significance of the Quran alone...and the need to truly grasp the message of the Quran.

I wish to thank you for your articles which  I continue to read and to study.

Warm regards,

Asslamo Alaikum. I wanted to contact you to the you your work is brilliant and ask you if you plan to continue to update your website.

First off, your work is a great resource for me on Islam and extremely concise. I always found a few problems in some aspects of mainstream Sunni Islam (I also agree with you on that it is wrong for us to divide into sects) but overall remained a Muslim and always attempted to think rationally about each and every part of Islam. As such, when it came to certain Hadith's being indefensible and certain narratives on these clearly secondary sources I did some research. My thinking began as a question of, "If Muhammad (SAWS) was the Prophet of God, why would he do something that contradicts the revelation and/or adds to it?" Before this, I also never considered Hadith as 100% infallible; it seemed clear to me, even as a child, that oral traditions and methods of keeping it authentic can succeed to a certain degree but will not be protected as God's word. Your opinions and arguments seemed extremely rational and made sense to me when I first found your website, and they also satisfied my  moral compass. I have but the greatest respect for your endeavours and am glad I could find like minded thinking.

I have a few questions for you. What is your opinion on Hadith being used as interpretative guides and as general life guides for day to day things than don't run contrary to the Quran's message? I read your article on secondary sources being filtered through the Quran, but it seemed unclear exactly how much trust you place in the Hadith. Personally, I think mass reported Hadith's and Hadith's which directly link back to the Prophet can be taken but should always be carefully examined and analyzed. I also wish to ask your opinion on the previous revelations. I enjoyed and agreed with your opinions on the People of the Book and the clearing of misconceptions about "Kufr," but what opinion do you have on exactly how the different revelations relate? Obviously abrogation is a false concept within the Quran and it seems ridiculous to me when I was first introduced to it, but is their abrogation from one scripture to the next, or is it confirmation? Is their any clarification on why different scriptures were revealed at different times? I was in a discussion with a Jewish fellow and he told me he found some theological problems with Islam because it professes to abrogate the other scriptures but the previous scriptures like the Torah state law cannot be added or subtracted from. I disagreed with him and was of the opinion that it confirms and that each nation is tested with what they were given as Surah Maidah states, but an article or an explanation from your end would be extremely beneficial and hopefully as accurate as your other explanations are.

I also wish to ask if you plan to update your articles or broadcast them in other forms (YouTube)? I say this because I think Muslims would benefit from having a source like yours and that your explanations of the Quran are logical and make sense. Websites like Islamqa seem to be at the very forefront of Islamic Q&A's, and they profess views like apostasy being punishable by death. Also, I stated earlier that I don't like to classify myself as a sect, but is their people who share this type of opinion on the Hadith (seems relatively uncommon) or more resources for this narrative?

Thanks you for reading and I hope you get back to me soon.

Assalam Alaikum wR wB my dear brother Joseph,

Insha'Allah as is well a your end.  Over the years, you probably have received numerous accolades for the extraordinary work you do to convey to the masses the wonderful message of the Qur'an.  You can add my sincere appreciation of your work to that list of grateful people.  It was by sheer serendipity that I stumbled across your site yesterday and browsed through a couple of your explanatory articles (I was not not looking to review any particular Quranic topic) and that was enough to ignite my curiosity.  I do plan to frequent your site to quench my spiritual thirst.

The humility in your assertions are infectious and your instructions to not follow you or your work blindly speaks volumes of your spiritual sincerity.  I am also delighted to learn that you are not affiliated to any institution , religious group, or sect etc.   I am a mature individual and in the "fall" season of my professional career.  However, I am a novice in my spiritual career and recently started my journey to better understand the essence of Islam and the true message contained in the Qur'an.  I have work to do, in terms of getting rid of the cultural junk that was placed in my head in the name of religious studies by my early mullahs in India.  In course of my spiritual journey, I hope I get to know a little bit more about you.

By the way, up to now, I have resisted getting a personal Facebook account.  But I will get one now just to access your FB posts!

May Almighty shower His choicest blessing on you and your family.

Jazak Allah Khairan.

Hi,

I just want to say Thank you for creating this site.
While reading information from your site, I felt someone read my mind, summarized it and posted on your website.

There are so many other people who are guided like you and I just hope that we all make difference in lives of our brothers/sisters and communities we live in for our better future here and hereafter.

Keep doing the good work!

Brother, may Allah swt continue to inspire you and reward you for your efforts. In part, your site has inspired me to create my own. I reverted to Islam in 2002 and want to help others that are considering Islam to enter for the right reasons. I myself took 12 years to fully understand what it meant to be a Muslim because I was misguided many times by those born into Islam, that know not of the struggles a revert faces in fundamentally changing their own life and very being for the sake of Islam and Allah swt.

Dear Joseph,

I would just like to offer my time and expertise to (y)our cause. I have found much solace and rejuvenation from your research and writings - much of which falls in line with my own thoughts. As a revert, I have had a hard time reconciling logic and reason with established traditions and secondary source influence.

It's been particularly hard keeping the faith while seeing an ever increasing misrepresentation of the truth in the media (as a revert, I often face the brunt of questioning from family, who cannot seem to understand nor be able to separate truth from manipulated information as easily)

As a result, I would like to offer my time towards anything you are in need of:

I have a [Identifying details removed]
I have years of experience in [Identifying details removed]

Please let me know if, God willing, I can provide any support and I will be happy to do so.

All the very best and blessings,

Assalamualaikum

Dear Joseph

I wanted to send you a personal thankyou after discovering your website and library of articles.

Having converted to Islam 23 years agop, my journey has been one of highs and lows. I have been forever grateful to have been introduced to Islam and the effect it has had on my life. I cannot imagine where I would be now if I had not been captivated by the evening Azan in a tropical country so long ago.

However, I have been let down by muslims many times, pulled and persuaded that this is right, that is wrong, you must do this or not do that.

Many times I have felt lost and confused. What the Quran says and what people say have often seemed to oppose each other.

So many of the articles I have read on your site have really made me think and re-adjust how I see myself as a muslim.

May Allah bless you for the work you have done

Salam

Dear Joseph

Salam alaika. How do you attain all the wisdom and energy to produce a very comprehensive and sincere delivery of the message in the quran. I salute you! I appreciate any updates. JazakAllah Khair. Allahumma salli alaika.

Good Evening Mr. Josephislam,

I would like to ask you a question about what you feel (in light of the "mood" of the Quran) about watching movies, tv shows, etc. Do you feel watching movies,tv shows would agree with the mood of the Quran or disagree with it. Of course, the answer is a "it depends". This is where I would like you to share your understanding on the matter.

In case you can answer. I thank you in advance.

In case you can't, I'd like to thank you for your previously made efforts and tell you they expanded my horizons and I can say in some ways have brought me closer to Allah.

For this, I thank Allah and thank you for endeavoring to become the manifestation of His will.

Peace.

To Joseph

From my observation by exploring alphabetically in all words in Quran  Sa means the way. The established way, the way it works, the way should to be taken, the way to achieve and others. And Ma means energy flow makes something works, moves from one state to another state, something required to work.Ma is noun and Maa is verb.

So Samaa means to run, to make the way works.

Similar with Saba'a. It means to develop any kinds of efforts to gain, to reach goal. 'Ain is to make evident, clear, observable. Waa means of the authority to act and Ti means final, no other movements. For all it is Allah authority to to bring to final state whatever efforts to reach state of something. Wal ardh means the act of interest charge to change.

This conclusion comes from exploring alphabetically its Quanta so it will have the same meaning in wherever this alphabet in Quran.

Sorry, really i never learned Arabic language.Comes from reading Quran with heart so may be right may be wrong but needed to be considered,

I hope.

Tq.

Salaam

Peace be upon you and many thanks my brother for this fine work! A work inducing a re-contemplation of Allah's Signs. Yes indeed, this "revival" is very much needed !

May you be blessed for your efforts and may Allah, glory to Him, guide us further into His Light...ameen.

Was'Salaamu alayk war Rahmatullaahe wa Barakaatuh:-)

Dear Brother Joseph,

Assalamu alaykum.

I apologize for not responding right away as I was preparing for work when I received your message. It's truly my pleasure to share that particular experience to you. I hope you don't mind if I add a prelude to it; something which I think would make you understand more why things happened.

My father's a Muslim while my mom used to be a Christian but converted after marriage, and with my father as an exception, our family spent most of our lives being surrounded by Christians. I do not wear a hijab or pray the traditional prayer (although at some point our father would convince us to start practising it), used to fast but never strictly aimed at completing the whole month, and entirely ignorant on Islamic history and practices, more so hadiths. In other words, I (even other members of the family) would never qualify for a Sunni, Shia, or any other popular sect's definition of a Muslim. My father, however, despite his kids being like that, continued to adhere to his practices--praying five times daily, and even fasting alone at times.

It was only during my college years when our parents really tried to push us to do the ritual prayer as opposed to my and my siblings' "Christian-inspired" method (which I learned is called dua just a few years back, wherein, as I understand, one simply talks to God). This was because my father started reading articles shared online in forums, to which he was initially convinced that only three (or was it two, I apologize for forgetting) prayers were required of us. So I started praying twice (or thrice) a day. There might be several instances when my father have stumbled upon various views and considered it for some time maybe, details of which I know nothing about. All i know is he spent years of thinking before the next thing happened.

What became a turning point in our lives not later than two years was when my father came upon Aidid Safar's book. According to him, he struggled with Aidid's ideas at first, even thought it was absurd. But eventually, after a lot of months reading various views particularly those in free-minds, my father started to accept a "deviant" perception of what Islam is really about. He stopped doing all rituals and practices, but continued reading the quran regularly. We naturally followed the head of the family, more so with us looking up to him as a very patient, humble, virtuous man. So we kind of became the Muslim version of born-again Christians. Islam but with all "rituals" taken away.

I was so intrigued by the book that made a man abandon practices he religiously adhered to for more than 50 years. So finally I downloaded and read Aidid Safar's book. This was in 2012.

I cried because it felt liberating for me. It was too radical in my opinion but still i knew it got to me. Easy maybe because I did not have a solid foundation that would otherwise make me resist. I was quite convinced to a point when I felt like I wanted to share it to everyone! So I proceeded to search for reviews for and against his views. So I read and read and read until I found free-minds.org on my own, then eventually your blog. From all of these, I learned a lot including about the existence of hadiths (its nature and how it crept into Islam); liberating ideas but still my mind has held on to Aidid's views of rituals being unquranic. Eventually, my mind got so confused that I decided to lie low for awhile (still not sure whether that was a good or a bad decision though; I still wonder what I could have learned had I proceeded, but anyway, it's something I can no longer change).

I ended up lying low for more than two years (since late 2013 if my memory serves me right) and was somehow content with the articles I read via facebook, most of which are quran-centric (towards which my current views lean) and some generic/universal. It was only this year that I started listening to that part of me which would like to try doing the practices I have abandoned/not practised for so long. This was because I felt like I am not content of how "connected" I feel with God. So far I have discerned the logic behind the frequency of prescribed prayer, a BIT of fasting (because I suffer from ulcer since my university years), bit still struggles with why the prayer has to follow certain movements or direction, especially the Hajj.

Looking back at the Aidid experience, it can be likened to being jolted awake, but just like after every jolting moment, my mind/perception eventually normalized. However radical his views are, I still consider having learned of it a blessing because somehow it shook me from my long overdue trance.

I just want to continue seeking for answers with the guiding principle that God made the deen easy for everyone and to always get the best interpretation of things. The past four years made me realize that the more I seek it (although I do get a LOT of eye-opening messages), the more I realize I know very little of the Truth.

I will surely get back to reading your articles for a perspective that's both different and similar to what I have now. I hope I have not bothered you with my long narration. Thank you very much as always.

And, just so you know, the reason why I continue reading your posts/articles is because out of all the individuals whose views got to me in some way, you are THE most humble and respectful of other views. The way I feel towards how you come across is how I would like other people to feel towards me; to affect people the way you probably affect most of us who have come across your articles.

I am saying all of these with all honesty and purely out of my enormous gratitude to you.

God bless you, Brother Joseph.

Sincerely,