Intro
Haze Hurd (new Ahmadi name was Abdul Hameed) told the world that he was born on 1-30-1876 (See Moslem Sunrise, Apr-July-1932, page 15) and died in July-1944 (aged 68)(See “The Indianapolis News” of Tue, Jul 04, 1944 ·Page 19 and The Indianapolis Star of Tue, Jul 04, 1944 ·Page 15). Additional research alleged that he was a local carpenter (a white hoosier). The Indianapolis News of Fri, Jul 07, 1944 ·Page 21 alleged that Haze Hurd died of arteriosclerosis.
Haze Hurd (Abdul Hameed) alleges that in the winter of 1931, a friend of his named William Lockridge invited him to meet with Sufi Muti-ur-Rahman Bengali on his tour of Indianapolis. Haze Hurd met Sufi Muti-ur-Rahman Bengali and promised that on his next trip, he would come to Haze Hurd’s house (See Moslem Sunrise, Apr-June-1932, page 15).
In Dec-1931, on Sufi Muti-ur-Rahman Bengali’s subsequent tour of Indianapolis, Haze Hurd invited him to his house. As Hurd wrote in the Moslem Sunrise in 1932, “the spiritual truths that he propounded in his engaging way went straight to my heart.” On December 12, 1931, Bengalee visited Hurd and some of his friends at Hurd’s Indianapolis home. “We discussed religion for four full hours and I was convinced of the Truth of Islam,” Hurd explained. Hurd liked the fact that in the Ahmadi interpretation of Islam, the founders of all world religions, including not only Judaism and Christianity but also Hinduism and Buddhism, were honored. “I found that Islam is the embodiment of all religions, purified of all the corruptions that have gathered into them,” he declared. The next day, on Dec. 13, Hurd went to the mission and officially embraced Qadianism as member of the USA jamaat (See Moslem Sunrise, Apr-June-1932, page 15).
In the summer of 1932, he gave his conversion story in the Moslem Sunrise (See Moslem Sunrise, Apr-June-1932, page 15). However, he disappeared and was never seen again.
In Oct-1932, according to the Indianapolis Star, Bengalee conducted “a series of services on the religion of Islam. . . at 8 o’clock on Friday and Sunday nights in the Ahmadiyya Moslem Mission, 1419 Roosevelt Avenue.” The mission had now moved out of its manager’s house to the former site of the Emmanuel Baptist Church. This story was also reported in the Indianapolis Recorder, however, we don’t have those scans yet (See “The Indianapolis Star” of Sat, Oct 01, 1932 ·Page 5).
In 1933, Haze Hurd was scheduled to lead “The Queens Program of the American Ethiopian Lodge” at 507 1/2 Indiana Ave (See “The Indianapolis News” of Sat, Apr 29, 1933 ·Page 20). Haze Hurd is scheduled to speak about the unity of all races. A meeting will be held on Sunday afternoon.
In July-1944, Hurd Haze of 830 Addison St., beloved husband of Estella Hurd, father of Ethel Phillips of Indianapolis and Virthul Hurd of Louisville, Ky.; brother of Mary LaFeuers of of Venia, Ky.; William Hurd of Somerset, Ky.; and Jewell Steward of Advance, Ind., passed away Sunday. Services Wednesday 10 a.m., at Beanblossom Mortuary, 1321 W. Ray St. Burial Old Union Cemetery, Boone County, Indiana. Friends may call at the mortuary any time (See The Indianapolis News of Tue, Jul 04, 1944 ·Page 19 and find a grave memorial).

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