Messenger Audio 18.2 (26-Nov-1982)

Once Rashad submitted, he was rescued from his trial. God provides, some people have a hard time with that. What to say during Hajj. Origin of Safa & Marwa, circulating Kaba is not idolatry.

(0:00) I was objecting violently. (0:04) Then I totally submitted. (0:08) So this is what this verse means. (0:12) When it does not say we belong to God, I said, (0:14) this is what God wants to do to me. (0:16) There's nothing anybody can do. (0:18) And I just have to accept it. (0:21) Okay, that's what I was talking about that first thought you had. (0:26) That's when I was talking about that first thought you had. (0:28) Is that okay (0:28) no (0:29) to say that first thought? (0:30) I know it's not okay because we should keep that second thought continuously. (0:35) But is it okay for us being human to have that first thought (0:38) as long as we get back as quickly as we possibly can to the second thought? (0:42) Because the Quran just reminded me. (0:44) Okay, so that's what I was talking about. (0:45) Thank God, but that must have been the toughest test I ever had in my life. (0:51) That was really, that was the toughest test. (0:55) But the rewards were beautiful after that. (1:00) I mean, just two days later, I was really honored. (1:04) You know, the President's men came in and they kicked the doors and beat up the jailers. (1:10) And they had me in a government limousine (1:15) and thrown me to the, what they call, the people's palace (1:19) where the second man in the country, (1:22) what's his name? (1:24) The bodyguard gave me a big hug and asked me what happened. (1:29) And he was the one who put me in. (1:33) And they pretended like they rescued me. (1:36) But God was doing the whole thing. (1:38) But only after I submitted and I accepted, (1:42) I mean this verse, I identified with this verse right away, 156. (1:47) Look, if a disaster should strike them, (1:50) to me that was the biggest disaster ever. (1:53) Because it's a place where there are no bars, there are no courts, (1:56) you don't have to push on trial any time, (1:59) you don't have to release you, you don't have to justify or give you any reason. (2:03) You don't know what will happen to you. (2:05) And on the walls of the dungeon I saw those lines marking days and weeks. (2:10) People, every week they cross it, you know. (2:12) And I didn't know how long. (2:16) Yeah, really, I thought I'd never see my children again. (2:20) And it happened before. (2:21) I mean they took Imam Musa south of Lebanon, (2:25) and he simply disappeared, never showed up again. (2:28) Lots of speculations what happened to him. (2:31) Also I know from experience that when they do this to you, (2:34) even for one hour, you become an enemy of the state. (2:39) They won't let you go out to speak like I'm talking now against them. (2:43) To expose the tyranny and the torture that I saw in the dungeon (2:48) and all the horrible things that happened to human beings over there. (2:52) They won't let you go. (2:54) But it was no less than a miracle. (2:57) Yet it's very easy for God to do. (3:00) So when we look at this verse again, 156. (3:02) If a disaster should strike them, they say, (3:05) we belong to God and to Him is our ultimate return. (3:10) So this is exactly what I said by instinct. (3:14) Alhamdulillah, all I said was, this is what God wants to do to me. (3:18) Who's going to do anything about it? (3:21) And I had a great sense of relief. (3:23) And only then I can imagine the angels working on my release. (3:28) Because they go and take all the people, (3:30) and they make this rash decision of letting me go. (3:32) Unheard of. (3:36) Really, this is unheard of. (3:37) I haven't seen anybody go in and come out. (3:43) Yeah? (3:45) The first thought that you did, ... that fear and doubt (3:57) the objection? (3:58) The objection is simply lack of faith in God. (4:03) When I was put in that disaster, I just became selfish. (4:08) I forgot my faith in God was not strong. (4:12) I was objecting all over the place. (4:14) I thought I was brave. (4:15) Why is this happening to me? (4:18) That shouldn't happen to me. (4:21) That was objection (4:23) That was bad. (4:23) So for as long as I was flunking the test, I was in bad shape. (4:29) But when I made that statement, we belong to God and He can do anything with us, (4:33) who submit, then everything, the test was over. (4:37) There was no point in continuing the test. (4:39) But had I continued with that attitude of why is this happening to me, (4:43) I would have continued there. (4:52) Okay, our next teacher is Adam Barouni. (4:55) He's sitting up now. (4:59) Okay, Adam, want to take the Hajj pilgrimage? (5:03) Inga, want to take the Hajj pilgrimage? (5:05) Since Adam doesn't want to respond. (5:09) He's sitting up. (5:10) When did you start sitting up? (5:14) A couple of days? (5:16) Mashallah. (5:17) He's busy, no? (5:19) He's just sitting there itching for things and toys, (5:21) throwing them up in the air, chewing on them. (5:25) He's having fun, mashallah. (5:28) Okay. (5:30) The nobles of Safa and Marwah are part of the worship practices (5:34) decreed by God. (5:36) Thus, whoever observes the Hajj pilgrimage or the umrah pilgrimage (5:41) commits no error by subverting the distance between them. (5:45) If one volunteers for a righteous work, then God is appreciative, fully aware. (5:51) As for those who conceal what we've sent down, (5:53) a profound revelations and guidance, (5:55) declaring to the people of the scripture, (5:58) They have deserved God's curse. (6:02) Those who intend to perform and clarify are redeemed. (6:06) I am the redeemer, the merciful. (6:09) Those who disbelieve and die as disbelievers observe the curse of God, the angels, and all the people (6:16) eternally they will abide therein. (6:18) Their retribution is never commuted, nor are they decreed. For God is One God there is no god except He, the Gracious, the Merciful. (6:29) From what I understand, Safa and Marwah are both on the opposite side. (6:34) Is there something against walking normally? (6:38) No, no. (6:40) Okay, see, Hajj, like all worships in Islam, (6:46) came through Abraham. (6:50) And Safa and Marwah are two ... where Hagar (6:54) used to go up in him to look and see when Abraham is coming (6:57) because he left him there. (6:59) He left Hagar and Ishmael there. (7:01) And he'd go to Sarah in Palestine for a couple of months (7:04) and come to Hagar and Ishmael for a couple of months. (7:09) So she used to go up, and they were really in distress (7:12) just before the discovery of water. (7:15) And so she would go up and look for Abraham (7:17) and then go to this one because he comes with the supplies. (7:21) They were running, supplies were running down. (7:24) And then the weather jams in the spring sprung out of the earth. (7:27) And then the caravans would stop and buy the water from them (7:32) and they became rich, etc., etc. (7:34) So the Safa and Marwah are a commemoration of the fact (7:38) that God will take care of you. (7:41) Because some people just can't imagine that God will provide for you (7:47) when you never expect. (7:49) When you put your trust in God, the verse says, (7:53) those who observe God will be provided for once they never expect. (7:58) And some people just can't imagine that. (8:01) So this symbolizes the fact that Abraham followed the instructions. (8:07) He took Hagar and Ishmael and put them in a barren desert. (8:10) No plants, no water, nothing. (8:12) And he said, you're going to live here. (8:15) Can you imagine going in the middle of the desert? (8:17) Not like the desert of Arizona here. (8:19) If you've seen the desert of Yomah, between Yomah and Central, (8:22) where it is just yellow sand dunes, this is how Mecca looks. (8:28) I mean, no plants, nothing, no water. (8:30) And this is the area that, as you see in other verses in Quran, (8:35) Surah 14, it says, (8:37) And please God, I put my family in a plantless valley. (8:40) Please provide for them. (8:42) And he left them. (8:43) Give them some supplies and this is the spot that God selected for you. (8:46) Bye. (8:50) But God provided for them. (8:51) The water came out. (8:53) The caravans came. (8:53) They both became rich. (8:56) What? (8:57) God provided for them. (9:00) So this Safa and Marwa business is a commemoration of that. (9:04) And it reminds you that God will provide for you and take care of you. (9:07) He guarantees that. (9:10) See, God says, I guarantee you provision in this life. (9:13) It's guaranteed. (9:14) All I want you to do is worship me alone. (9:18) I'm going to take care of all your needs. (9:21) And I just want you to make a decision to worship me alone. (9:26) So the Safa and Marwa are the symbol for you. (9:32) That line is one volunteers more righteous. (9:38) Right. (9:38) Where is this now? (9:39) It's in that very same 158. (9:42) That's very interesting. (9:43) I can see it. (9:47) Right. (9:48) Because it's traversing the distance seven times. (9:53) So, but if you want to do it more, if you want to commemorate, because you're commemorating God. (9:57) You're saying, Allahu akbar, subhanallah. (9:59) All the time you're going back and forth. (10:01) You're saying that. (10:02) You're saying, labbaykallahumma labbayk. (10:04) It means, I respond to you, my Lord, and I obey your commandments. (10:11) It's making zikr. (10:12) So it says that if you volunteer more of this worship, then you'll be rewarded for it. (10:19) What do you say then? (10:23) Labayka allahuma labayk. Labyaka is an expression like when a King calls a slave. (10:31) Then the slave comes and says labayk. (10:34) In other words I'm at your command. Yes here I am at your command. So you will say this when you make hajj. (10:42) So I was in Hajj, saying that Labbaykallahumma, my God, our God. Labayk. (10:50) So you called me to this place. (10:54) And I am at your command. (10:56) In obedience to you, I come all this distance. (11:00) Beautiful words, yeah. (11:03) Yes. (11:04) Well, that's what it says here. (11:05) It says, (11:06) Yes, in other words, you're not worshipping idols by doing this. (11:20) You are doing it because of my command. (11:22) In other words, some people say you're going around the Kaaba as your idol. (11:26) But we're doing it because God said, (11:28) it's like God saying the angels fall prostrate before Adam. (11:33) Are they worshipping Adam? (11:36) It's a commandment from God, so that's it. It's OK. The verse that he just said, it's OK to go around them or traverse the distance between them. (11:47) And in this way you are not idolizing the Kaaba or idolizing Safa or Marwah. Because it is a commandment from God. (11:55) Now, God was telling them, it's alright, you fall prostrate before Adam, it's OK, I'm telling you. (12:02) Yes, it's alright. (12:06) Yes. (12:07) What it is is more worship, more zikr. (12:12) Because these are worship practices. (12:18) While we are on this subject, I must say that all pillars of Islam are shown in this surah in the sequence of the year. (12:25) The first one was the salat and then zakat, and then comes the fasting in the ninth month, and now this is hajj in the twelfth month. (12:37) Do you remember, did we go through the fasting? (12:41) Didn't we? Yeah. (12:43) No, not yet. (12:45) Oh, is it? (12:49) Oh, oops. This is an oops. (12:51) OK. (12:53) No, I think the hajj comes after the fasting. (12:56) Then you mention hajj after. (12:58) Right. (13:00) So this has to do with Safa and Marwah. (13:03) Yeah. (13:04) Because they are very close to each other. (13:11) More details.