# Messenger Audio 18.2 (26-Nov-1982) {% embed url="" %} (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. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://rashad-khalifa-audios-and-videos.gitbook.io/rashad-khalifa-audios-and-videos/messenger-audios/messenger-audio-18.2-26-nov-1982.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.