Messenger Audio 33.2 (21-Jan-1983)

Sermon - not Rashad. Rashad said last thing to be said is Alhamdulliah Rabil Alamin. Salam Alaykum in Salat a dua or part of the prayer? In heaven we will be thanking God for putting us in heaven

(0:00) This takes us away from the complete Allah consciousness. (0:06) But that's why we always try to moderate it. (0:11) We are going to eat, and if it's a good food, we are going to forget Allah. (0:15) So we must say Bismillah. (0:17) But in the very act of eating, we forget Allah. (0:25) So this permanent remembrance of Allah. (0:27) Excuse me for being frank with you. (0:29) As many philosophers and psychologists say, (0:35) in one of the most sensitive aspects of love, (0:42) love in the sense of the sexual act, there's even a memory lapse. (0:47) So Allah is forgotten in the very moment of sexual intercourse. (0:54) So we cannot be absolutely Allah conscious. (1:02) But we try to be Allah conscious. (1:04) So in some ways, we are trying to approximate a life of paradise, (1:09) where everything is conscious of Allah. (1:13) Actually, if you go deeper in the Qur'an, (1:17) even these forms of prayer that we have on earth, (1:21) in some ways, they are close to the forms of prayer in paradise. (1:27) There is prayer in paradise. The Qur'an says so. (1:33) There is also prayer on earth. (1:37) And the prayer of the angels also is similar. (1:40) Actually, there's a one-to-one correspondence. (1:42) The prayers, according to Qur'an, the angels ask for forgiveness for the sins of man. (1:50) We ask forgiveness when we make salat. (1:52) The angels prostrate, they praise Allah. (1:56) We prostrate, we praise Allah. (1:58) How? I don't know how, but there is a correspondence. (2:03) And so, just one little detail on surah 10, verse 10. (2:10) Don't forget this, surah 10, verse 10. (2:14) The Qur'an speaks of the existence of the taslim, the saying of salam in paradise. (2:23) It talks of the tahmid, the saying of alhamdulillah. (2:28) And what's very interesting is this, that in 10, 10, surah 10, verse 10, (2:38) there is a suggestion that on the last dua, before the salam, (2:48) those in paradise say, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (2:54) Now this is very interesting. (2:58) I have lived more than half a century. (3:02) And 10 years added to half a century. (3:05) I've read maybe dozens and dozens and dozens of books on how to pray salat. (3:14) But I have never found any instruction in this book on how to pray salat. (3:20) Whether of the Hanafi, Maliki, Handali or Shafi'i madhab or the Shia madhab, (3:28) I've not found anyone saying that before you say, (3:31) As-salamu alaikum, as-salamu alaikum, you must say, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (3:39) I've not found. (3:40) Now, please do not misunderstand me. (3:44) I am not saying to you, and I'm the last one to say to you. (3:49) You know my character by now. (3:51) You never believe in imposing my views. (3:53) I'm not saying that before you say, as-salamu alaikum, (3:56) you must say, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (3:58) I'm not saying that. (3:59) But I know some people who say it. (4:03) And if I remember, I also say it. (4:07) And the basis, I think, is in verse 10 of surah 10, (4:12) which says that the last du'a, the last prayer before this salam is, (4:20) that's before you say, as-salamu alaikum, at the end of the verse you say, (4:24) alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (4:26) And there are various chapters of the Qur'an which end up with that phrase. (4:32) So I'm not telling you what to do. (4:34) I'm only saying what some people do, (4:36) what I do sometimes when I remember, (4:38) and what is the basis for saying, alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen, (4:43) before you say, as-salamu alaikum, as-salamu alaikum. (4:45) Maybe you can go to the Qur'an itself and find out the meaning of verse 10 in surah 10. (4:55) But I have not found any instruction book on that. (5:00) It's very strange. (5:01) But there are many people who do say that. (6:03) Ah! (6:16) I don't remember how. (6:20) I put you in 10 times. (6:21) Yeah, but it isn't several. (6:23) In fact, I think it's at least three times, (6:25) so it's the same set of things. (6:27) It's salamu alaikum, as-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. (6:45) So the last line of it is in the final prayer. (6:49) That's the alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (6:51) That's 10 times. (6:55) And I think many times they have to quote the salam. (6:59) Because the salam is not the prayer. (7:00) It's the reading. (7:03) But alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen. (7:04) I don't know how to do it. (7:05) I don't know how to do it. (7:15) So are you saying that the salam is actually a part of the salam? (7:24) Yeah, because when you ask for forgiveness, (7:26) you have to do it. (7:27) It's pre-ordained. (7:30) It's obligatory form. (7:31) What does it say? (7:34) In the ritual prayer, (7:40) you have to do dua. (7:42) You have to do dua. (7:45) You have to do dua. (7:47) Because I thought in all the rituals, (7:49) the salat, (7:50) you did a strong dua. (7:52) And then to do those duas (7:55) that are specific (7:57) you have to give the salam to Allah. (8:01) Because it's not part of the salat. (8:05) It may not be. (8:07) So it's said after the salam, (8:10) which is the kind of the final period. (8:13) Yes, the Quran says that (8:14) in our first salat, (8:16) you should ask forgiveness. (8:24) Where is that? (8:25) Me? (8:27) Too many times. (8:29) I think in the context. (8:31) Yes, in the context. (8:34) That we are supposed to ask (8:36) for forgiveness. (8:38) But not in the status test? (8:42) Yeah. (8:44) The angels, I think, (8:45) may not be (8:49) together. (8:50) It is just a kind (8:52) of prayer. (9:11) Because for me, (9:13) the status test is a difficulty. (9:15) Being at the lowest point. (9:18) The highest point. (9:21) Praise. (9:22) For God. (9:26) Praise God. (9:41) For salam means in the salat itself. (9:53) Part of the salat. (9:57) But I have not seen any book (9:59) on how to pray. (10:00) Maybe more than a hundred books (10:02) on how to pray. (10:03) Because I have to edit them. (10:06) None says that, say, (10:08) a hundred, a hundred and forty. (10:12) But probably you know that (10:14) in many practices in (10:16) our country, in South Asia, (10:19) part of the salat (10:20) between two sujoods. (10:22) You sit (10:24) between two sujoods. (10:25) You do the dua. (10:27) You ask for forgiveness. (10:31) Many people do that. (10:32) No, no, I don't deny that. (10:34) I'm only saying that that works. (10:36) No, no, no. (10:37) That dua. (10:39) Many people include (10:42) dua in the middle of the sujood. (10:44) Not only that. (10:45) I know some people also (10:47) before they, (10:49) after, before prostrating, (10:52) they have a dua. (10:54) Oh, yeah. (10:55) Yeah, there's also that. (10:58) Especially in the subh prayer. (11:05) What do you think about that? (11:10) Well, I do. (11:12) I have something to say. (11:13) It says, (11:14) I have dua. (11:18) Yeah, but it's not before salam. (11:20) Not before salam. (11:23) It has to be after salam. (11:24) Because you have to give the last thing. (11:26) Yeah, but to give salam (11:28) is like a greeting. (11:33) We ask dua. (11:34) Because salam is dua. (11:36) If you say salam is dua, (11:39) if salam is only a taslim, (11:41) then dua, (11:43) the last dua will be to you. (11:45) To be ten ten, (11:46) the final thing, the last thing to be said (11:48) is alhamdulillah rabbil alamin. (11:50) Yeah, but when you say salam alaykum (11:53) salam alaykum (11:54) something has been said. (11:56) Yeah, it's just a tradition. (11:58) It has no formal basis. (12:00) What is the formal basis? (12:04) It's peaceful. (12:05) Peace be to you. (12:06) It's wishing peace to somebody. (12:08) But it's not directed at God. (12:12) Maybe it is. (12:15) I mean, you're asking God to grant peace (12:16) you say the tradition is that (12:18) the angels are supporting the angels (12:20) and others say, well, it's the people (12:21) on either side. (12:24) The verse says, (12:26) the last thing to be said (12:28) is alhamdulillah rabbil alamin. (12:30) Right. (12:32) In their prayer. (12:33) No. (12:34) What? (12:35) dua (12:36) Yeah. (12:37) After the dua, (12:39) the last thing or the ultimate thing (12:41) can also be the ultimate prayer. (12:46) The dua is between (12:47) oneself and God. (12:49) It's not the fault of anybody else. (12:51) Not the angels, not other believers. (12:53) We can ask for forgiveness for other believers (12:55) but it's not. (12:56) But it seems to me that salam alaykum salam alaykum (12:59) is really... (13:02) No, but I'm saying that (13:03) that part there, I can't see how it can be (13:05) considered in any way as part of the dua (13:07) or part of the prayer. (13:08) i'm just telling you my opinion (13:10) The verse says, the last thing they say (13:12) is alhamdulillah rabbil alamin. (13:14) Seriously. (13:26) There's nothing wrong with saying alhamdulillah rabbil alamin (13:28) in the beginning, in the middle, in the end. (13:43) In heaven. (13:45) I don't know if there is salat in heaven. (13:49) Because there is (13:51) definitely there is no fire seal. (13:54) There is no effort. (13:59) Twenty-three, I guess. (14:03) The purpose of salat is to remember God. (14:06) So if you're in heaven, (14:07) you're not able to do this (14:09) because you're not aware of it. (14:19) Which is only traditional. (14:24) Because if you interpret it the same (14:25) to anybody (14:29) that's not God, (14:30) it seems to me it can't be (14:31) part of the prayer. (14:39) I think a lot of power (14:41) is in this. (14:44) The way I think of it now (14:45) is the ultimate prayer (14:47) is alhamdulillah rabbil alamin. (14:48) This is the highest form of prayer. (14:51) Worship. (14:56) But to me, I think, (14:57) it mostly means (14:58) it's the highest form of prayer (15:00) is alhamdulillah (15:04) du'a. (15:05) When you start with du'a, (15:07) you say it at the end of the du'a. (15:09) Do you remember how I translated it? (15:11) With usable person. (15:14) It means the highest form. (15:20) So there's no last. (15:23) So that's why it's all (15:24) alhamdulillah. (15:28) When you end up with du'a, (15:30) you say it. (15:48) Now, I was thinking (15:49) if we start with du'a, (15:52) it's very nice (15:53) and the basis of that word (15:55) to end up with du'a. (16:01) And I think it's probably (16:02) because it's in that word. (16:04) It's a place in that word. (16:07) It's very deep. (16:08) And you notice that (16:09) a few people are going to (16:10) do a few du'as (16:12) and then another one (16:15) and then a few more (16:16) and then a few more (16:19) and two or three. (16:22) So, (16:25) if we say it (16:26) alhamdulillah rabbil alamin, (16:30) I think it's very nice (16:31) that I can understand (16:33) anybody talking. (16:34) If you don't mind, if you want to have a prayer in heaven. (16:38) I have a beautiful picture. (16:40) And there is a picture for you. (16:44) I would like to have a prayer in heaven. (16:47) But to get our Salat here approximately, we pray in heaven. (16:53) Because it's a big deal right now. (16:56) Yeah. (16:56) Who are you praying for? (16:57) In heaven, there will be a present God. (17:00) And we will be thanking Him for putting us in heaven. (17:02) that would be the ultimate prayer. (17:41) Yeah, I know. (17:43) Sometimes you get stuck and you just can't remember. (17:54) No, no other. (17:56) But this shirt. (17:59) This shirt is very hot. (18:01) And then you have to sweat. (18:16) I remember you said last week your sister's husband would come here. (18:21) They're here. (18:22) Oh, yeah? (18:23) There is a new... (18:25) He was sitting there. (18:27) Oh, see the one in the suit. (18:38) But yesterday I met somebody in my department. (18:41) He's new. (18:43) How are you? (18:44) I thought that... (18:45) Yeah, yeah, yeah. (18:46) Are you happy or troubled? (18:49) I'm studying English. (18:51) Which means you've decided to forget your troubles. (18:56) Salaam alaikum. (18:57) Wa alaikum salam. (19:08) Where's your brother? (19:11) Oh, he's back in Turkey. (19:13) No, New Jersey. (19:14) Oh, New Jersey. (19:15) He went back. (19:17) And now he's with us. (19:20) Good guy. (19:21) It was cold. (19:32) New York? (19:34) Yeah. (19:34) I might meet him next week. (19:38) How long? (19:40) For... (20:03) A couple of weeks. (20:04) When can I meet you here? (20:07) Are you going somewhere? (20:09) New York City. (20:10) For a week maybe. (20:12) One week? (20:13) One week maybe. (20:14) I don't know. (20:19) No, it's just for a few weeks. (20:23) And then maybe... (20:25) Because they gave me a ticket to go back. (20:28) I might use it to... (20:29) To go to Michigan? (20:33) Might as well. (20:37) Take advantage of it. (20:41) Yeah. (20:46) Oh. (20:46) There's a guy. (20:48) Who? (20:51) For somebody. (20:52) Maybe. (20:53) From Michigan? (20:54) Yeah. (20:58) Oh, oh, oh. (21:00) Mustafa. (21:00) Yeah, Mustafa. (21:01) Is he there now? (21:02) Oh, he had a fight with Wally or something. (21:06) Yeah. (21:07) It's his case. (21:08) What do you think? (21:10) He went home. (21:10) Yeah. (21:11) I thought he was out of town. (21:13) Yeah, he had a fight with Wally. (21:14) He's a nice man. (21:14) Not Wally. (21:16) David. (21:18) Dawood. (21:20) Mustafa? (21:21) He's such a nice man. (21:22) Yeah. (21:24) He should get his test. (21:28) Which Mustafa? (21:29) Yeah, but what if... (21:31) I told him he's not coming here. (21:35) Well, I think he went home (21:37) and he found Mustafa talking with his wife or something. (21:39) He said, I don't want to see you here again. (21:41) Never again. (21:41) So he said, OK, I'm not coming here. (21:43) And look at what's going on. (21:46) It's a family. (21:51) Now, Dawood and Samira didn't come either. (21:55) They did the function of testing. (21:58) I don't remember. (22:03) The older, black man. (22:05) Oh, that's Mustafa. (22:07) And Dawood is... (22:09) He's a young guy. (22:25) You're losing weight. (22:26) You've lost weight. (22:29) Very good. (22:30) I want to lose weight again. (22:34) Well, I should gain some weight. (22:36) I shouldn't lose any. (22:37) I'm already on the way. (22:39) Well, this is perfect now. (22:41) This is very good. (22:42) This is perfect. (22:43) You must be hungry. (22:46) You know, I want to lose weight (22:47) for one simple reason. (22:50) Because I found my suits. (22:52) My wooden suits are tight. (22:53) You're wearing them. (22:54) And I have to use them for a new store. (22:56) And you don't want to make a new one. (22:59) I don't want to buy a new one. (23:01) How can you... (23:03) You've gained some weight? (23:04) Yes. (23:05) About 10 pounds. (23:10) Remember, I'm retired. (23:12) The moon has come. (23:14) The moon has come. (23:14) So now you're going to try (23:15) to sweat it out on yourself. (23:18) My wife taught me to jump. (23:20) Salaam alaikum. (23:22) Salaam alaikum. (23:24) I taught my wife. (23:26) She has to open her... (23:27) She's very hard. (23:29) She told me to jump. (23:32) It's a very good exercise. (23:34) For the heart. (23:36) But if your heart is already bad, (23:38) you cannot jump. (23:40) Just walk, I guess. (23:42) Walk is the best. (23:44) You see how young people (23:45) can die of that. (23:46) You know, Richard Harrell, (23:47) one of the most prominent scholars (23:50) of all time. (23:54) Harrell. (23:56) George Thomas. (23:58) The guy, 36 years old, (24:01) came from Cairo. (24:03) He died of a heart attack. (24:04) 36. (24:08) It doesn't take very much. (24:10) If you grab your butt, (24:11) God wants you to go. (24:13) God wants you to go. (24:15) I'll be 36 next year, so... (24:21) He wrote several dictionaries (24:24) and grammars of colloquial Arabic. (24:30) May Allah help him (24:32) to grow up (24:34) before he mess up (24:36) Harvard. (24:38) The Arabic language. (24:40) Because the development (24:40) of colloquial Arabic (24:43) in the long run (24:44) is a fight against (24:45) classical Arabic, (24:46) which is, in the long run, (24:48) a fight against Quran. (24:50) And the Western Orientalists (24:52) have been trying to develop (24:54) they want Arabic to be (24:55) like Latin, (24:56) became French, (24:57) you know, (24:58) Italian, (24:58) the French did it. (25:02) But I mean, it happens (25:03) naturally anyway. (25:04) They're merely recording (25:05) what's happened. (25:06) Yeah, but in so (25:08) formalizing it, (25:11) they institutionalize it. (25:12) Which is not very good. (25:15) It will cut the Arabs (25:17) from each other. (25:18) There's the Egyptians, (25:19) there's the Syrians, (25:22) there's the Moroccans. (25:23) When the problem is (25:24) for them to... (25:26) It's a form of imperialism. (25:28) Yeah, but they do it (25:29) themselves. (25:30) I mean, Arabs do their own (25:31) grammars. (25:31) That is true. (25:33) But there had been (25:34) no grammar written (25:35) in colloquial Arabic (25:36) ever by a hero. (25:37) There are some. (25:38) Yeah, there are. (25:39) But this hero (25:40) is the one who (25:40) produced the scheme. (25:42) He was a linguist. (25:43) And he went and (25:44) studied the language (25:45) from the outside. (25:47) Collected the data (25:48) and wrote a grammar. (25:50) It was a grammar (25:52) for non-Arab (25:53) speakers, (25:53) not for Arab speakers. (25:56) It was a (25:58) descriptive grammar. (26:01) And of course, (26:02) there have been (26:02) comparative work. (26:07) Then they have (26:08) the modern standard (26:10) and mix it up (26:11) with our people. (26:17) Yeah, he left (26:20) immediately after (26:20) because I moved my car (26:22) and he was trying (26:22) to get out of the car. (26:24) Another development (26:25) of the Arab world (26:27) and those are (26:28) missionaries. (26:29) Yeah. (26:29) It was very interesting (26:30) to me. (26:31) Oh, yeah. (26:32) He translated the Bible (26:33) from colloquial Arabic. (26:35) So, you know, (26:36) they were people (26:36) who could read it. (26:38) Very, very good. (26:45) Yeah, that's (26:47) a different matter. (26:48) You think they (26:49) could translate (26:50) even English (26:51) into colloquial English (26:52) because it doesn't (26:53) fit the (26:55) grammatical rules. (26:57) Every language (26:58) has grammatical rules. (27:00) Even slang, (27:01) dialect. (27:01) But you have (27:02) a standardized (27:02) English term. (27:04) So you have (27:04) colloquial. (27:05) That's the accepted form. (27:06) That's the accepted form. (27:07) What I'm saying is (27:08) you can say there are (27:09) colloquial dialects (27:10) in Pidgin languages. (27:11) When you talk about (27:12) a grammar, (27:13) it doesn't necessarily (27:14) mean correct or incorrect. (27:15) You're only talking (27:16) about the structure (27:17) of the language. (27:18) So you can have (27:19) colloquial, (27:20) you can talk about (27:20) the grammar (27:21) of colloquial Arabic. (27:24) And in this, (27:24) you may say, (27:25) well, this grammar (27:25) is in comparison (27:27) with the English. (27:28) Once you adopt (27:29) this standard, (27:29) then you can talk (27:30) about something (27:31) being incorrect (27:31) because it deviates (27:32) from the standard. (27:34) But if you're being (27:35) purely descriptive, (27:37) then you can speak (27:37) about the grammar (27:38) and the structure (27:38) of the colloquial Arabic. (27:41) But this is wrong now. (27:43) You have to be right. (27:45) That's the English (27:45) way of doing it. (27:46) Because I remember (27:47) my father. (27:49) That's how I've written (27:50) it in a... (27:51) in a... (27:51) I've written it (27:52) in a script. (27:54) You're writing (27:55) a script anyway. (27:56) But even though, (27:57) for example, (27:57) they wouldn't call (27:58) the rules in English (27:59) written in English (27:59) if you happen (28:00) to make up (28:00) the new rules. (28:06) Yeah, you can say (28:08) I want to build it. (28:09) You write it. (28:10) It doesn't follow (28:11) the rules (28:11) written in English. (28:13) Well, the spelling (28:14) is different, yeah. (28:18) So, for example, (28:20) colloquial Arabic (28:20) uses many short forms. (28:24) There's a word (28:25) in the classical Arabic (28:26) that's a word (28:26) that's close to (28:27) the colloquial language. (28:28) It's a short form. (28:30) It doesn't have (28:31) a suffix cut off (28:32) or a prefix cut off. (28:35) But you can write it down. (28:37) So you can see... (28:39) It's only when you say (28:40) this is the standard (28:41) that you can call it (28:41) a correct pronunciation. (28:43) I'm sorry for the (28:44) interruption. (28:46) Any comment (28:47) on my father? (28:52) He started to live (28:53) in Iraq (28:54) in a program (28:55) in Israel (28:56) of literary Arabic. (28:59) Because that's the (29:00) the only way (29:02) he knew, too. (29:05) He was taught (29:07) along (29:07) literary Arabic. (29:11) As time went on (29:13) his father said (29:14) will you please write (29:14) this letter for me, (29:15) Mr. Moroni? (29:16) So he tells him. (29:18) He tells him. (29:19) My father says (29:20) no, you cannot write it. (29:21) He says...