Messenger Audio 35 (21-Jan-1983)

Idioms. Believers go straight to Heaven. Everyone will go to Hell first but it is not a punishment - sited 7:72. Abraham needed assurance. One of the best ways to grow one's soul is making zikr @fajr

(0:01) Like run out of gas. My cable is electric heating. (0:08) But our cousins, our relatives in Syria, take this, literally. (0:13) You know, in Damascus, when they hang, up to now in Damascus, (0:18) and during my father's time, when a man is hanged, (0:21) they actually write his record on a big piece, (0:25) and they hang it on his neck. (0:29) Up to now, and during my father's time. (0:31) His classmates were hanged, and according to him, (0:35) they put a big clap-clap in front. (0:38) They put his record, not for him to read, but for others to read. (0:42) And they hang it, they actually hang it on his neck, (0:45) and they hang it. Up to now. (0:47) Assad does it now, and during times of terror. (0:52) So that's when they don't take it, keep it a secret. (0:55) They take it literally. (1:04) Can you think of a good idiom? American idiom? (1:09) That doesn't mean what it says. (1:14) That's a good one. That's a straightforward one. (1:16) Which one? (1:17) Idiom? (1:17) nine or three quarters of a dozen. (1:23) Or something around it. (1:25) One finger. (1:30) Yeah. (1:33) Yeah, rains, cats, and dogs. (1:35) That's an expression. (1:37) Gets his record behind his back. (1:40) Like raining dogs and cats. It doesn't really rain dogs and cats. (1:43) You don't get the record behind your back. (1:45) That just means you have a bad record. (1:56) we'll all be in hell first right? (1:57) hell? (1:58) but we'll still know what it was going to be like? (2:02) oh yeah (2:03) The reason everybody will be in hell initially (2:08) is because God will not be there. (2:11) In the absence of God, it is hell. (2:16) Then God comes and becomes heaven for the believers (2:21) and becomes a worse hell for the disbelievers. (2:26) Yeah. (2:36) You go to heaven. (2:38) Straight to heaven. (2:40) Well, everybody is. (2:42) Even Jesus and Muhammad and Moses. (2:49) Yeah. Everybody. (2:51) Everybody is in hell first. (2:59) It's not a funny story. (3:01) It is actually... (3:03) Let me explain this point a little bit. (3:06) We are told... (3:13) We are told that this initial hell will serve to make you appreciate heaven. (3:21) Because you do not appreciate the good things (3:25) unless you know what the bad things are like. (3:31) Right. Exactly. (3:35) But you see, hell is not what they picture to you. (3:37) The fire and this and that. (3:40) It's a terrible place, but the terrible thing about it is eternity and hopelessness. (3:46) So that initial hell is not eternal and it is not hopeless. (3:52) That's why Rashid and I were suggesting to say, (3:54) who is... What did you say? (3:56) To pass through hell. (3:57) We'll pass. We'll pass by hell. (3:59) Go to sort of means to stay. (4:02) You know, a more permanent state. (4:05) We'll be transient. (4:06) Like you are. (4:10) Just a transient camp set up for us. (4:13) May I just mention something? (4:17) May I mention something in the famous Nicaean creed (4:22) which was declared in the Council of Nicaea? (4:25) It says that talking about Jesus Christ as part of the belief, (4:30) then he descended into hell and then ascended into heaven. (4:37) It's very interesting. (4:38) What is this? (4:39) The Apostle's Creed. (4:42) I think Rahim would know. (4:44) How would you say? (4:45) Jesus Christ and so and so. (4:47) Then he descended into hell and then he ascended into heaven. (4:52) Which is very, very interesting. (4:55) That's... agrees with the Quran (4:55) It's very close. (4:57) If you open page 209, you can see that verse. (5:07) 71. (5:11) At the bottom, it says, (5:13) Initially we all go to hell. (5:16) Every single one of you will initially enter therein. (5:20) This is an inevitable matter decreed by the Lord. (5:24) It is written in the most very powerful words in Arabic. (5:32) It is inevitable matter decreed by God. (5:37) Then some will be taken out. (5:39) I remember... (5:43) Read the next page. (5:45) 72. (5:46) It says, (5:47) Then we save those who work righteousness, (5:50) keeping the wicked, being humiliated. (5:59) It only makes sense because the sequence of events in the hereafter (6:03) is that you will be resurrected first. (6:08) Now when you are resurrected and God is not there physically, (6:12) then God comes, literally. (6:15) So the period of absence of God's physical presence is hell. (6:25) So the purgatory will be after. (6:28) The purgatory will be for people who didn't make it to heaven (6:31) and didn't make it to hell. (6:34) People who said la ilaha illallah like a year and a half before they died. (6:41) They didn't get the chance to grow. (6:47) The whole hypocrisy will be in the deepest hell. (6:59) But those people who talk to Quran, (7:01) they have powers of discernment. (7:03) They know, they can recognize. (7:05) They know who are the ones. (7:08) everybody expresses everybody (7:09) I'm talking about this particular one. (7:10) purgatory (7:11) This one is the A'raf. (7:14) They know by the marks of certain people (7:16) if they have prostrated. (7:18) They know by the marks of the others. (7:21) So they are people of discernment. (7:23) I don't know if that's the word. (7:25) They are people who have discernment. (7:30) Everybody will recognize everybody by their looks. (8:01) They were going to sneak out of here and try to go to heaven (8:04) and get the worst punishment in front of them. (8:07) They will sneak into heaven, (8:13) but they will suffer even worse. (8:16) Because the presence of God, (8:20) the baby souls suffer more in the presence of God. (8:25) In heaven. (8:26) So when they sneak up to heaven, (8:28) they come closer to God and they cannot stand it. (8:30) They shatter. (8:31) And they go back voluntarily. (8:33) They go back to hell. (8:35) Then hell is so bad, so they sneak back again. (8:38) They will spend eternity circulating in this way. (8:43) They keep hoping that maybe when they come closer to God (8:46) they will be able to stand it, but they can't. (8:48) So they go back. (8:49) So it breaks the monotony for them a little bit. (9:01) They will spend eternity circulating between hell (9:05) and a worse hell in heaven. (9:10) That sounds ironic, isn't it? (9:15) So that's why when God comes, (9:18) the people whose souls are grown (9:20) will enjoy to be in heaven automatically. (9:24) And the ones whose souls are small and strong (9:27) will suffer terribly. (9:29) So it will be a worse hell. (9:33) It's worse than hell. (9:35) And the proof is that they voluntarily go back to hell. (9:44) We were with Adeeb in the past, I think. (9:50) Abdullah, can you take 216? (10:10) No, this is Abdullah. (10:13) We'll come to you. (10:16) To us, Abdullah. (10:17) I thought you were Mujahid. (10:20) You're also Abdullah, aren't you? (10:24) We're all Abdullah. (10:26) Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You revive the dead." (10:31) He said, "Do you not believe?" He said, "Yes, but I wish to reassure my heart." (10:37) He said, "Take four birds, study their marks, place a piece of each bird on top of a hill, then call them to you. They will come to you in a hurry. (10:49) You should know that GOD is Almighty, Most Wise." God said, (11:00) I guess the main idea here is (11:08) All the believers. (11:20) Because the thing we are believing is (11:28) we are believing the unseen. (11:32) And we know that, you know, (11:41) maybe we are not, (11:43) we are just seeing ourselves in something. (11:46) he , was a great believer. (11:56) Even then, (11:57) he needed assurance. (11:59) So he didn't think the miracle of Quran in our time. (12:23) I'm sure every believer will have some kind of miracle in their life (12:29) to (12:31) cry. (12:34) Just for themselves. (12:37) To do, to realize. (12:40) Maybe have other words to instead of (12:50) what others would. (12:52) It's a miracle that (13:03) that's seen by everybody in, you know, (13:07) like in the time of Moses or something. (13:11) It's a kind of a miracle. (13:13) That God would (13:22) not necessarily be trying to be here, (13:25) but it could be something that (13:28) it could be a miracle for the people, (13:31) for the person that (13:32) he identified. (13:41) God knows these good people, (13:44) if they really (13:47) open, (13:48) if they really open their hearts. (14:04) Because, you know, the question here, (14:06) Abraham, do you not believe? (14:09) Of course, Abraham does believe. (14:13) But you need to be assured. (14:16) We have a very good example (14:17) with our group here. (14:22) We are very, very fortunate that we have the (14:25) unique, (14:27) great fortune of (14:29) of having the miracle of Quran come out of this mosque (14:33) to the whole world. (14:35) Proving that every word in this Quran is from God. (14:41) It's a very, very (14:44) indescribable, great, (14:46) very humbling discovery that we are (14:50) we didn't realize how great it is in this mosque, but (14:53) I guess we do. (14:54) I think we do. (14:56) Yeah, we do realize how great it is. (14:58) But, (14:59) I'm sure each one of you have met people who say, (15:02) when we believe the Quran is from God, we don't need this. (15:07) So in other words, they're saying we are better than Abraham. (15:09) We don't need to be assured. (15:12) We did believe that the Quran is from God before the discovery of this miracle in the quran. (15:18) But when we saw it, (15:20) our faith strengthened. (15:22) Like God said, (15:24) Surah 74, after the number 19, (15:27) God says to strengthen the faith of the believers. (15:31) So our faith was strengthened. (15:36) So this example here of Abraham (15:40) needing reassurance (15:42) means that (15:43) the sincere believers (15:47) need reassurance (15:49) and request reassurance. (15:51) And there's nothing wrong with it. (15:53) Also, the verse here tells (15:55) an actual incident (15:57) where Abraham (16:00) took four birds and (16:03) studied the markings on the birds. (16:07) And then he cut the birds in pieces (16:09) and put them one piece on each (16:11) on the top of a hill. (16:13) That's far apart. (16:16) And when he called them, (16:18) God actually put the birds together. (16:22) The same birds. (16:23) This is why he studied the markings first. (16:29) Of course, God had the angels do that. (16:31) He doesn't have to do himself. (16:34) It was all done by His command. (16:36) So this is an actual incident (16:40) showing resurrection of the dead. (16:44) And the verse before this, (16:45) you remember? (16:46) The guy who was resurrected from the dead (16:48) after 100 years. (16:55) The belief in resurrection is very important. (17:00) It is required along with belief in God. (17:10) So we're going to quit now, (17:12) but I just want to remind you (17:16) that as you see throughout (17:18) the verses of Quran, (17:20) it is very important that you develop your soul (17:22) and grow. (17:24) The more you grow, (17:27) the higher is your rank (17:29) for eternity. (17:35) And one of the most intensive (17:38) worships that make you grow (17:40) is making zikr (17:42) at dawn. (17:43) At dawn. (17:46) It's really a shame (17:47) to sleep through it. (17:49) When there's a treasure (17:50) growing right here in this mosque (17:52) at dawn. (17:55) So don't sleep through it. (17:58) It's not terrible (18:02) to just wake up (18:04) and come to the mosque (18:05) at 6 o'clock in the morning (18:07) we pray fajr (18:08) and then we're going to commemorate God. (18:17) Commemoration in a group (18:18) is also very effective (18:20) because it is (18:23) contagious. (18:25) When one person (18:26) in a group acts it, (18:28) all of us feel it. (18:31) Also, (18:33) there will be (18:34) a little change tomorrow (18:36) in that we used to study Arabic (18:38) after zikr. (18:41) But (18:41) the point was made that (18:46) after zikr we're very (18:48) high and the Arabic (18:50) lessons are really a letdown. (18:52) It's like crashing down (18:54) from very high. (18:56) So we're going to change the Arabic language (18:58) lessons to evolve the Quranic (19:00) study as of next week. (19:02) So the people who want to study Arabic (19:04) will come (19:06) to the mosque at 6 o'clock (19:09) and we'll study Arabic until 7.30 (19:11) in the Quranic study. (19:12) Tomorrow there will be no Arabic lessons (19:14) so we can hover up there (19:16) for a while.