# Messenger Audio 35 (21-Jan-1983) {% embed url="" %} **(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.** --- # 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-35-21-jan-1983.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.