Ammar Alshukry – Learn To Perfect Your Salah
AI: Summary ©
The speakers emphasize the importance of slowing down the prayer process and staying present, as distractions can be a distraction. They also discuss the history and meaning of the phrase "theon," which is used in legal cases and emphasize the significance of remembering the legal system and finding one's own success in prayer. The speakers use the phrase today's man" as a reference to a person or something that is present.
AI: Summary ©
hamdulillah salam ala Rasulillah Allah it was so heavy I sent him in cathedra delay Hola Hola. Hola. Hola. Hola Shigella who I sure don't know Hamilton Abdul Rasul Sumatra boo Salam o la Amaya Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. Welcome, everybody to tonight's session of Friday Night Lights, and we're going to be talking about the Salah. Now, Dr. Ahmed Bassam Sati, has a wonderful book called data to Salah, which in English is called communicating with God. And he tells the story of a time when he was invited by university students and MSA.
And he went to this event and it was packed, people came from all over to listen to him. And when he got up, and he stood in front of this crowd, he pulled a sheet of paper. And he read it hum de la sala de la mano Sula. And he made no eye contact with anybody. And he read some verses of the Quran and some Hadith and he rushed through them. And then he looked up at everybody, finally, and he said to everybody, I'm sorry, I have somewhere else that's more important to be. And then he walked off stage.
And you can imagine the confusion on the faces of people. You can imagine how offended some people were like, they came from all over to listen to him.
And he tells them, I have somewhere more important to be and walks off stage. And then, as the people started to speak amongst themselves, he turned around, and he walked back to the podium. And he said to them,
that was offensive, right? But how many times do we do that with Allah Subhana Allah in the Salah.
We rush through the prayer, we're not paying attention to what we're saying. We're not making any connection with Allah subhanaw taala. And it's as if we are saying, I would really love to have this conversation. I would really love to be present if I didn't have somewhere else to be right now.
And so this topic is a beautiful topic. And it is an important topic. Allah Subhana Allah says that if Wilhelminian Allah says successful are the believers and after Iman, the first
quality he mentioned after is Iman is Alladhina homefree. Salah team has shown those who have this beautiful word that is so hard to translate who Sure, humility, presence, focus, mindfulness, stillness, and it means all of these things. But Allah Subhana Allah says those who have for sure in their prayers, and so how do we have for sure in this prayer of ours, what can we do? The first thing that I want you to know?
Is that Allah Subhana Allah, Allah says, Allah you know home feed Salah team Hashem, those who have assured in their prayers, and Allah didn't say those who have for sure and Lee prayer, your prayer is particular to you. Your prayer as a mom of five is different than your prayer when you are a university student, your prayer as a university student is going to be difficult, different than your prayer when you are working in a cubicle somewhere or praying in a stairway before you get back to work. Your prayers are going to be different throughout your own life. And that's okay. Allah subhanho data says Allah Xenon fear Salatin Crusher on those who have for sure in their prayers, you
are only comparing yourself to you.
When you read the stories of the people of her Sure, sometimes it is incredibly inspiring. And sometimes it makes you seem like you are either you or they were from a different world all completely.
Oh older woman Isabel de Lyonne, who is a famous example of that. older woman is Xzibit is the son of his Vadym that I want. He is the son of a smart the daughter of above up he's the younger brother of Abdullah a news event. It is a family that is famous for their worship. His father is a companion one of the greatest companions. His grandfather is a companion his parents are companions of the greatest companions, and so Rotorua who grew up in the house of his auntie Aisha and roadworthy Allah and he says that I should have passed away before I should have passed away by five a judge by five years by five heads. She before she passed away, I had absorbed everything she had of
knowledge. I completely took advantage of the presence of my aunt I learned everything that I shouldn't do.
And he became one of the medina when Ottawa is journeying to Damascus
on a trip to a sham.
He has a disease in his leg that requires when he gets
of the Khalifa. The Khalifa sends his doctors and the doctors command over what they say your leg, this leg of yours has to be amputated.
And when they're out of the line who is being offered his options? How are we going to numb this? This amputation that's going to happen. And they offer him wine. And he says no. He says, wait until I get into the slot. Let me pray. And when I get into the slot, when you see that I've gotten into the zone,
then do what you wish. And it's a story that
if it wasn't authentically reported to be hard to believe,
when he was amputated his leg and then on his journey still, he
gets news that his son dies.
When he gets back to Medina, and people come and they visit him, all he says, look a lot cleaner and safer in our head and also but we've we've been exhausted and fatigued by this journey of ours.
So when you read these types of stories, you're like, This is for sure. This is what for sure is you have to be in a place where your leg can be amputated, and you don't feel it. Well. I feel everything when I'm in Salah.
I want to start with this because I want you to know that the best guidance is the guidance of Rasulullah sallallahu. Yes and no. And even when you hear these stories of even great companions have to live in his bed, his older brother a boulder would be flying from the catapult event had gajic news of why he was besieged in Mecca. And I'm delighted Zubaydah will not move. Yet Rasulullah sallallahu s&m Who is the Imam of the hash rate and he was the best of them and the best of us, he would shorten the prayer because he would hear the crying of a baby. And Rasulullah sallallahu said them would feel the presence of his grandchildren on his back. And so he would lengthen the prayer
or his sujood. Because of that, so sure does not necessarily mean that the world completely dissolved all around you and you don't feel or see or hear anything. That's not the case. But sometimes when you read that in books, you feel that that is the case, for sure is particular to you. It is to be present with Allah Subhana Allah to Allah and I want to share with you right from the get go. I want to share a number of tips on how insha Allah Allah this next prayer that we pray, so often Isha is going to be better. And these are tips that you can take for every day of your life. Insha Allah to Allah The first is to make a truce with time. The first is to make a truce with
time that you say to yourself, Allah is the controller of time
because shave one wants you to rush through the salah. He wants to distract you from the salah. shaytaan realizes when he says to Allah Subhana Allah Allah, then Allah home serata can was the team I am going to sit for them on your straight path and I'm going to ambush them I'm going to come from the right of them and from the left of them in front of them and from behind them shape Bronwyn he knows that you are not willing to travel down a slot and Mr. T with a vehicle after Toshi that is more that is better than Salam. There's nothing that's better than salaam Associaton is going to ambush you in the salon. And that's why we get so distracted in the salon in a way that we don't get
distracted outside of the prayer. It said that Imam Abu Hanifa
the man a man came to him and he said Imam I've I've buried some of my wealth, and I forgot where I buried it.
And so remember but anyway, he said to him, you know this isn't really a fifth question, but
perhaps just go and pray to God as to ALLAH SubhanA died and make sure that you're able to find it.
So I can tell you to do so the man Lahu Akbar enters into his salah, shame, salt and fat. All of a sudden he remembers where he buried the money. He got so excited. He didn't even finish the salah. He walked off.
He can't take him out overhead even he said to him later you said Zakah look at it worked perfectly. I was in the slot and all of a sudden I remembered where it was. You probably had even said to him, I did not think that shaytaan would allow you to pray to rock as uninterrupted. I didn't think that Shavon will let you pray to rock I was just too. I didn't think he would let you do it. He would remind you and this is something that we've all experienced that one brother I was mentioning this and he said to me Subhan Allah He said, My we were traveling one time with our family.
And on the day of travel, my mom realizes she doesn't know where her passport is. Could you imagine the stress the entire family is looking for this passport, everybody is searching. And he said so some of the Lord came. I was like you know what we've been searching for the past couple of hours I might as well just pray the Lord and ask Allah Subhana Allah to be able to find the Passport he said Allahu Akbar started reciting. Remember
Where the passport was.
And then he spent the next four hours thinking about where the passport is shaytaan does that because the province little lady syndrome was asked about the difficulty of his salah, and he said who was the last name associate Donald min salah. And he said that it is a theft. That distraction in the prayer is a theft that shaytaan steals from your prayer.
And so the first thing
is that you make a truce with time when shaytaan comes to you and says, You don't have time you got to get back to this book report, you need to get back to this essay, you need to get back to this exam studying for this exam. You need to beat traffic you need to leave work, it's going to be rush hour, all of this type of stuff that you tell yourself, Allah is the controller of time.
Don't tell me shaytaan that I don't have time when Allah is the controller of time. Allah subhanho data is the one who puts Baraka in my time. And so if I've only got an hour to study, let me not rob from salata, Lord for the hour, because Allah subhanaw taala can make the next 50 minutes of my studying more beneficial than the last three hours. Or I could rush through the prayer so that I can get those 15 minutes. And then those 50 minutes could be absolutely useless for me on the exam.
I could rush through the prayer so that I can jump in my car and try to beat traffic and sit in the longest traffic jam ever. or Allah Subhana Allah could look back on my time Allah could put Baraka in my time so that traffic is smooth. Brown I'm in I'm in the President's right now I'm the one who controls everything. To give you just one example of how tricky shade one is.
When you are standing,
that is when you start thinking of everything in the world, you start thinking about your sick Uncle, you start thinking about that kid that you punched in eighth grade, you start thinking of all of these random things when you're standing right now.
When you go into sujood, what do you think about
when you go into your what do you think about when you're standing all of these problems come in your head? But when you go into sujood, what do you think about for many of us, we don't think about anything. So how to be a lattice and how to be a lattice panel being bounced back up. But if you had thought about all of those people Institute, what could you have done?
I could have made that for them. I could have made that for my sick uncle. I could have made it known that Allah Subhana Allah forgives me for that kid that I punched in eighth grade and that Allah subhanaw taala gives them success wherever they are. Allah Subhana Allah, Allah all of those problems that came in my mind while I'm standing, if I had remembered them in sujood, Allah Subhana Allah, I could have asked Allah to fix them,
to bless them, to preserve them to protect them, whatever it is, but shaytaan makes us remember things in standing when it's not beneficial for us. And then we forget them while we're in sujood. This is a trick that we keep losing every single day. And so remembering your problems in your sujood is helpful for you but remembering them during the time when you're supposed to be reciting and conversing with Allah subhanaw taala is not it. So number one is a truce with time number two is seek stillness in every station.
There's a famous Hadith, which is called the Hadith of the man who prayed badly. The Hadith of the man who played badly this man.
He prays a Salah, and the Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi salam after the Salah, he comes in. He gives them total Sula, some Elijah syndrome and the Prophet sallallahu. SNM says to him, yet for somebody for in economics on the target for suddenly we're not going to suddenly go back and pray because you didn't pray.
So now the man knows he's being watched by the prophets of Allah, they send them so then he goes, and he prays again. And then he goes in, he gives them total sudo Allah salAllahu Salam, and he says back to him, it was yet for Salif, and they're gonna go back and pray because you didn't pray a third time he goes, and he prays. And that also the last little light is and it says to him, go back and pray because you didn't pray.
The man says, oh, Messenger of Allah, I don't know any prayer other than this is the only way I know how to pray. So another prophet Sallallahu, they send them don't told him a number of things. He told him that when you get up to pray that you face the labor law, and that you make to be able to look around while you're standing, and then you eat what is easy for you of the Quran. And then he says, So Martha had my inner rakia, he says, and then bow until you are tranquil in your belly.
And then stand until at that, so we'll call him out until you are completely erect when you're standing, and then go into sujood hat off of my inner Sajida. And then you you are tranquil in your sujood in your prostration. The idea here what's being repeated is tranquility, tranquility, stillness, stillness. Some people when they go into court, there's no moment of time where they're actually still there bouncing. And then when they get up from record, they don't even hit a 90 degree angle. There are 80 degrees and already they're on the way down, and then they pick up the ground on their sujood rasool Allah so Allah do send them is saying that one of the things that you
have to do in your Salah is this idea of trying
Quality and stillness, intimate none. And so you have to make sure that in every station of the prayer, you simply slow it down.
That when you go into court, you stop for a moment, when you get up from bowing that you stop for a moment, that when you go into sujood, that you're still for a moment, let every joints completely rest.
And when you've done this, you've completed a major aspect of perfecting the prayer, which is the idea of stillness, tranquility. And then number three.
And this is a beautiful, beautiful tip when it comes to focus. And that is simply include variety,
variety, I give you an example. When
you are going back from the masjid, or you're going back from work, or you're going back home from school, or whatever it is, it's a route that you're very, very familiar with. You're talking to somebody on the phone,
and you're not paying attention to street signs, you're not paying attention to the roads, because you've gone down this road a million times before.
All of a sudden, the exit that you take is normally blocked. And you have to take a detour that you're unfamiliar with, what do you say to the person who you're on the phone with? What do you say to them?
Say, I'm gonna call you back.
Hold on a second, I can't talk right now. I gotta I gotta figure this out. What you're saying to them is I am taking an unfamiliar route. And so I need to actually be focused. Many times. We pray prayers that are on autopilot because we're praying the same Salah that we learn to pray as children,
the same as God, the same dua, the same, everything is the same. Leadership mom's sad for him Allah. One time I heard him say that when he was when he was an Islamic school teacher, he taught kids when he's teaching them salah, he taught them to make dua out for him as their teacher in their suit.
He's teaching them to make that drought. Why he said, because most people don't change the salah they learned as children. It's like a, like a pro move right there.
And he said he met a student 10 years later. And that student said to him, Chef, I've been making drought for you and every salah.
And even though that's funny, it's at the same time sad, because every aspect of your life has changed from the time you've been seven to the time that you're 17, or from the time that you're seven to the time that you're 27 or 37, or 47 or 57. So how is it that your Salah is still the same, and that's why there is so much variety, in the prayer, every station of the prayer, you will find many different I've got so many remembrances that are authentically reported from Rasulullah sallallahu de Sena for you to be able to say one of the easiest, most beautiful books is the fortress of the Muslim, just go through the fortress of the Muslim and see all of the different
things that you can say when you enter into the prayer, all of the different things that you can say on record all of the different things that you can say getting up from record all of the things that you can say Institute, all of the things that you can say, in the delta between the two soldiers, there's so much variety, and the Salah is so deserving of our investment. It's so deserving of us spending some time learning more about the prayer so that we can take our Salah out of autopilot. And one of the easiest things that we can do, even beyond learning new Earth God is to simply dust off. We have we all have chapters of the Quran, Surah of the Quran that are not part of our daily
rotation, we have our daily go twos, these are the ones that we can do blindfolded, no problem. But then we have the ones that we know, but they're not, we're not so comfortable with. So those are the chapters that pray in your prayer with these chapters. So that's number three is to include variety in your prayer. And then number four, is to just practice the act of bringing yourself back.
Anytime you get distracted, in a conversation with anybody,
catch yourself and practice bringing yourself back. Because
at the source of that distraction, that type of distraction is the idea of taking a conversation for granted.
If I knew that the last conversation that I had with my mother might be my last conversation. How present would I be in that conversation? The last conversation that I have with my father is going to be the last conversation, my loved one, my friend. This is going to be the last time that we talk. But there is what allows for that distraction is the feeling that tomorrow will catch up tomorrow. I don't need to pay attention. We'll have another time where I can hear that story.
But if I practice simply anytime in any conversation with anybody that I just pay attention to my lack of focus, I got distracted here. Let me bring myself back. I got distracted here. Let me bring myself back. I got distracted here. Let me bring myself back. It strengthened
ability to pay attention. And that ability will help you not only in your conversations with people, but it'll also help you in the Salah. And then number five
is the idea of identity. Who are you?
You know, it's very easy when you go on campus or university is very easy for you to recognize the athletes. Because they're always walking around in in gear. They're able to walk around and
what's the word sweat pants, sweat, hoodies, whatever those things are called. They're walking around in athletic gear all the time, because they're an athlete. They're either going to the gym or they're coming from the gym or on their like, This is who they are, you're able to recognize them.
What's interesting about the clothing of men throughout the Muslim world, anywhere, you look at a sham. You look at the Arabian Peninsula, you look at North Africa, you look at the Indian subcontinent, you look at Southeast Asia, and the men all wear clothes, that facilitates the salah.
It is either coming up to their knees, or it is coming up low on their hips, or it is a photo or some variety of but it is it is close. That facilitates the movement of the salon because the OMA is an OMA that prays.
And so when a man or a woman go out into the world, and they're dressed in clothes, that is not appropriate for this a lot, it makes me think that this person has not prioritized the Salah in their life.
For guys wearing our uncovering shorts,
and they have to go and they have to go get something extra for them to be able to pray. I mean, it's very limiting. It's still very limiting that person
testing testing, one to city
testing testing, am I back? Not yet.
I mean, it says that it's on and that there's battery
test testing, okay. Hamdulillah.
And so the idea of identity is incredibly important. Asking yourself who am I? And in reality, the greatest aspect of our identity is that we're worshipers of Allah subhanaw taala I am here every day of my life to worship Allah subhanaw taala. So that let that reflect in the way that I carry myself out in this world and let it reflect in the clothes that I wear, because that is an incredible it manifests. It reflects that identity that I have. I am a worshipper of Allah subhanaw taala. And so I wanted to these are five quick tips in sha Allah. But I want to move to actually looking at the prayer. You know, there is a beautiful answer that was given by a scholar, when he was asked, How do
you have kosher in the prayer? How do you have stillness in the prayer, that humility in the prayer and He gave the example of that ceiling fan? This ceiling fan here? He said,
If it's going on high speed,
and you turn it off, is there going to be still right away?
No, it's going to take a long time to slow down. I don't know if this is off. We're on right now. But it's slowing down. It's slowing down.
And so when a person is living out in the world in high speed, and then they walk into the masjid, are they going to be able to turn off like that ceiling fan right away? No, it takes it takes time for you to reach that stillness. And that's why you'll find so much preparation, so much presence that is required even before the summer when the iodine is called that other than that is to the will do that you make to the walking to the Salah, the sub province of Elias Adam says to walk with stillness and tranquility. Yes God that you make when you hear the identity of God that you make when you make will do that presence that you have when you're making them do all of that is
preparation for you to come a couple of minutes before the salah for you to sit and you are in Salah while you're waiting for the salah. All of that is to facilitate or helps facilitate that presence, that stillness. So I wanted to look at not just the salah itself, but some of the things that we do before the Salah, so that inshallah to Allah we can become better at mindfulness in the Salah number one. The first is when the Quran itself is called.
And I want you to imagine unfortunately, we don't live in a place where it rips through the neighborhood. But I want you to imagine the event as it is called.
And the statement that is being made is Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar. Now Allahu Akbar means what? Give me a quick translation. Allah is the Greatest. That's not what it means that number two, give me another one.
Allah is greater and then number three is translated us. Allah is great. Okay, Allah is great. So Allahu Akbar.
Allah is Great would be Allah who can be Iran. That's not it. Allah who is the greatest that would be Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. And that's not it. It is Allahu Akbar. Allah is greater. And it is an incomplete sentence, Allah is greater. Why is it an incomplete sentence because it is to be filled by you, you are to fill in the blank. Allah is greater than whatever I'm doing right now. Allah is greater than me sitting at this coffee shop. Allah is greater than me catching up on this drama on Netflix, Allah Subhana Allah is greater than this book report. Allah Subhana Allah Allah is greater than my work right now. Allah is greater than my family in this moment, Allah is greater than
everything.
I shall have the advantage that's the province of Allah and sent him would interact with us and he would he would be involved with us and as president as president can be, but then when the Adan would be called to you would get up as if he didn't know us.
Allah is greater than everything. And so that Allah is being called Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. And you're filling in the blanks to whatever it is that you're saying. And then a shadow Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah. Allah is greater than everything. Why? Because he's the one who's worthy of worship. And he's the one who's worthy of worship, because he's an ILA. And for him to be the ILA, he is the one who has the perfect attributes. There is nothing that is like Allah subhanaw taala. And he's perfect in his mercy and in His forgiveness and in his ability and in his power and in His wisdom
and in his knowledge. He's perfect in every way. And so he's the only one who is worthy of worship. He's the one who's worthy of me getting up and stopping everything to go and worship shadow and Mohammad Rasool Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad cellulitis in the midst the Messenger of Allah, and then I want you to think about Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and how this messenger who believed in Allah subhanaw taala and call to Allah Subhana Allah Allah has been given such incredible success that all over the world people are proclaiming every minute of the day I bear witness I'm Hamas little light inside them is the Messenger of Allah, Allah promises in the Quran,
what Allah Ananda Ziklag we have raised your remembrance, and here you are bearing witness to that remembrance being raised. And then that same Lord, who gave the province of Allah Allah who is sending them, that incredible success and ability is now telling you, you come to the prayer, hi yah, Salah, come to the prayer, and come to success. Come to the prayer and come to success.
Sometimes we shuffle our feet from coming to the prayer because we're seeking success somewhere. We're seeking success in our work. We're seeking success in school, we're seeking success somewhere, happiness somewhere, and you're being told, Come to success. The prayer is success.
And beautifully, you say after the event with them as insects, but here when you're being told come to the parent come to success. You say La hawla wala Quwata illa biLlah there is no source of transformation. How will this transformation and cool is ability without Allah subhanaw taala you are saying I don't have the ability to transform from a state of heedlessness to a state of remembrance, I don't have power to come to the prayer without Allah subhanaw taala for everybody who's hearing the message right now and responded to the call. We are not here because we came here we came because Allah Subhana Allah gave us the ability to come here. And so our presence here
should not inspire anything in us other than humility and gratitude to Allah subhanaw taala one brother once he told me
so a convert and I was asking him like when you're in the prayer when you're in the Salah, what are you thinking about? You don't understand Arabic you understand what he's what's being recited. He said, you know, what I focus on is that I focus on in the fact that out of all of the people in Houston,
Allah invited me to come to his house.
And there might be only 10 or 15 people here for salata, Lord in the masjid. And I add all of these people here, I was the one who is invited. And he said, When I think about that, he said, I am overwhelmed with tears throughout the salah.
Oh Allah subhanho data is the one who brings you and so you say to them event law Hello, La Quwata illa I don't have the ability to come. If Allah subhana data doesn't give me the income, and then it repeats but I want you to understand, and I want you to notice that the slogan of the event is Allah subhanaw taala Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. And we're going to see that in the slogan of Salah, like the slogan of hedges in a bake Allahu Allah Baker amo Allah. The slogan of the Salah is Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar we see throughout the summer
and that also last Elijah send them says that whoever says after the event has made their I've done a shadow Allah Allah Allah Allah wa shadow Muhammad Rasul Allah, or the to be la Helaba Wahby
Muhammad salallahu Salam Nebia Erbil Islam Idina, that whoever says I've ever witnessed that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad Salah light is cinemas messenger, I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, I am pleased with Muhammad as my messenger, I am pleased with Islam as my religion, all of their previous sins are forgiven.
And we're going to see that throughout the prayer, there are so many opportunities for a person sins to be forgiven. And this is the first of them, that you just simply say, after the event, I bear witness that there is nothing worthy and I'm pleased with Allah. And I want you to think about that. What does that mean? I'm pleased with Allah subhanaw taala as my Lord, I'm pleased with Islam as my dean, I'm pleased with the progress that Elijah has sent. A person reaches a place in their life, where they feel so privileged, that while everybody else is worshiping with their worshipping, everybody else is worshiping what they're worshiping. I'm worshiping Allah, there are people who are
worshipping money. There are people who are worshipping other gods with other characteristics and attributes and I am worshipping Allah subhana wa adata, who is so forgiving
that there is no intercessor between me and him. Anytime I asked for forgiveness, He forgives me. Anytime I repent to Allah subhana Dada, he accepts my repentance. He extends his hand during the day to accept the forgiveness of those who sin at night and he extends his and during the night to accept the repentance of those who sinned during the day. Allah subhanaw taala isn't me the result.
I'm worshiping the Lord of perfect attributes. I don't know who everybody else is worshiping.
I feel so privileged. And when everybody else is falling, whatever paths that they're following, I'm following Islam. It's steady, I'm anchored.
I am not enslaved. I am not beholden to people's values that are shifting every day.
I am, I am following something that is constant and something that is true. And when everyone else was falling wherever it is that they're following, or whoever is that they're falling, I'm falling Mohammed Abdullah Hassan melodicism and when a person feels that privilege Rasulullah sallallahu SNM says that at that time it hello with an email that bahala with an email Manuel de la Helaba that person has tasted the sweetness of faith the one who is pleased with Allah subhanaw taala as their Lord and Muhammad and Islam is the religion of hammer sobre la de Sena Mr messenger become sweet to you.
And then
we fast forward to although
and when you make although you know there was a sister who accepted Islam in the masjid a couple of weeks ago.
And she accepted Islam a little bit before Mother's Day. And so I told one of the seers, I told her go and walk her through will walk her through a puddle
and she did and when they came back out later this sister told me she said that was like the best we'll do I've ever made in my life.
She was like I was so present when I was teaching her how to make we'll do as most of them are made earlier showing Antonio how to make we'll do URL as well. It's beautiful right moment probably is the best way to do of His life today.
Because your your present, a lot of times our will do become so robotic and we don't pay attention to the idea. I want you to pay I want you to make we'll do like it is your first time.
Or I want you to make we'll do like you're showing someone else who's making will look for the first time
this will do is a source of incredible. Baraka it is a source of incredible reward
Rasulullah sallallahu s&m says that there is no Muslim or movement. Who makes will do except that sins are falling from your hands.
When you're washing your hands, everything that you've done with your hands falls off with the water or with the last drop of water. When you wash your face everything that you looked at when you wash your arms, when you wash your feet everywhere you've walked in sin becomes washed off.
Visualize that
Rasulullah sallallahu s&m says shall I not tell you something that through ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada raises ranks and he forgives since
it's about what we'll look at and Macquarie that a person perfects their will do even when it's difficult when it will be difficult.
Everyone says the cold
but it's not going to be difficult for a while then.
It's also difficult when some people are in public. Awkward. still perfecting your soul so difficult. Depending on the clothes that you're wearing some of our brothers if you're wearing a three piece suit, well that becomes very difficult. You got to take off layers after layers sisters too. Sometimes you're wearing those a buyers that are difficult to peel back.
Sometimes you have mobility issues, the sink is way too high.
There are all sorts of scenarios where we'll do it becomes challenging, and you want to take shortcuts and Rasulullah sallallahu SNF says perfecting your world
Do even when it's difficult when you perfect your will do even when it's difficult.
Status gets raised sins get forgiven and Rasulullah sallallahu s&m says that when you're done with will do.
And whoever says I should do a la ilaha illallah wa Shuddha and Muhammad Rasulullah or Abdullah rasool Allah how much I need Manitoba in which I live in a multiple herein I've ever witnessed that there's nothing worthy of worship except Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad Salah lightest centimeter Slavens messenger, O Allah make me of those who repent to you and make me of those who purify themselves.
Allah Subhana Allah loves those who repent and Allah Subhana Allah, Allah loves those who purify themselves, you have just purified your outer through the will do. And now you've asked Allah to purify your inner through repentance, and when the inner and the outer have been purified, now you are ready to stand in front of the cake.
And so now you approach the salah.
And you are to face the fibula.
And if any one of us decided in the salon to turn around 180 degrees, what would happen to our prayer, our prayer would be nullified. And so the scholars say if you are so particular
brothers pull out their compasses which way is the Qibla and they sit there and they
but if a person
is so particular about facing the fibula with their body, they say don't forget to face Allah subhanaw taala with your heart.
You can't be so focused that your body is in this particular direction. And meanwhile your heart is touring the world and coming back.
And then when you say Allahu Akbar, you say Allah is greater. And the symbolism that some of the scholars mentioned is that you're casting the dunya behind you, it's like you're going like this, everything is behind me now. Allahu Akbar, Allah is greater. And you're saying Allah is greater. Allah is greater than what again, Allah is greater than everything. And so they said, Beware that the first statement that you make in your Salah be a lie.
Don't let the first thing you say and salave'a Lie. When you say Allahu Akbar, pay attention to what you're saying. You are saying Allah is greater. And now as soon as you say that, get ready. shaytaan is going to start hitting you with everything he's got, including the kitchen sink. So
what then I'm entering into a battle now, as soon as you enter into the slot, I'm now in a battle with Jai THON. And so there are so many things throughout the prayer where Allah Subhana Allah has facilitated for you to protect yourself from Shaytaan or to fight back against shaytaan. Now we'll talk about a few of them in sha Allah died if we have time. But the first thing that I want you to know is that there are so many Escar that you make entering into the prayer. It's called drought list after
the drought of entering into the prayer. And I don't have time to go through a number of them. What I'll tell you to do is go through the fortress of the Muslim and you'll find a number of them there. But I want to just look at one of them and it is a beautiful one.
I can't tell you how many times I've met Muslims who are ashamed to pray because of what they know of their own sense.
I'm too ashamed. I've done this I've done that I've done this I've done that.
And so it is so beautiful and perfect and appropriate that one of the drives we are taught to make when you enter into the salon is Oh ALLAH distanced me from my sins like you've distance between the East and the West. Allahumma bear a beanie well then have I got Komaba activator Masha, Allah Muhammad, Allah distanced me from my sense, like you've distance between the East and the West.
We're not kidding me Katya and wash me of my sense. Like a white garment is washed the filth was seen even hotter I am cleanse me of my sins, like with water and ice and hail.
That person who is ashamed of their sense, you are being taught when you walk into the salon. The first thing that you ask yourself, ask ALLAH SubhanA wa dot O Allah cleanse me of my sins, washed me of those sins, distanced me from those sins like you've distanced the East in the West. And then beautifully
Do you wash when you're washing a white garment?
Do you wash it with hot water or cold water? What do you guys say? Hot or cold?
Cold water right?
These are all the people who don't know how to wash.
You wash with
a white garment.
You wash it with hot
so then the question becomes why did why is the Hadith to wash it with cold? I mean, I see what y'all did. You guys said oh, the Hadith says cold. So it must be cold.
But it's actually it is interesting. Why are you being asked or why are you asking ALLAH SubhanA
or data to wash with cold with ice with hail. The owner might have said because since burn,
they burn, they cause people to be a shame. They cause people to be embarrassed they cause people to be they carry that heat in their heart. So you're asking Allah azza wa jal to cool your breast cool your chest, cool your heart. That's number one. Number two.
When you have something that's sticky, what do you wash it with?
That you wash with ice, every rock gum on your garment, use ice use some sort of
and they said since they stick to you, and so you're asking Allah azza wa jal to remove it with ice and with him.
So you've entered into the Salah, and then the sort of vary, the chapters of the Quran vary, but what does stay consistent every rocker is sort of the Fatiha
and salted, Fatiha is a miracle. The entire Quran is a miracle. bisulfite has a miracle.
And it is a miracle that is apparent. You know when I was a kid, I used to ask why? There's a hadith where the prophets of Allah Allah has sent him says, Every prophet was given a miracle through which the people believed in him.
And I was given revelation. So I wish to have the largest number of followers on the day of judgment.
And I remember being a kid thinking to myself, like the province level I sort of didn't get the splitting of the of the of the the see like Musa are raising the dead, like Isa, the province of Elijah, or the kingdom of Sudan man, the province of the licen was simply given revelation.
He wasn't given, like, like these types of fantastic miracles, He was given revelation. And yet it also Lhasa lightest, and it says I wish to have the largest number of followers on the Day of Judgment. What's the relationship between the first part of the Hadith and the second part, I was given a revelation. So I want to have the largest number of followers on the Day of Judgment, beautiful.
As amazing as the splitting of the sea was.
If you weren't with that group of vinyasa, eight who witnessed it with their eyes. For everybody else, that's what it's not something that they witnessed. If you weren't there with Jesus, when He raised the dead, for everybody else, it's something that they hear about, but these are not witness. But at the province level it is and it says, Well, I was given his revelation.
And so I hope to have the largest number of followers on the Day of Judgment, the province of Elijah sending them is the prophet who was given a miracle that is witnessed by every generation of his community.
Everyone can witness the miracle of Rasulullah sallallahu sallam, and that fat has a miracle. And I'll give you an easy easy example. And you might have never noticed this before, because I never noticed it until someone told me and then I was like, That is amazing.
Allah subhanaw taala designed sort of the fatwa in a way that you never ever get tired of hearing it. If it was any other chapter of the Quran. If every time the Imam led was cool, who Allah who had eventually there would be a fight in the masjid. If at one point in time, a person decided to read every time with any other sort of the Quran, people would get bored people would get distracted people get bothered by it. And yet Surah Fatiha Allah subhanaw taala made it as, as seamless for us as breathing. Allah subhanaw taala made it as beautiful for us. As as as as a part of us as our own selves. And so you never get tired of sort of the fact how no matter how much you read it, no matter
how much times you've heard it. Allah subhanaw taala made this surah that special in that unique and I want to just point to a couple of things and Psalter Fattah
I want you to notice the
ill defined sources of data and hamdulillahi rabbil Alameen is defied means the shifting of tense.
You are standing in front of Allah and Allah Subhana Allah says in the Hadith as reported by Muslim Kasam to salata, veiny will be in Abdi I have divided the entire Salah between me and my servant.
And so when a servant when you say and hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds Allah says, My servant has praised me. And when you say Rahman Rahim, Allah Subhana Allah says ethna Allah Abdi, my servant has praised me. And when you say, or he says, My servant has celebrated me. And then when you say Malik, yo Medina, the Master of the Day of Judgment, Allah says, My servant has glorified me. And then when you say it, then I'll set off er, can I understand you alone? Do you worship you alone? We seek for help Allah Subhana Allah, Allah says, This is between me and my servant, and my servants will have what they're asking for. And then
you recite the rest of the surah and Allah says, This is between me and my servant and my servant will have what they're asking for
When you are reciting Surah Fatiha, visualize that conversation.
Every time you recite a verse from that Surah, Allah responds to you. I'm going to grab that as he is used to have that pause between the verses. And when he was asked why he said, I'm visualizing Allah Subhana Allah data's response to me.
And this surah
that is a request, you are asking Allah for guidance.
There is a change in tense in the Surah.
The first part of the surah when you say it, hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen is that in the second person or the third person or the first person All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds
which person is that? That's third person.
Amana Rahim is that first person, second person or third person? That's third person, you're speaking to someone as if they're absent, Rahmani Raheem Malik Yoba did the Master of the Day of Judgment is that first person second person or third person?
Third person still? Er cannot go do a yak understand you alone? Do we worship you alone, we seek for help. What tense is that second person
and then a suboptimal stream the rest of the saga continues in the second person.
Why that change? Why that shift.
Scholars mentioned the number of reasons and they say number one is praise, more sincere in a person's absence or in a person's presence. It's more sincere in a person's absence. So even though Allah Subhana Allah, Allah is never absent, when you're praising Allah subhana data, it's more beautiful that it'd be done in the third person.
And a request is more expected to be responded to in the second person. And so the second half of the sort of because it is a request, it shifts to the second person. But another one that's beautiful is they say it is as if at the beginning of the surah you are standing on the outside of the court of the king
and you're in treating entrance. And so you begin by saying that hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen Rahman Rahim Mariko Medina you're praising Allah and as you are praising Allah the doors open and you are ushered in and then you are in His presence and it as if you're looking at him and so you speak to him directly er cannot Buddha yeah can stay you alone do you worship you alone, we seek for help.
And it continues on
salsa Fatiha and then you go into court.
And when you go into court, you Say Subhan Allah, Allah them but you say Allahu Akbar, again. You say Allah is greater, and in all of the motions of the prayer except getting up from record. You continue in motion to say Allahu Akbar, Allah is greater Allah is greater. Law is greater. It's like you're a camera that's adjusting again and again and again. I get distracted I say Allah is greater I get distracted I say Allah is greater I get distracted again I say Allah is greater every motion and here's a super tip
who they familiar man
are the Alonso not who they've been media man rather, I'm not even Yasser Ahmadi masala, the line who was praying a prayer.
And one of the tabIe.
He said to him,
you know, you, you pray a really short prayer said your prayer is really short. He said that I'm on NASA. So I'm out. And yes, it is great companion, a little a little lost, the light is on. And he says to him, did you notice me missing any of its pillars?
He said, No, you did everything that you're supposed to do. But it was just short. So I might have me I said, I said to him,
I want it to beat the distraction of shaytaan.
If me standing for a long time, it's going to cause for me to be distracted. Let me bow. If me bowing for a long time is going to make me distracted. Let me get up. If me going into sujood.
Let me keep moving in the Salah. Let me keep it moving one station to the next. I again get to refocus. Jeff command mentioned to me a beautiful story once.
And he said that there was a a Muslim family that had somewhere in the Muslim world. And they had a maid in their house who was non Muslim. She was Christian. And so what Ramadan, they decided to or they were praying to Allah in their house, and she decided that she wanted to join them. She wanted to pray with them. But she wanted to pray sitting down her way.
And so they're praying thought, Oh, yeah.
And she's sitting in her spot. It wasn't long before. She couldn't help but fall asleep.
Just her prayer, the fact that it was so static, there's no motion in it. It was hard for her. Could you imagine if we had to come and pray two hours of thought in one position.
And so you see the beauty of the motion in
So like even the fact that it helps us in our focus that we are going from one stage to the one stage to the next one stage to the next, you go into court, and here you are bowing, you are teaching yourself humility, and you're saying so behind I love being exalted as my Lord from imperfection, the great
some of us were able to absolve,
we're able to, to, to, to remove every deity from our hearts, except our own ego.
And so you are training yourself and you're saying, My Lord is the one who is allowing,
and then you stand back up and you say, Rebecca, like a hand, oh Allah to you belongs all praise and there's so much that you can say in this station, where you're thanking Allah subhanaw taala. And it's beautiful that you thank Allah when you come back into this position of being erect. Again, this is a station while you're standing up, right? This is a station that Allah subhanaw taala has honored us with human beings. And it is an honor that is stripped from the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment. Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam says that the disbeliever will be forced to walk on their face into the hellfire and Rasulullah sallallahu sallam was asked to walk on our face, and
Rasulullah sallallahu sallam said Subhan Allah is not the one who made them walk on their feet, in the dunya able to make them walk on their feet, or walk on their face on the Day of Judgment.
When everybody repeat after them why then
sometimes we have the problem. I'm the last lesson also a lot. Sometimes we have the problem of being knowledge junkies, where we learn things, but then we don't practice them. These things are very simple. They're very simple, but who's the one who does them? And so sometimes, people ask the question, and they say, I didn't learn anything new in a lecture and hotbar, anything like that. But the the objective is not always to learn something new. Many of us know a lot. And if we simply implemented what we knew, we'd be in great shape. But it is about implementing. So these things are, are small, they're easy to do. But the one who's able to do them is the one whom Allah subhanaw
taala has given success to so
the quick to summarize and Charlotte Allah to
speak quickly about sujood insha Allah and then the Jelsa and then we'll end in sha Allah, but a person then goes into sujood
and sujood is the great symbol of the Salah,
the Messiah, they're called masajid, the masjid, the place of sujood
and there are so many things to pay attention to when a person is in such that there are so many different motivations a person can have there's so many different ways that a person can engage with this agenda of them is to engage with the Sajida appreciating the closeness and the proximity that you enjoy in that moment. Well solo Lhasa Lola Davis and them says that a person is closest to Allah when they are Institute
for which they do feed dua he says so make a lot of dua make a lot of dough out when your institute
What do you ask do you make in your search though? That's the question. What do as do you make in your search, though? Who do you make your art for? No, there was a brother, who I met one time and he told me he said, you know, he was 20 something years old, already married, already had a great job. Already had a kid.
So he said to me, he said, You know what? To be honest, I don't really have a lot of things to make do out for
Canada kind of ran out of milestones.
And so I said to him, did you enter Gen Nyan.
And he said, No, I said, but I guess I do have a lot of things to make up for.
But even beyond entering Jana and absolutely you should make dua for that. Don't you have a family member who's sick? Don't you have a friend who's unemployed? Don't you have problems going all over the Muslim world? Don't you have people who are in need? Like how can a person be so disconnected from the people around them? I would do that. He said, I make dua for 70 of my brothers. In my salon in my winter. I name them and their fathers names full picture, like their full name, first name, last name, I make that for 70 of them. And so when you're going into every session, every session is incredibly valuable real estate, you are closest to Allah Subhana Allah. And so I would encourage
that you have some sort of program for your suit. The first stage is always for your parents, always for your parents. So don't get hung up on like a model band. So now the other seven. If it's for rock operar you got another seven. So just divide and conquer
Divide and conquer, I've got my I've got my exams, I have my health, I have this person's house I have whatever it is making go out for my alpha as well. You know Allah subhana Dias is with us. And so in this ebook, I'm gonna dunya don't forget your portion of this world. But we also have to remind you that each other don't forget your portion of the hereafter. Because many times people when they make the ad, they simply want to make the offer the dunya but you make the offer the hereafter as well.
That's one motivation when you're Institute the closeness and then a popular question is, can I make dua in my native tongue while I'm in sujood? The answer to that, I believe is yes, even if it's an obligatory prayer, even if it's an obligatory prayer for the person who is not fluent in Arabic that is the fatwa of the American Muslim jurists Association. And so if a person is not fluent in Arabic, they can speak in whatever language they are most fluent in the one where you are able to complain to Allah Subhana Allah with the most sincerity and the most presence, but if a person is fluent in Arabic, then this isn't the time for them to be practicing their Spanish or their French or anything
like that.
Another motivation while your institute, Allah and Allah subhana, Allah says was to do active Allah says, prostrate and come near. So appreciating the closeness with Allah subhanaw taala, making dua to Allah Subhana Allah and also recognizing that in this moment, you are also causing a lot of harm to Shavon Rasulullah sallallahu s&m says that when the son of Adam prostrates shaytaan, Christ's big crybaby. He says the Son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated so for him his Paradise, and I was commanded to prostrate, and I did not so for me as the hellfire. So there are lots of motivations and there are even more than that.
But then you get up in between the two sides of this, and you're in this moment of Jelsa. You're in this moment of sitting. And I want to ask you, Who do you sit in the presence of Who do you sit in the presence of you sit in the presence of a king, no, you stand in the presence of a king. It's very important, it's very appropriate that you stand with one hand over the left.
In a position that Imam Muhammad says is is Lulu and Kisara Aziza Jabbar, it is humility to Allah Subhana Allah, it's very appropriate that you stand in front of Allah like this. It's very appropriate that you bow to Allah, it's very appropriate that you prostrate to Allah subhana data, but who do you sit in front of you sit in front of a friend
and so it is amazing that you sit in front of Allah subhana wa Tada.
It's like you're being told to sit down Have a seat.
But what's beautiful about the Salah also, is that it allows these positions allow for multiple emotions. And so for some people who are wanting that comfort in that moment, I want you to be amazed that you get to sit in front of Allah subhana data. But then
the scholars also said that it is the sitting of a person who is about to be executed.
When you're on your knees like that, and the blade is on your neck. And what are you saying from this fiddly rub this fiddly bit fiddly my Lord forgive me my Lord, forgive me, my Lord, forgive me. So it allows for these different emotions. And then you go into sujood again, and I want you to appreciate that of all of the things that we've done in the slot. There's only one thing that you've been prescribed two doses of and that's such the more closeness to Allah subhana data more opportunity for more opportunity for humility.
And then you repeat and repeat and repeat until you get to that to shout.
And I want to conclude with this with a shout.
We don't have the time to break down most of the meanings. But you say that yeah to the law, or solo to play but you say all
that yet. Scholars mentioned the number of things are there is that they mentioned greetings they've indicated at mentions this in his commentary on amazon.com It says that it has been said that it means Greetings your greeting Allah subhanho data. It's been said that life emanates from Allah even when you meet a king. You say long live the king but what do you say to Allah subhanho wa Taala you say all life emanates from and hate it emanates from ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada
was Salawat off the bat, and Salawat His blessings will lie to him Salah to obey Him what Rama Salawat is different from Rama Salawat is blessings they emanate from Allah will play the bat and all goodly things Allah subhana Dias is a Theon himself. He's the pure and the holy and the goodly and he only accepts that which is pure, a set on why they call you whenever you want to have to live with regard to how unbelievable is this? Your entire prayer completely from the beginning? Was all directed to ALLAH SubhanA
No data not directed to anybody else. You didn't speak to anybody else in the Salah. And for the first moment in this law, you are now speaking directly to Rasul Allah. So why they said no. Salaam, why they call you and maybe opsb upon your messenger. It's as if while you're sitting in that Tisha hood, that the province of Elijah seldom has entered into the room and is standing in front of you and you are looking at the province level by this ended up and you are sending Saddam directly to him.
The scholars hypothesize why that is the case. And of the beautiful things that they've suggested is that you are giving salam to the one who taught you this prayer. So Luca Mara Ito Munoz solidly pray as you have seen me pray, and so it is only appropriate that you ask Allah azza wa jal to send us peace and blessings upon Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. And then you make the DUA, and you say Allahumma Salli, ala Muhammad Ali Muhammad colossal data at Abraham while Ebrahim and this is beautiful too, because you're asking Allah to send Salam upon Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam and the followers of Muhammad. Like he sent Salam upon Ibrahim and the followers
of agora him. But I have a question for you that you all know the answer to isn't Rasulullah sallallahu wasallam higher in stations and Ibrahim it is set up? The answer is yes. And so the question then becomes Why are you asking Allah Subhana Allah Allah says Send peace and blessings upon Rasulullah sallallahu de Sena like Ibrahim, when we know that the province of Almighty Islam is in a station higher
and the Allama answered a number of ways number one, they said come out here like doesn't mean equivalency in in the amount but equivalency in the action itself. So like you said, said I'm upon Ibrahim since and I'm upon Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam and his followers. But another beautiful answer that was suggested by the scholars is that it is not so much about how Mr. melodics eliminate Brahim but it is about Muhammad will add him Hamad commercial later Ebrahim while Ebrahim, who is the Al of Muhammad, who's the followers of Muhammad, who's the followers of Rahim. If you look on Ibrahim side, it's all of the prophets of Benny, isn't it? an all star cast? It's Musa and Harun is
today a man and Tao that isn't the Korean everybody, and who's on the side of Rasulullah sallallahu doesn't
click
Muslims from Katy. I guess it's the Ummah there no prophets Sahaba Yes, great people, yes, but nobody have the level of and so on one side you have Ibrahim, and however many prophets and worshipers and all of that on that side. And on this side, you're asking Allah Subhana Allah to send an equivalent amount of Baraka blessings, Salam upon Muhammad and his followers, like he sent upon Ibrahim alayhi salam and his followers, and then you sent
and then
you have another moment to make dua before that asleep. You have another moment to make dot before this asleep. And that is beautiful. Also, it's like when you've come to someone's office, and you're getting up to leave, and they tell you anything else I can do. You sure you don't want anything? Nothing for the road? Before you leave the salon, the Salah, you have that last option of making dua to Allah subhana wa Tada.
And then you say As salam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah to your right,
and envision this drought that you are making, for the entire hemisphere, to your right, all of the righteous servants of Allah subhana wa Tada. And then you exit the Salah, making Salam in both directions, asking Allah for his peace and blessings and Baraka upon all of his righteous servants. And then you guard your prayer.
And you guard your prayer. And with this, you guard your prayer by not being impressed by your prayer not being satisfied with your prayer. No matter what you've done of worship, no matter how amazing your Salah was, you know that it was not what ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada deserves. And so you hope that ALLAH SubhanA dot accepts it from you. And then you show gratitude to Allah subhanaw taala for allowing you to experience that prayer. So you make the scar after the Salah, Allahumma Nui law degree kosher critico has nearby that a beautiful vicar that we were taught to make our law assist me in remembering you and showing gratitude to you and worshiping you beautifully. The prophesy said
and told him I live in Egypt. He said Don't forget to say that after every Salah because if Allah facilitates for you remembering Him,
then you're going to thank him. And if you think Allah subhanaw taala What will he do? As he then No, I will increase you. And if Allah subhanaw taala increases you then he will facilitate beautiful worship of Him because He will only increase you in better salons he will only increase you in more sweetness. We ask Allah Azza to make us a bit harsh again. We ask Allah azza wa jal that he accepts from us our prayers that he makes us
Those who love the salah that he makes us with those whose hearts are attached to the messages that he makes us of those who survived are accepted by him or something Allah Allah send them home I do I do cyber something similar to that of Salaam Alaikum Hello ricotta