Bilal Philips – The Best In Islam #22

			Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. Allah's peace and blessings beyond each and every one of
you. We'd like to welcome you to another in our series, the best in Islam, where we're looking at
prophetic guidance and divine revelation in the form of the Quranic verses, which identify for us
what is best in Islam? What is best from the perspective of Islam. In our previous episode, we
looked at what was best in terms of gatherings. They be wide and spacious, inclusive, what is best
with regards to the generations that we should depend on for our understanding of the dean, and they
were the first three generations and we also looked at the importance of Ghosal on the ELMO Juma
		

			taking a full bath on the day of the congregational prayer known as Juma which is the day of Friday.
		

			In this session, we'll be looking at greetings and what is best with regards to them. We have a
verse from Surah and Lisa, verse 86. In which Allah says, are you that are ye to be Tahitian for how
you be accent I mean her our do her in Allah can add a cliche in Hephzibah when you are greeted
answer with an even better greeting, or at least a similar greeting. Certainly Allah takes account
of all things. This is a basic principle amongst Muslims, we know somebody greets you. Salaam
aleikum, then you should at least respond while they come Salaam. It is better to respond well
Alikum Salam wa Rahmatullah overall how to lie Obata cat to add on to it, increase it, that is
		

			better. But it is perfectly okay just to respond with what was given. And this is understood amongst
the believers. We do have narrations from the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him in
which he advised that if this believers have greeted us salaam aleikum, we should respond by saying
merely Wa alaykum we don't complete to Alikum Salam, some people have raised issue about that. Why
isn't that
		

			somehow
		

			making them in inferior to Muslims, etc? No, it has nothing to do with inferiority. What happened in
the time of the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him was that the Jews would come to
him and say to him, Sam alikoum, which sounds very much like a salaam aleykum. But what they were
actually saying was, may you be poisoned, instead of May peace be upon you. They were saying As
Salam aleikum, as opposed to a salam Wa alaykum. So they were doing that in fun in just cursing the
Prophet. So the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him, responded by merely saying, Ye
alaykum whatever you have conveyed to me, same to you.
		

			So he encouraged Muslims to use that as a general principle, since we don't know sometimes what
people are actually saying, or we don't know their intentions, the intentions behind what they're
saying. So if their intentions are not good, we say why they come. It's same to you. Whatever you're
wishing for us, we wish the same to you. If it is good, then we wish good for you. If it is bad,
then may that bad go back to you. So that was the principle behind it. Not an issue of a person as a
Muslim looking down on other persons who are non Muslims. It's not a matter of that at all. Now,
		

			going from this greeting amongst Muslims
		

			Responding to the Muslim greeting given by non Muslims. We could move on to the greetings of non
Muslims themselves when they wish us Merry Christmas, or their wishes. Happy New Year? Can we
respond to them unkind?
		

			There are many who say yes, this is what the verses at least give them what they gave you. They said
Merry Christmas, you should at least go Merry Christmas. And if they say Merry Christmas to you want
to give them more you can tell them even Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, give her more. But
others have said, we have to consider what is the meaning of this. Merry Christmas is saying and
wishing that one may have a happy day celebrating the birth of God,
		

			then this is something abhorrent in Islam. It is against the teachings of Islam. So a Muslim should
not celebrate or wish one to be happy on the day of the birth of God because we don't believe God
was born. It's not an appropriate greeting. It's inappropriate. It is idolatrous, that goes in the
face of religion there to religion of God. So it's not really acceptable for Muslims to greet
Christians, either beginning or responding to Merry Christmas.
		

			For some who can't understand some people raised the issue saying that they wishes
		

			Happy Eid,
		

			Eid Mubarak,
		

			they wishes, you know, on our days, they will know they don't believe. But the point is, are the
principles of Eagle fitter and eagle eyed ha. Going against the teachings of their religion? No.
They believe in the concept of a duel. Haha. That's part of the religion, that Prophet Abraham
		

			was to sacrifice his son, when God confirmed from him through his actions, that he was truly ready
to obey God, a ROM was sent down. And that ROM was sacrificed in the place of his son at something
shared with Christians, Jews and Muslims believe this incident took place. So to celebrate that
great event is not against Christian teachings. Christians don't do it. Now.
		

			Similarly,
		

			it will fitter where we feed the poor we celebrate the faster Ramadan, we give. The cattle fitter
and we have that day it will fitter is a day in which we feast and invite others to eat along with
us. Is that something against teachings of Christianity? No.
		

			There's nothing in it against the teaching. Prophet Jesus fasted. It's recorded in their own books
for days and days and nights. Prophet Moses fasted 40 Days and nights, same thing. So fasting is not
something looked down upon. Nor is the idea of feasting, afterwards, sharing with the poor,
something which goes against the teachings of the religion. So their situation is not the same as
ours,
		

			in order to bring the story closer to them, for them to better understand why we cannot participate.
You can give them the example of a religion in the US which is recognized. It's known as the Church
of Satan. Now the Church of Satan, and they have Satan's Bible, and they have rites and rituals
which they follow and beliefs concerning Satan. Now, if somebody from that cult or that religion
said to a Christian, happy Satan's day,
		

			would that Christian feel comfortable saying back to them happy Satan's day to you too? Of course
not. They would reject it, they would not join in that they will not say it. So in the same way that
they would not repeat what was said because it contained in it
		

			a concept which was against their religion, Christianity, like Islam, Judaism is against the satanic
way against the followers of Satan. So how would they then celebrate through wishing a merry
christmas
		

			Satan's day to others not possible. So, for us
		

			to say Merry Christmas is equivalent, because it contains such an abhorrent idea
		

			condemned in the Quran and so many places that it shouldn't come off the lips of a Muslim.
		

			Similarly, New Year's Day, Happy New Year's Day. Happy New Year's Day is a pagan celebration from
ancient Roman times. For January, from Janice, the God who is looked at as the god governing the
year, the beginning of the year, is depicted as a two headed man, a man with a face on the front and
the back of his head, not to head it but two faced one looking forward to the new year one looking
backward to the passing year. This God was worshipped at the beginning of the new year, January,
January is named after his God. And furthermore, the principle that they had was the New Year's Eve
night was the night of revelry and drunkenness, and a free for all everybody and anybody could do
		

			anything. Sexual abandonment, on that night, before the entering that was the way of celebrating the
entering of the new year. And until today, people on New Year's Eve usually go crazy. It's that
tradition has maintained itself. And then of course, there is the greeting of Happy New Year's Day.
So as a Muslim we cannot participate in that. We cannot say Happy New Years. And what is involved in
it is so abhorrent to Islamic teachings. Now,
		

			the first of Muharram, which is the beginning of the new year in the Islamic calendar.
		

			Also we don't celebrate that day. That day,
		

			is just another day. It varies around the year. We call it it's still looked at as the first of
Muharram. But there is no celebration connected to it. There's no reason to celebrate it for
Muslims. We don't engage in its celebration. So with that we're going to take a brief break, and
we'll see you after Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu.
		

			Alhamdulillah. You now have the opportunity to avail yourself
		

			of this treasure. We call it to Corsi,
		

			this great Islamic treasure which Prophet Muhammad SAW Salam
		

			called the greatest verse in the Quran, based on revelation from Allah subhanaw taala.
		

			He told us this. Why? Because he wanted us to give special attention to it to corsi.
		

			He told us that every night before we go to bed, we should recite it.
		

			It would protect us from satanic forces in our lives,
		

			even during the day after our daily prayers, reciting it would also benefit us
		

			in this life, as well as the next.
		

			So it's very important for us to know the meaning of this verse because the power of AI to corsi is
not in the sounds. The Arabic recitation the parroting of the words. The power of AI to corsi lies
in the depths of meaning
		

			that Allah has shared with us.
		

			It lies in understanding that meaning and living our lives, intending to live our lives in
accordance with its meanings.
		

			This is how it makes a difference. Otherwise, if it is just parroting, then know that it will not
benefit us at all.
		

			It will be useless.
		

			Ritual,
		

			practice a cultural habit but for
		

			it to become a part of a Muslims life.
		

			To have meaning and have impact and change that individual. We do need to understand what is Allah's
saying, in this the greatest verse of the final revelation of Allah to humankind. I had to corsi
		

			this course, is a very critical and important course
		

			in the life of a Muslim
		

			to help him and her understand this critical element of the religion.
		

			Very simple act with huge implications.
		

			May Allah bless you to benefit from the elucidation, the tafsir the commentary and discussion on
this verse, the 2/55 verse of swirl Baqarah donors either to corsi
		

			Baraka, Luffy, Coombs, Salah, why they Khumba rahmatullahi wa barakato.
		

			Welcome back from the break, as we were mentioning, prior to the break, talking about greeting, and
what's acceptable for us to greet each other with and we're encouraged to give even better greetings
than the ones that we received. We said that this is within the bounds of Islamic teachings. We
don't greet where greetings involve concepts or words, expressions, which go against the basic
teachings of Islam. We cannot participate. It's not allowed for us to participate in such greetings.
Moving on. To the best Hajj, we find Ibn Ahmad Abu Bakr and Ibn Massoud, all quoting the Prophet
sallahu wa Salam is saying, of the Al Hajj, a lodge. What with fetch, the best part of Hajj is the
		

			raising of voices and the flowing of blood. This is referring to the raising of voices in the tell
BIA when a person puts on a haram, they begin to recite a prayer said aloud Lubbock Allahu Allah
bake. Bake Allah Sharika McCullough bait. In Alhambra. We're near Metallica, Al Mulk. Lash
recollect. I'm responding to your call, Oh Allah, I'm responding to your call. I'm responding to
your call. You have no partner. I'm responding to your call. Certainly all praise and blessings, and
dominion belong to you. You have no partner. This is the basic slogan of the hajj that is repeated.
From the time that we first put on the garments known as haram, women enter into the state of a
		

			haram, you know until we reach Mina. And this is the expression of our intent. This is the only
write in Islam on the various Islamic practices where we express our intent allowed in all of the
other rights, the intent is kept in the heart. However, in the case of Hajj, we
		

			express that intent, together separately, people will make this special dua. So to do so, in a loud
voice, that is a part of the Hajj, an important part of the Hajj, and also the slaughter of the
animal and the 10 that we spoke about before the slaughtering of the animal in commemoration with
the slaughter of Prophet Abraham, the animal which God had sent to him in the place of his son,
based on his willingness to sacrifice his son, and the goal behind it is Thanksgiving. It is to
thank Allah for the blessings that He has given them, sharing the food with the needy in the
society, as well as eating from it. But in the course of the sacrifice, we
		

			should remember as Allah says in surah Al Hajj, verse 37, neither their meat, nor their blood which
is Allah, but your piety reaches him. So the goal behind the slaughter is not to think that this
slaughtering is for Allah. No, it is for the people for yourself is purification. And it is that
commitment to do so for the pleasure of Allah, which increases faith and earns a greater reward
concerning Hajj. Also, we have a statement in the Quran in surah Al Baqarah, verse 197. With regards
to preparing ourselves and carrying provisions for Hajj. Allah says there was overdue for in the
hydrazide Taqwa take provision with you. However, indeed, the best provision is piety. Now, this
		

			verse was revealed, because the people of Yemen used to come for Hajj without bringing provisions
with them, they would say that they were putting their trust in Allah. Consequently, on their
arrival in Makkah, they would beg the people. So Allah revealed the verse tape provision with you.
Indeed, the best provision is piety. So this verse addresses the issue of preparing ourselves, not
leaving things to others, saying or claiming that we're trusting in Allah, we make an effort, trust
without an effort is not true trust. That's why on one occasion, when a man came into the mosque,
and he had left his camel behind, and he asked the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon
		

			him, should I trust in Allah? Or should I tie my camel? The Prophet sallahu wa sallam told him, tie
your camel and trust in Allah. So we have to make an effort. And then we put our trust in Allah.
Similarly, Allah tells them, bring your provisions and know that ultimately, the greatest provision
is piety. We trust in Allah after taking our provision, we don't put ourselves as a burden on people
and then claiming that we trust in Allah, this is not acceptable. So Allah made that clarification
in that verse, and it provided the principle for us, which defines for us, what does trust in a law
mean? What does trust in a law mean? It is not what they call blind trust, trust without effort. In
		

			Arabic, they refer to it as Tawakkol not the work call. But Tawakkol where you throw yourself and
then say, oh, Allah, I trusted you.
		

			You will save me. Now you've thrown yourself off a cliff, or out of a building and saying, I trust
in you or Allah know, you have put yourself in a position where you will harm yourself. Most likely
to say you're going to trust in Allah after that is not acceptable. This is why Allah also told us
will add to the ID Camilla Toluca, don't throw yourself into destruction with your own hands. So,
		

			what is required of the believer is that they make their efforts first and foremost. And then
following that, they put their trust in Allah. Similarly, with Salah to list the hara, or dua list
the hara, that
		

			we make this dua, where we ask Allah to help us determine the correct choice. We make this dua after
two units of prayer, after we have confirmed what we think is best, after we have made our effort to
find out what is the best choice, and we've come to a conclusion that this is the best. At that
point, we make the DUA, we don't make the DUA when we don't know. We have no idea of which is best.
So it's as if we are waiting that this dua is going to choose between the two for us. No, we have to
choose first. So it's after that choice, then we make the DUA asking or basically, that if it's good
for us, make it easy for us. It was not good for us, take it away and take it out of our hearts and
		

			make us accept whatever else you've chosen in his place. So that still follows the principle
		

			of making the effort, then trust in Allah, not just merely trusting in Allah to choose for us
without making any effort on our own part. So this is a general principle of what constitutes trust
in Allah. So with that, we'd like to close up the session thanking you for being with us. And we
hope to see you in the following session. Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi wabarakatuh