Mirza Yawar Baig – Living Islam Session #28
AI: Summary ©
The importance of knowing about Islam and its benefits, particularly in the context of mental health and deeds, is emphasized. The use of "monster" in clothing and the historical context of the British colonial rule are also discussed. The importance of living in a religion, not just talking about it, is emphasized. The importance of practicing Islam and building the beauty of Islam is emphasized.
AI: Summary ©
Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala
Muhammad Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam, this leemon, Kaziranga sera from abajo.
My brothers and sisters, Islam is the name of a practice. Islam is not the name merely of a theology. Islam is not the name of a philosophy. Islam is not the name of something which is the mere accumulation of information masquerading as knowledge. And then keeping it for dinner table conversations. Islam is the name of a practice. And like all practices, whether it is Islam, whether it is physical fitness, whether it is
it is, you know, any practice martial arts, it benefits only those who practice it's
a practice that you know about does not benefit you a practice that you practice benefits if I know about Judo, that I know about Judo I can be the world's most knowledgeable person about Judo, I am would have written many books about judo.
But if I am in a street fight, if somebody attacks me, unless I practice Judo, I will not win that street fight.
I will be beaten by the other person who does not even know about judo.
But he knows how to fight. So he's fighting but if I practice my Judo, if I'm the world's greatest expert on Judo, and if I practice my Judo, then obviously I cannot be beaten in that fight. The same thing with Islam, knowing about Islam is necessary only to practice Islam.
So I won't say knowing about Islam is is useless, of course, it is not useless, and it is very useful must be done. Because unless you know about something, how will you practice it.
But if we restrict ourselves, only to knowing about it, which I know about Islam, well, I'm sorry, that cannot help me. Because just knowing about it is not the same as practicing it. It's only when I start practicing it, that the counter starts which is the counter of my Amal of my deeds, which will be beneficial for me when I go before Allah subhanaw taala. And before that, it will be beneficial for me in this life itself.
Right, this is where the today one of the problems we have, which I'm trying to do my best to help us to connect these two things to help power especially the youth.
Where
today I don't ever say youth in the West because the West today is a is a is a mental construct. The West is everywhere. It's not only in America or, or the so called
Western countries. It's interesting how when we say West, we really mean white. What is the western country it's a white man's country. If I'm living in India, then the whole of Africa is West. But if I tell you, Nigeria is a western country, or Somaliland is a western country or Sudan is a western country, you will laugh at me and say no, that's not Western. So how is it not worse? It is West, Somaliland and Sudan or west of India.
And if I tell you what about Australia, is it a western country or an eastern countries or Australia Western? I was it a western country Australia is east of India.
New Zealand is east of India.
Right? So basically we mean white man's countries western country in the whole of Africa, South Africa western country why it used to be at one point in time white man's got
this question and this is where cultural * happens. And it's not the it's not anybody's fault. I believe me. The Western people or white people did not put a gun to your head
to force you to leave your traditional dress
and start wearing trousers.
And and and hats or jeans that we always wore trousers, different kinds of charges. If somebody is walking around without trousers, but I'm saying that they they didn't hold out hold a gun to the to our head. We still have for example if you go to the to the
to the to the Far East. If you go to say Malaysia and Indonesia and so on the national dress is what is called a sarong which is a Louis right it's a it's a Louis what we call in Kerala Mundo
and in Tamilnadu st and in Andhra
Karnataka we call it Louie. Basically it's a sheet of block which is just wrapped around your waist and goes down to your ankles. That's it. very highly convenient thing to wear natural air flow happens in a hot climate, that's absolutely the best thing to wear. But tell me
most people in all of these countries, their normal, at least work where
when they go to when they go to work in factories, when they go to work in offices, when they go to university, schools, colleges and so on. What do they do they wear socks? Do they wear Louise do they wish to move? Or do they wear trousers and shirts?
Now which Western or which white man or white woman put a gun to their head and say from now you are going to wear No, they just they wore two things happen. One is they wore their own dress.
The British ruled India for 100 years. And our traditional clothing our traditional dresses are far more colorful, far more graceful.
I mean, it's not even a comparison. Right? Far more colorful, far more graceful, far more beautiful. Some of them were adopted the the academic robe that professors were and when students were for graduation in universities is actually Eastern model royal court where it's not even Islamic.
The Miss law was the Arabs were today
it is model royal court dress is nothing to do with Arabia.
But it is ceremonial.
Utility wise, the whole world adopted
the trouser on the shirt, because utility wise you can't beat it. It is the most convenient thing to wear
right.
Now, I was giving all these examples, because I want to show you the power of practice the power of demonstrates demonstration
foreign in the British roll India for close to 200 years, right 100 years of the banditry of the East India Company and then 100 years of the banditry of the British government.
slightly better than the student company.
200 years of colonial rule in 200 years of colonial rule Indians started wearing trousers and shirt but show me one British person whether it was an East India Company officer, or whether it was one of the British colonial officers who wore a bowtie
there were some who
took the before 1857 who adopted mobile court dress because of convenience because they had money they wanted to look grand. So you know, they started wearing the turbans and they started wearing the robes and so on and so forth. And there is a nice service. William Dalrymple's wonderful book, one of my favorite authors, William Dalrymple, because his his writing is so interesting, and very, very well researched. And based on based I mean, it's it's, it is historical
fiction, but it's very little fiction.
And at the end of the movie tells you what liberties is taken. But it's really based on on, on well researched archival data, which, which he which he uses to construct the stories is mostly this book called White moguls. White marbles is a wonderful book, which talks about how the British adopted mobile court dress and customs and so on and so forth. Pre 1857 after 1857
also in India, British and white,
racist feelings got very, very strongly ingrained. And there's a whole history behind that I'm not I'm not talking about this is not my purpose here. The purpose i'm saying is that in 200 years of rule, the British put trousers and shirt shirts on all Indians, but not one single British officer of the company or of the British Crown ever wore a bowtie
which is a standard dress of North Indian presence. This is what Gandhiji wore. I mean Gandhiji is wearing of adult he was a political stunt
But it was not a fashion statement is a political statement. He was making a point.
Right? None of them didn't nobody will ever find a picture or illustration or something or any record of a British officer wearing a bowtie or a Lumia or a Mondo hora or a Westie or you know you want to put it up for example, let me give you all standard even shout out salwaar kameez for example, all our Indian
forms of clothing nobody would do.
So, what does that tell us about practice tells us that if I practice what I believe in with confidence
and if there is intrinsically benefit in it, then people will adopt that practice and they will practice that practice as if it is their own.
Let me ask you a simple question. If you had as an Indian, I'm talking to the Indians, if you had if you got an interview call
from an Indian company, there's no British company now, right. So, from an Indian company
and you know absolutely 100% certain that the person interviewing you is going to be an Indian guy or an Indian lady. And if you read the name, you will know exactly it's an Indian person, Indian man or woman
99.999% of the time it will be an Indian Hindu woman or man
whose
religious dress is a
bowtie
when you go to the interview wearing a bowtie
if you order the interview wearing a bowtie, what are the chances of you getting that job
I'm not saying you have no chances maybe that person who's there will see it from a different angle, maybe they will see it from the angle that good I am happy this person is wearing a bowtie which means that he or she is confident of their culture.
And they're not apologetic about it.
And so, I will hire them
maybe
but nine times out of 10 you will go there wearing a suit or you will go there wearing a formal shirt and trousers
you will not go there wearing your national dress unless of course you are sick.
This is where the other side is example if you wear your stuff with confidence and people accept it, except if you are a Sikh good then you will wear a turban
and people will accept your terms and then you will have a beard and people will accept your beard. But if you are a Muslim, even though the Sikhs got the turban and the beard from you,
you will not wear a turban you will not have a beard or if you have the beard also, I won't say it will shave it because you know maybe you have the confidence not to shave it
maybe you will trim it
and if you don't do that, if you have a beard like the six hour beard then then they never trim it in the traditional citizen majority the war that they never trim it
and if you wear a turban and if you wear a beard and you go to the to the to the interview, you probably will not get hired not because necessarily the other person is bigoted and anti Islam, but because you will stand out as somebody who is peculiar.
And you will have a lot of explaining to do, how come you turned up in a
in a turban and a beard and you will be looked at with suspicion
whereas a Sikh with the same dress will not be looked at with suspicion with on him that dress will be accepted on you that dress will attract suspicion. Yes, it is part of the reason is also because of the bad press that that Islam and Muslims have and so on and so forth. But also it is very much because you normally don't do that. Muslims normally don't do it.
So you will stand out in a peculiar kind of a way that that is the power of living the religion. If you and I did this, if every Muslim war if every Muslim man wore a turban and had a beard, if every Muslim woman wore the hijab
all of which is part of our religion. If you practice that with confidence, then Believe me, let me absolutely assure you, the world will accept you as you are.
The world will not demand that you change the will the world will not treat you with suspicion because they know this is the norm.
They know this is the norm they know this is how Muslims
dress. And that is fine. I can get over this dress and now I get on with the real purpose of the interview, which is to see how can you help me.
After all, the man is not hiring me for my turban, he's not hiring me for a beard, he's hiring me for my technical competence for my education for my experience, or for the way in which I can help his business to go ahead.
So he won't get stuck in my beard, he will not get stuck in my turban like it treats the sick person, he will treat me also as this is the norm, this is normal. So now let me get on with
the business of the business. Which is what is your technical qualification? How can you How can you use that what can you what how can you help me to grow my business? This is what will happen, provided we practice our religion with confidence.
The key is to live it
not just to talk about and that is why this leaving Islam is so critically
important.
My brothers and sisters
sad been a sham
all day long. He said that he asked.
I just cut a deal on him. And he said yeah, wouldn't want me or mother of the believers. Tell me about the character of Rasul Allah is Allah.
Tell me about the character of sola, sola.
And he gave him a very peculiar answer.
She said, don't you read the Quran?
Imagine here Here is the man asking her about the character of a soldier.
She's asking she's replying to the question with another question. And she says, don't you read the Quran? He said, Yes. I read the Quran.
She said the character of rasulillah salam was the Quran.
And this is a Hobbesian sunan an essay.
And also it doesn't say Muslim.
She said the character of Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam was the or
colocar Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
Al Quran
in another heavies in tirmidhi, Abu hora de Allahu anhu.
reported
from rasulillah salam. And he said the socializer Salim said, the believers, who showed the most perfect faith are those who have the best character the best behavior. And the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. And this is in Jami at tirmidhi.
Adamson that
the best
the believers will show the most perfect fit are those who have the best behavior.
And the best of you are those who are best to their wives. Now in this, the meaning is wives, of course, without a doubt, but it also means those who are in your control. So it is not only wives, it could also be children, it will also be your employees, it will also be people who are in your house or in your workplace who are under your control. So here as soon as civilized i'm saying is that the best character is the one who treats people well.
Even though he has the power and the authority to Ill treat them and get away with it in this life.
So in one of these, what is I just said they heard Elena saying she says the character of the Navy was the Quran.
What does that tell us about Islam? It tells us Islam means to live the Quran, to live Islam.
Not just to talk about Islam. The character of the NaVi is the Quran. The Quran is a book, what does it mean characters are How can the character be a book? The character can be a book when the character demonstrates what is in the book.
The Tafseer of the Quran rasulillah salam sera is a Tafseer of the Quran. The biography of Musa Salim
His way of life alayhis salam,
this is the seat. This is the this is the explanation of the forum.
And in the other hand is in JAMA tirmidhi
nurettin. babble hora de la mano. What is the sooner sir I'm saying
i'm saying is that the man who is most perfect in faith is the one who has the best character. Imagine he's not saying the one who is most perfect in face in faith is the one who can recite Quran the best or he knows the most for and he is happy. Or he is a great Mufti or he is a great ally, or he is this or that, or he worships Allah all night, right? Or the five day already gives millions of dollars in charity, no, all of these are good things, all of these must be done. I'm not discounting any of them. I'm just saying that Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam did not mention any of these things.
He said the best in faith is the one who is the best in character. Because this is what the faith came to teach us.
What did the faith come from, it came to teach us how to live.
The faith didn't come to teach us anything other than how to live in this world.
How to live in this world so that we have a beautiful life in this world. The bonus of that is that if we live our life in that way, our not only will my life in this world be beautiful. But it will also result in a beautiful ending, and a beautiful life in the Hereafter, which never ends.
Right? This is the duty of Islam.
And therefore in that, in that best conduct, the best of faith are the ones who have the best character, the best behavior, the best conduct
is giving it another level of explanation. And he's saying that they are the best to their wives,
they are the best to those who are in their control.
It is very common May Allah protect all of us from that.
That
we are obviously when you are in the outside world, when you are dealing with people who have authority over you, you are at your best behavior because there is a price to pay
even where you are dealing with strangers. Right? If you go into a shop, for example, now you will be on your best behavior with the shop assistants and with the shopkeeper with other customers in the shop. And not because they are authority over you. But because this is the outside world, this is my persona. This is what I'm projecting to the world. And obviously I tried to do that. I tried to be as nice as possible, you know, I will smile more and
I will greet people
and so on and so forth. That'd be helpful. You know, open the door and whatnot. But when it comes to your own
when it comes to your own, where you are in your
natural form,
right? no shoes, maybe no socks, no socks is a good example because they take your socks off. It stinks. Right? That shouldn't happen. Yeah, that should not happen.
So when we are in our own home environment,
then all these pretences they go away.
And I feel that I can do whatever I want. Because who am I trying to impress?
lava hotevilla May Allah protect me from myself? May Allah protect you from yourself. May Allah protect all of us from ourselves. It's not a matter of Who do you want to impress? It's a matter of saying and what I'm doing outside is for Allah, what I'm doing inside is for Allah.
They are not trying to to impress those people. Here. I'm not trying to impress these people. They're also I behave well because I'm a Muslim. And because this is a reflection of my Islam. When I'm at home, I have not become a non Muslim, I'm still a Muslim. And therefore my own behavior must also reflect that Islam of me. If it is not happening, then there is something wrong with my Islam.
Right? Something wrong Muslim. So outside, like this joke, you know, you say if you see a man opening the door for his dope, opening the door of his car for his wife. One of them is new. Either the car is new or the way
is new. It said these are all jokes, but
they're not particularly funny if you ask me.
Courtesy is not something that should be reserved for strangers.
Right? courtesy is not something that should be reserved first, courtesy must be an adult, kindness must begin at all.
Really, I
find myself I need to ask myself the same question that I request you to ask yourself the same question.
That is where it should begin. And it is not happening. Maybe it's not happening. Alhamdulillah we are human beings and we make mistakes even though we know we still do we still make mistakes. So don't castigate somebody because it was oh, you know, you say all this, but don't do it. I know if I don't do it. If I make a step out Allah subhanaw taala. I apologize to the people who are who I hurt and I tried to rip to repair, repair the damage I tried to to improve myself, this is life.
Right? If I like like a dear friend of mine, her name is Khadija and she, one day somebody told her something she was doing. And you know, she
said something to her. And she said, Well, my name is Khadija but I'm not the wife of the prophets of Allah.
So
she got tired of these people pointing fingers at her. So I may say my My name is Mohammed but I'm not the Prophet. So it's true. But the prophets Allah salaams example comes for us as an example. And it comes as a as a benchmark and as a as a goalpost, which technically is impossible to reach. I mean, there's no one in the world.
least of our list of all myself, who's going to get anywhere near the example of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam in any aspect, forget about being an absolute genius. But does then but therefore does it mean I should not try it? Does it mean that I should just say, Well, you know, I can't be like him. So take me as a no, no, no, no, no.
Allah also knows when he sent his nebulae Salam.
And he sent him with the character with Allah subhanaw taala himself external. And Allah Himself praised
henegar Allah, Allah, Allah said you are on the best of character.
Allah knows, Allah knows it, I can be like that Allah No, you can be like that.
But Allah sent that example for us to look at and to spend our life striving to be like that. Now, what is the benefit of that? The benefit of that is when you are striving to be like someone that is better than how you are automatically you keep improving over time.
And of course, the other benefit, which is that you are doing this for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala. And the Allah is the only one who rewards effort.
Allah is the only one who rewards effort. It's like the Edison says Allah He said that the person who reads the Koran easily Allah will reward him. But the person who reads the Quran with difficulty, Allah will give you two rewards, one for reading, and one for still reading. Because even though it is difficult for that person,
does not mean that one will read easily gets a less of a reward. No. But many of us we, we don't read the Quran we give up. Because we say, you know, my, for example, my touch with my my tongue never turns. I mean, no matter how much I try my touch with is always wrong. Or is difficult. For me. It's a foreign language. To me, Arabic is not my language. So to sit there and to read, and for a lot of us, we don't understand Arabic. So we just looking at the words without marking the word. We don't know what what is going on. We don't know what the words mean. Obviously, this is not the ideal situation, we should learn the language as well as what but you know, and I know how difficult
it is not easy.
So we give up.
What is it? What is the wrestler as I'm saying he's saying if you continue a level, you double the reward, double the rewards,
is encouragement. So therefore encouragement, Islam is all for positive reinforcement. You know, not punishing people were allies. Mr. Hassan did not say if you give up reading the Quran, they will go to jail. No, no. He said, If you continue to read despite the difficulty, Allah will give you double the reward, positive reinforcement,
negative reinforcement.
So even though I know that my character is never going to become like the character of a salon, no matter how much I try, not only will it not become like his character, it will not even be anywhere close to his character. But the beauty of that is that if I am to get to the sun, I will at least get to the top of the tree.
And if I'm sitting on top of the tree, I'm still I'm still better than somebody who's sitting on the ground. So therefore, if you try if you make the effort
To practice Islam, this can only be good for us.
So in these two ads now, one is the character of the ravioli Salam is the Quran,
which is what our mother
delana tells us. And the other one is
the best of faith is to be the best of behavior, those who are the best in faith, those who are best in behavior. And he said, Those who are best in behavior are best to their wives their best to those who are in their control. And in another place in another division observed the same thing and in general, I am best to my wife's am best to those in my control. And we know this to be true. We know for example, as we Malaga vellano. And this is where I said, when it says wives, it doesn't mean only wives it means also anyone else in the environment or home you have control.
So inviting Adela, who was the servant of Louisa Salaam is a little boy who lived with the promise of a solemn Nebuchadnezzar treated him like his own son.
And he spent his whole time the nevison salam was in Medina 10 years and had been madiga delana, who lived in the house of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
When he entered his service, he must have been about eight, nine years old and 10 years meaning he was 19 or 20 years old, when the solar cells have passed away. And
he said I saw the Brightest Day in Medina and I saw the darkest day in Moria. He said I saw the day when the solar system came to Medina. And when year three became Medina Nabi, it became al Madina, munawwara it became the city of brilliance, the city, the shining city, the city of the NaVi Sarah Harrison.
And he said I saw the darkest day when the sun
It was as if the sun had stopped shining, on Medina and on the world, and that is the day when possible Isilon cluster
as we've already got a very long life he lived well into his 90s and he said that after we passed away he said, I see the progress of a salad in my dream every day,
every single day.
Now this is the beauty of
loving Mohammed Salah Hassan
so point I'm making here is that even though we know we cannot get to that level of character, we must make an effort. So these are the Malaga Delano who lived in his house of officers Allah He said that I was a little boy I used to do things I would you know sometimes obey him sometimes maybe disobey Him not deliberately disobedience as in you're trying to be disrespectful but for example, like ages ago get something he was he forgets You know, he doesn't do things to the to the to the level that you want him to do.
But as I said, there was not one single location where a sole assassin even expressed displeasure he said he didn't even his his blessed brow. He said there was not even a wrinkle on his brow.
Forget about saying anything forget about punishing me forget about doing a naughty wrinkle on on the rock.
We know that this was the level of kindness of our sorceress along with with especially with children.
has no nose no della hemangioma, his grandsons. In Salah, he would be he would be in sudo. And one of them would climb up on his back, and also would not get up for fear that this kid would fall down. He would stay in judo. Now people are wondering what happened. Why is this so long? That's because this this child is sitting on his back.
used to do you know what used to make himself like a like a horse, he would put the child on the back and he would go around on all fours to give the right
this was this guy and this was his kindness to children.
Now what do you say about those who get who say all of these things, kindness to children
in speeches, and then when they have children, when they are running classes, schools, especially the start of hips, in our countries.
You beat the Quran into them,
that you are harsh with them. you punish them, you beat them, you physically abused them.
And all in the name of teaching the religion. How horrible and how to lose that.
This is the point I'm saying the point I'm making is that it's not sufficient only to talk about Islam. We have to practice Islam.
We have to bring Islam into our practice. And the example that I gave up being good to people in under your control is because this is where the gloves come off. This is where when we come home we feel free. And this is my house I have authority here I can say what I want I can do what I want, I can yell and scream and curse and there's no one to say anything to me.
And it's all happening within the four walls of the house and nobody outside knows outside I am still you know this great alum and his great chef and all the you always have a smile on the face and oh is big, so beautifully and so on. Go ask his wife.
Go ask his children
and then tell you the reality of it.
In Allahu Allah, may Allah protect me from myself May Allah protect us from ourselves.
So, let us make a lot of is there far let us make Toba let us turn towards Allah subhanaw taala let us keep the shining and brilliant example of Muhammad Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam before us.
And let us practice this Deen as it is intended to be practiced and bring it into our lives. Not only talking about
right not only god what
I wanted to say especially especially to those who are cruel to their wives. There are people for example, who
do not give their wives any money.
Now it is people there are people who believe that NASCAR means that you're giving her money for groceries, there is not enough car napca is the money that you give her for her use.
Without any strings attached.
The housekeeping money that you give her is not enough code that is housekeeping money, don't give it you will buy the groceries.
Right You will buy them no problem.
The money that you should give her is the money that she is hers to do with what she wants. She can take that money and give it to her parents. She can take that money and give it away in charities. You can take that money and buy things that she wants for herself. She can make that bigger money and do whatever she wants with it. That is her right as a
as a wife, as your wife
to the men who are stingy with that to hold it back.
Right.
There is somebody who, who said to me that her husband gives her in today's day and age I'm talking about 2020 1920 1820 20 a husband gives her 1000 rupees a month for her for her personal expenditure.
What is that 1000 rupees a month?
What do you get on television? Do you ever try to live on 1000 rupees a month
but that's what you give it to. That's what we give to them. And that is somebody who I'm not talking about someone who was poor. No, I'm talking about somebody who is very wealthy
but stingy but he
was Bucky Liana stingy will not even smell the fragrance of Jana.
Give them be kind to them.
Let them have money.
My wife runs my bank account.
I don't even know my money that is
she's a signatory.
She has the past books.
And this is not from now
from the beginning. Either I don't want this. This whole needless complication of controlling this ticket. This is the money I'm earning. This is the money in the house. If you go and blow it all up or ice cream or whatever, then we'll fast for the rest of the month. Right both of us.
But she is a sensible woman. She knows finance you understand that? She know what she knows what his work
you know frees me from responsibility when I go out anywhere. I never buy any presents. Because I tell her that you know sometimes I buy something maybe she likes it she doesn't like it as long as it's yours. You're gonna do what you want.
So sometimes she'll buy something and she will say you know what, today you gave me a precise Oh really? That's news. I gave you a present what present? She showed me this is what you bought a handbag you bought you bought me the handbag. hamdulillah
very nice. You got me this this this this dress.
I didn't even know I bought I got the dress. She says she's telling me. You got me the hamdulillah I'm very happy.
Then I tell her Did you buy me a present? Face by money still? Did you buy me a present
See this? This is the whole point of Islam building relationships. We go to people
first of all it is your duty. And secondly an umbrella This is we are in it together right?
People say sometimes you know my son friend oh but my wife does not know how to handle money so teacher no
teacher,
you didn't, you didn't get what you learn you learn from somebody. So you teach her
sister that is
understand
the mess the most powerful Tao of Islam is you
is your behavior is your actions is your tongue.
And as I told you, if you make a mistake, don't worry, apologize. Apologize to the individual apologize to Allah subhanaw taala star again.
Allah subhanaw taala mentioned when this is you will hear this in the in this footbaww of geometry this this week inshallah. Allah forgives and forgives and forgives and forgives and forgives
the beauty of Allah subhana wa jal
ask Allah subhanaw taala to forgive us. ask Allah subhanaw taala to keep us in a state where we constantly seek His forgiveness. ask Allah subhanaw taala to
because he's the most generous to be generous with us. And I asked Allah subhanaw taala to enable us to live this Deen in a way which becomes a source of beauty for all concerned, was Allah Allah Allah. Allah Allah. He was a member of the