Inner Dimensions of Salah #02

While he was talking he owes you money, and my bad

so one of the things that I hope we tried to strive for in the summer was to pray one luck out where we had absolutely no distractions and was interesting enough, that's fine. Our brother actually came in, he's like, I tried I was 90% there, but I didn't make it. Now, as I mentioned at the beginning of the of the session, that this is something that's like an ongoing life process, right? Today you hit 90%. Tomorrow, you hit 91% a year down the line, you'll be at like 95%. And the goal is that insha Allah, you know, one day we will have a Salah where we will have just one locker that is purely for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala no distractions, just pure recognition of Allah

subhana wa Tada. They've let us continue. So we were at the phase where we were talking about Surah Fatiha, we're talking about Surah Fatiha.

So the Fatiha it starts off with the verse al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen. Right. There are different mishaps, different recitations. They say that the first verses Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim, I'm not going to get into the difference of opinion on that matter. But we're for the sake of this class, we're starting off with the opinion that the first verse in sort of Fatah is Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen. Now when you translate Al hamdu, lillahi Rabbil aalameen. A translate into a translates into all praises due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Now we want to start off by looking at the different components of this sentence. When we talk about Unhand what does it actually mean?

What's important to recognize about the statement and hummed is to praise Allah subhana wa tada not because of any favors, or gifts or blessings that Allah subhanho wa Taala has given us but it is to praise Allah subhanho wa Taala due to his perfect nature, due to who Allah subhana wa tada actually is, and this is like the highest level of recognition that is only for Allah subhanho wa Taala. So we thank Allah subhanho wa Taala, for who he is, and not for what he has done for us. Now, remember, those are you one of the great scholars of Hadith of the past. He says the terminal hand is to thank Allah subhanho wa Taala, for all the things for all the good things that he has given us. But it is

also to thank Allah subhanho wa Taala from all of the evil that he has saved us from from all the evil that he has saved us from. Now when you look at that second part. Now that second part, we have no way of recognizing right when Allah gives you a blessing, you can see it you can feel it, it's a part of your life, you recognize it. And even then, I will say we recognize that half of the things that Allah subhanaw taala gives us, but the things that unless I know what that has saved us from, we have no way of recognizing those things, right? We don't know what Allah subhanaw taala has saved us from. So now when you understand that element of what happened, then it is to thank Allah

subhanho wa Taala and praise Allah subhanho wa Taala for the things that he saved you from as well. It puts things into perspective that you can never truly recognize the blessings and favors of Allah. Like as much as you think you can, you're not able to. So the thing is, just try your best. Now why do we begin whether hamdu Lillahi Rabbil aalameen ignore claim Rama Allah, He puts it into a very beautiful perspective. He says when you praise Allah subhanho wa Taala over here, even though you're physically doing the act, you're using the words that Allah subhana wa Taala has taught you. And the reason why unless I know what that I didn't leave it up to us to praise Allah, the way we

like, is due to the fact that no one can praise Allah, the way Allah subhana wa tada can, Allah subhanho wa Taala chooses the most perfect words at the most perfect times. And that is why we use those words. So the fact that Allah subhanho wa Taala taught us how to praise him is in fact, a blessing within itself is in fact, a blessing wing of itself. Rob Bell admin, Lord of all of the world's know, if you look at you know, if you go to Facebook, you know, NASA has a Facebook page. And they always post like these really cool pictures of the discoveries that they're making. So they had Mars, they are the moons of Saturn, and then all these other, you know, amazing and cool things.

But one of the things that I really appreciated a couple of years back, is when they put all of the planets in our solar system into perspective, like you have, you know, the sun, then you have Jupiter, then you have Venus and all these other planets, and where the planet Earth actually comes in. And the planet Earth is like this dinky small little planet. And it makes you think Subhanallah as tiny as Earth is. We're on like a fraction of a percentage of that planet. So even greater than us is the planet itself. And the amount of space we take up on that planet is very, very little. So let's find out how this created this wild, vast, wide universe all around us.

really puts things into perspective Subhanallah that how many things actually exist? You know, on average, we discover about 10,000 new species, every single year on the planet. And even then, they feel that they've only discovered, like a 10th of all the species that exist, and that's just on this planet panela Can you imagine everything else that Allah subhanaw taala has created outside of our galaxy, the different galaxies that may be out there, what else potentially exists? What are the forces of physics that exists out there that we haven't even discovered yet? This is what Rabbul aalameen Is this what Allah subhanho wa Taala is telling us that not only did he created us, he

created everything that is in existence, everything besides Allah, originates from Allah subhanho wa Taala, he created it. So this is who All praise is due to. Now this is a reminder that Allah subhanho wa Taala he exists without any parents without any mother without any father. Whereas human beings we came into existence, right we are a creation of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So when those final Dallas's cease to exist, we cease to exist, when he says can be that is when we are. So the fact that Allah subhanho wa Taala gave us life. And we're using that life to fulfill our purpose of creation, in worshipping Allah subhanho wa Taala, than All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the

worlds because of that huge favor that Allah subhanaw taala has given us the fact that you're able to recognize your Creator and to worship Him, is the biggest blessing that Allah subhanaw taala has given to anyone in this life. Right? How many people struggle with what their purpose of existence is? How many people struggle with what is the meaning of my life, there has to be something greater than me. So the fact that Allah subhanaw taala allows you to pray is a is a recognition of that, that you're thanking Allah O Allah, I praise you and I thank you for giving me this ability not only to recognize you, but to worship you and fulfill this purpose of my existence. R Rahman r Rahim, two

names of Allah subhanho wa Taala. In fact, there are the two most oft repeated Names of Allah subhanho wa Taala.

Or a man it stems from the origin of all mercy. So any mercy that exists in this planet any mercy that exists in this world, it exists because of Allah subhanho wa Taala and originates from Allah subhanho wa Taala. So the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he says, even the mercy that our mother shows towards her child, it originates from Allah subhana wa tada r Rahim. He is the one that shows mercy. He is the one that shows mercy. So the one the one that mercy originates from, and Rahim, the one that shows mercy. So that is why Rockman is only for Allah subhanho wa Taala. Whereas Rahim, then is the name that we are allowed to use as the creation of Allah, because we do

show mercy from time to time, as well. Now, why does Allah subhanaw taala choose these two particular names? And why are they so significant in this surah Why are these two significant in this surah so the reason why Allah subhanaw taala chooses these names, so often, to be repeated, is due to the fact that the attribute that we need the most from Allah is His mercy. Why? Because as human beings we will make mistakes, we will make errors, we will slip up and we will need mercy from Allah subhanho wa Taala. So Allah subhanho wa Taala is being forefront with us that hey, regardless of how many mistakes you make, as long as you keep trying, you will be forgiving, because you're

dealing with the Most Merciful, you're dealing with the source of all mercy.

Allah subhanho wa Taala uses his name's Rahmani Raheem in this surah because he reminds us and lets us know that even throughout the Salah, you will make mistakes but don't worry about it. Allah knows about it, and he will pardon you and He will forgive you and He will be merciful towards you. Allah uses these names, because he reminds us that it is only through His mercy that we were able to pray. And it is only through His mercy that we will be entered into paradise. It is only through His mercy that we will be entered into paradise. It is through His mercy that we are Muslim, and it is through His mercy that we will die upon Islam. It is through His mercy that we came into his existence into

existence and it is through His mercy that we will cease to exist. All this is a constant reminder of Allah subhana wa Tada. You have no claim Rahim Allah He has a very beautiful point. He says when he talks about the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala.

When Allah subhanho wa Taala he gives, he gives due to his mercy and generous generosity. And when Allah subhanho wa Taala withholds he withholds due to his wisdom. Now understand that they want to let's find out Allah gives you something, he gives you something because he knows that you can use this potentially for something

thing good. And when he withholds something from you, he withholds that from you. Because he knows that even though you may think it is good for you, it's not going to be good for you. That's why he withholds it from you. And then he says something just mind blowing. He says, never does Allah subhanho wa Taala, close one door for you out of his infinite wisdom, except that he opens for you to doors out of his infinite mercy. So in life's vandalia It seems that certain doors will be closed our way. But when one door closes out of the wisdom of Allah, two more are opening out of his mercy Subhanallah you have to go through trials and difficulties in order to appreciate that mercy that

unless I know what the other sense and that is who Allah subhanaw taala is. Now if I was to summarize one thing, from this point of the verse, I would say, everything that happens in our life, is an act of mercy from Allah subhanho wa Taala. whether we realize it or not, on the day of judgment, we'll come to understand what that means. But understand this to the best of your ability. Anything that happens in your life is an act of mercy from Allah subhanho wa Taala, because he is the source of all of mercy.

Maliki Omid Deen, Master of the Day of Judgment. Now, after that introduction of mercy and compassion, he also lets you know that he's the boss. He's the one that's in control, that on the Day of Judgment, he is the one that you're going to answer to. And this is such a powerful concept that, you know, as human beings, we all we have a natural built in system in responding to authority. Right, from a very young age. We're taught to obey the authority of our parents, eventually, our teachers, eventually our elders, eventually our community leaders, eventually the law, we constantly obey authority. But unless I know what to add over here, he tells us the ultimate

authority above all of these other authorities that are in play, is Allah subhanho wa Taala. So make sure you have an adequate response for Allah subhana wa Tada. Now, why is this so perfectly placed? Because when you came in, with a Rahmani Raheem, your heart became soft, it became loving, it became hopeful of Allah subhanho wa Taala. But now that you're approached Maliki oma Deen, Master of the Day of Judgment, you can't help but shiver. And think of the fact that one day will come when we will stand in front of Allah subhanho wa Taala to respond to him, that the blessings that Allah gave us, how did we use them the sins that we committed? Why did we commit them? Did we repent? Did we

seek forgiveness? any excuses that we have for Allah the valid excuses. So it balances that love and hope and mercy, with this fear and all that every Muslim should have, that don't go excessively towards the mercy of Allah, that you start to become lackadaisical and, you know, extremely easily going. And at the same time, don't become extremely fearful that you end up destroying yourself psychologically, constantly in the state of fear that what is Allah, you know, how am I going to answer to Allah? Because the first introduction that Allah gave you was that he is the most bad that he's the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, meaning that he is the source of all mercy. Now when

you look at the way the surah is developing right now, what you're noticing that these first three verses and hamdulillah Hello, beloved amin Rahmani Raheem, Maliki on within, they're all purely about Allah subhanho wa Taala. And in each phrase, as you're saying them in your Salah, Allah subhanho wa Taala is bragging about you to His angels. Understand that fact that when you say these verses in Salah, Allah is bragging about you to the angels in Salah, hey, check out my slave, he's praising me. That is what Allah subhanaw taala is telling the angels at that time and which one of us does not love to be praised right amongst our friends, we want to be praised amongst our you

know, teachers we want to be praised amongst our students. We want to be praised amongst everyone we constantly want to be praised. Allah is giving you the highest level of recognition as you praise Allah subhana wa Tada. So it is as if Allah is telling us you only become praiseworthy, when you recognize the praise of Allah subhana wa Tada. We only become worthy of praise when we praise Allah subhanho wa Taala.

Now the Surah At this point, it takes a slight turn, that rather than focusing on just Allah subhanho wa Taala it starts to focus on the slave as well. And it is in this verse in the fourth verse, where we say er cannot abodo er can assign that it is only you that we worship, and only you that we seek assistance from halfway through the sutra, that's sorry, halfway through this verse and halfway through the sutra, that's when they changes at 3.5. So you start off by saying he cannot abodo that it is only you Allah subhanho wa Taala that we worship. Now what's important to understand, is that in the Quran in this

In your Salah, when you make statements with your tongue, hypocrisy is not an option, meaning your heart needs to be at the same wavelength as your tongue. So when you say it is only you that we worship Allah and actually needs to be true in your heart, as well. So you need to think about at that time that What does worship actually mean, worshiping Allah subhana wa tada Ibn taymiyyah MLA defines it as a comprehensive term that encompasses everything that is beloved to Allah. So our love of him, our fear of him, our recitation of the Quran, for him are such that for him, our Salah for him, I would love for him. Everything that Allah loves, is encompassed in the act of worship. Now

there are certain times where we will direct this worship to other than Allah subhana wa Tada, How so? Particularly when our desires become more beloved to us. Then Allah subhana wa Tada. Right. So someone's watching something on TV, and they're like, yeah, I'll pray later, or pray later, till the Salah time completely runs out. He didn't worship the TV, he worships his desires at that time, right? So at that time, that statement, though, that it is only you that I worship is not completely true, because he's worshiping his desires, because part of our worship of Allah subhanho wa Taala is obedience. So who are you obeying? Are you obeying Allah? Or are you obeying your desires? So you're

testifying to the fact that Oh Allah, I want to be from those that only worship you. And the epitome of life being the highest station, you will reach is when you submit yourself to Allah subhanaw taala. And we'll get to that when we talk about the such the, that there's a huge wisdom why we say Subhana Allah biella that All Glory be to Allah the Most High when we are at lowest divide our lowest form, and that is why the greatest form of praise that is given to anyone, and that was given to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is when Allah subhanho wa Taala called him and when you call them a slave, that when you become a slave of Allah, it is the highest form of praise.

When you become a slave to anything else, it is the greatest humiliation you will ever face. And that is why becoming a slave of Allah is what we should be striving for you becoming a slave to anything else. It destroys your in shackles, you become a slave of Allah, and that is when you truly become free. When you become a slave to other than Allah, you're completely blinded by what you're a slave to. But when you're a slave to Allah subhana wa Tada. That's when you have true perspective when you have true sight of the value of this world versus the value of the next. So that is what you're striving for being a slave of Allah subhanho wa Taala and that is what you're testifying to

what he can stay in, and it is only you that we seek assistance from

seeking assistance from Allah subhanho wa Taala is in fact, a form of a Buddha, right? It's the honor seeking assistance from Allah making dua to Allah is a form of worship of Allah subhanaw taala and the reason why Allah subhana wa tada pairs these two together, is because the thing that you will need the greatest amount of assistance in is spending your life in worshiping Allah subhanho wa Taala because not only do you have a battle against your knifes, your own inner you know, desires, you have a battle against shaytaan you have a battle against society, you have a battle against family, you have a battle against your job, a battle against anything else that pulls you in their

way away from Allah subhana wa Tada. You're constantly in need of Allah subhanho wa Taala to help you. And that is why more either the Allahu anhu before we sell Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he tells him all mo I love you for the sake of Allah. He tells him I love you for the sake of Allah.

And then he tells him Should I not teach you something that you should say at the end of every Salah, and he says, of course the Messenger of Allah and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught him Allah Homer in the alethic. rica was shakalaka Warhurst the by the tick, that Oh Allah, Ada me helped me in remembering you and thanking you and perfecting my worship of you. And that is what you're seeking help from Allah subhanho wa Taala. For to grant you the ability to remember Allah subhanho wa Taala to worship Allah subhanho wa Taala and to thank him and then to perfect your worship of Allah subhanho wa Taala those are the three things that you seeking help from Allah

subhanho wa Taala for now let us focus on each of these three things.

The Vicar of Allah subhanho wa Taala

Vicar of Allah subhana wa Taala is not just the to remember Allah subhanho wa Taala on your tongue, but it is to have Allah subhanaw taala in the forefront of your mind that any decision that you're making, you're thinking, will Allah subhanaw taala be pleased with this decision? Am I doing the act that is most pleasing to Allah

Lots of handouts Allah, that is the greatest manifestation of Vica. And the reason why you do Vicar have that on the tongue, is to hope that your mind and heart will follow suit and will eventually start making their decisions based upon the remembrance of Allah subhanho wa Taala

then the sugar of Allah subhanaw taala thanking Allah subhanaw taala. Allah subhanaw taala already tells us off the bat, that it is very few slaves of Allah that will truly be thankful when Allah is fine without the talks about gratitude. What is he referring to? is not simply just saying on hamdulillah it's in fact using the blessings that Allah subhanho wa Taala gave us to get closer to Allah. So the physical strength that Allah gave us, how much of it do we actually use to worship Allah subhanho wa Taala the money that we have, how much of it do we use to further the cause of Allah subhana wa tada right there with the house that we have the family that we have, how much of

it do we use to get closer to Allah subhanaw taala. So using those blessings, the eyesight, the the ability to hear the love, the touch, the smell, how many of these things that we're using to get closer to Allah subhana wa Tada. And then the third thing he mentions, is to perfect worship of You mean that each and every one of us, we have a basic level of worship of Allah subhanho wa Taala. What is that basic level that we submit to the natural laws that Allah has created? Allah says Be we are Allah says die, we die. So each and every one of us obeys Allah, in those basic set in that basic sense. But what differentiates us as human beings from the rest of his creation, is our

intellects. The can we use our intellect, to submit to Allah subhanho wa Taala and get closer to Him and to worship Allah subhanho wa Taala right, so using that intellect that Allah gave you to differentiate yourselves from animals, to use those desires that Allah gave you to worship Allah subhanho wa Taala that is what Allah referring to. And that is why the fact that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam told this to more eyes is so crucial because he starts off by telling them why I love you for the sake of Allah and I'm going to teach you something mean that Allah is messenger, so send them only taught this because he loved me live. So if we want to be of those that Allah

messenger loves, if we want those, that Allah subhanaw taala wants good for pay very close attention to this da Allah Homer in the LA Vickery, ko shoukry kalahasti, by the tick, that Oh, Allah ate me and help me in remembering you, thanking you and perfecting your worship. And this is what the fourth verse means that it is only you that we seek assistance from and it is only you that we worship. And this is why Allah subhanho wa Taala. And the Hadith we mentioned previously, he says, I've divided the slide to two, the first half is purely praising Allah subhanho wa Taala. And then the second half is now the relationship of the slave. So the slave he's told what he has to do, he

has to worship Allah and seek help from Allah subhanho wa Taala. Then the third thing Allah subhanho wa Taala he tells us is he cannot bwalya can Stein and right after it, he had no Serato stockin Guide us to the straight path.

Let us focus on two things over here. One is why are we asking for guidance? What are we asking for guidance for? And number two, why is this in the plural? That even though you're praying Salah by yourself, why is this in the plural?

If you're going Rahim Allah He has a very nice list in terms of all the things that the slave is asking guidance for. And I want to read this to you. It's a list of nine things. He says the following are the types of guidance that the slave is in need of number one guidance to repent from all of his wrongdoings from deviated knowledge and insincere intentions. Hence, as the slave is in constant need to repent, is always a need of this type of guidance. So guidance to repent was number one, number two, guidance to be acquainted with the finer details of the beliefs and actions that he has, in a broad sense already been guided to.

Now I'm just gonna pause here briefly just explained what this means. So he says guide is to be acquainted with the finer details of the beliefs and actions that he has, in a broad sense already been guided to me unless I know what Allah has given us the knowledge that we have to pray. Now the finer details of that knowledge is how do we pray? What are the things that we need to perfect in the prayer? That is what he's referring to. But what I want to allude to over here is when we say dental Serato Mr. Kim, Allah Guide us to the straight path. Are we not already on that path? When we're praying to Allah subhanho wa Taala? And the answer is yes. So the beautiful thing about that

do our Serato Mr. Kim, it is, I guess, I don't know how to phrase this properly. But if you can understand where I'm coming from when I say this, it is the door

Ah, that Allah subhanho wa Taala answers before you even ask it, Allah answer to the fact that you're praying to Him, He's already answered that for you. So what does that inspire you with? It inspires you with that the more da you make to Allah, the more he's going to answer you. So keep making dua to Allah subhanho wa Taala. That's what it's inspiring with. Number three, guidance to matters he requires in order to further perfect and increases guidance. So he needs further guidance in order to perfect and increases guidance, meaning that when you receive a little bit of guidance from Allah, you truly understand how misguided your ways were, and how much more guided you can

become. So how can a person become more guided? So for example, this taking the issue of Salah he praises five daily prayers and hamdulillah is there further guidance? Yes, there is a Sunnah prayers, then his knuffle prayers, then the other prayers that were very seldomly prayed, like the prayer of is the scar, the pair of istikhara. All of these other prayers are there. So the more like there, there's always room for improvement. That is what the fourth point is. Number five, God is to have sound belief in matters in which he lacks any belief. So it's one thing to theoretically believe in the power of Allah. We believe in destiny, that Allah controls everything. But then it's

another thing to be content and to be satisfied and to become happy with everything that he has decreed. And to reach that level that requires a higher level of guidance. Number six, guidance to have sound beliefs in matters he has based upon wrong and deviated beliefs, this form of guidance abrogates his deviated beliefs, and replaces them with the right to end sound once. So when it comes to our Deen, there's always things that we've learned, whether it be from our parents, from our moms from someone else, they're completely wrong, but we accepted them. Because we were so you know, enthusiastic and wanting to learn, we didn't bother to check, Is this correct or not? So you'll

notice a lot of people have different misconceptions. So when you ask for guidance, you're asking for guidance to correct those deviated beliefs that you may have, number seven, guidance to have the will and desire in matters that he possesses the capability to do, and that he ought to do, but for which he does not yet have the desire to carry out SubhanAllah. So what he's referring to over here, is that each and every one of us has an idea of what is right and what is wrong. And even though we may know what is right and what is wrong, we don't necessarily always follow the path of righteousness, we don't always follow the path that is right. So you're asking Allah that Allah now

that you've given me the guidance of knowing what is right and wrong, give me the guidance to follow the right path. Number eight. Guide is to have the desire as well as the capability to do the things he ought to, but that He neither desires nor is capable of. So for example, we know that praying the huddle, qiyamah Lane, is a very good thing. But a time eventually may come in your life where you've given up, you no longer have that desire anymore, right? So that desire to create the habit has completely died out. So you ask Allah subhanaw taala for guidance, to rekindle that desire, not only to rekindle it, but to give you the capability to do it as well. And then number nine, guidance to

maintain and preserve the sound beliefs, knowledge and good deeds that he already possesses. So developing a threshold mean that in your phases of life, your direction is upwards in terms of the good deeds that you do, so that you're consistent in the good deeds. And this is something I was sharing in my in my other class that I was teaching. No, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he tells us that the most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent of them. The most beloved, the most beloved, these to Allah are those that are most that are the most consistent. So as the slave of Allah, what we want to try to focus on is any good deed that we embark upon any

good deed that we do. It shouldn't just be a one off. So it's not because you know, you're praying, you're saying this today, you know what I've done what I needed to do, and that's it, no, you start praying your Sooners with the intention that I want to pray my shoulders for the rest of my life, or you give charity once not with the intention of you know what I've given charity, and that's it, but I want to give charity for the rest of my life. So try to make those deeds as consistent as you possibly can. Because that is what Allah subhanho wa Taala wants from us. And that is what the ninth level of guidance is that you slowly and gradually build upon that guidance that you're here today,

your trajectory is upwards, and you're not falling back down because it's very easy to fall back down. But if you build up slowly and gradually, and recognize what your possible pitfalls may be, you build upon that and protect yourself from those pitfalls, then that is when you can still constantly go up.

That can only be done from the guidance of Allah subhanho wa Tada. So that is when you're asking for guidance. These are the nine things that have no claim Rahim Allah mentions that you're indirectly asking for very comprehensive spamela. Now when Allah subhanaw taala takes that guidance away. That is the scary thing, that even though you're physically alive, you no longer have that concept of what is right and wrong, not because I know it, but because you don't care anymore. And that is a scary reality span a lot. When you speak to a lot of people that have found their faith again, when they share what they've gone through in terms of how they knew certain things were haram and wrong,

he still continued to do it, and they had no care for it whatsoever. To reach such a stage in their life is a very scary thing. So panela and that is the exact opposite of guidance. So when I listen, I know that it takes guidance away. It is literally as if you become an animal, that you live purely for the sake of your desires, your carnal instincts, that is what you are alive for. And that is all that you're doing. You're no longer using the will that Allah subhana wa tada gave you the restraint that Allah gave you the intellect that Allah gave you to differentiate, differentiate between right and rock. Now, the second part of that is that it is for dinner, Guide us to the straight path. Why

is it plural, because Islam is a communal religion, any bad that happens to any one of you, it should affect me. And in fact, it does affect me. And any god that happens to any one of you, it affects me and it should affect me as well. And just like I want guidance for myself, part of my faith, part of my belief is that I want guidance for all of you, and for all of mankind out there. And that is what Islam teaches us. It is not about individualism, it is about community. So anything that happens in our community, it affects us all. So when you end up making fun of your brother, in reality, you're just making fun of yourself. When you point out a fault in your brother, you're

pointing out a fault in yourself. And that is what I lost. I know what that is teaching us that the way you want guidance for yourself, you want good for yourself, you have to want it for others as well. And it starts off with those in the closest proximity. Your wife, your children, your family members, your neighbors, your other community members, and it gradually expands. But there's not a single creation of Allah that you shouldn't want to guidance for. So if Allah guided you to make this new ah That is why he guided you to make dua for guidance for everyone else as well. Because it is the it is the right thing to do, to want good to one guidance for everyone else.

Now Allah subhanho wa Taala goes on to show us what the correct path actually is. We said Oh, Allah showed me the straight path and then a Serato stuck him. Then he goes on to say salata, Medina, and I'm telling him, the path of those whom you have favored, the path of those whom you have favored.

Allah subhana wa Tada. And certainly Sir, he tells us who are the people that Allah subhanaw taala has favored. He gives them four categories, and be Yun acidic on a Shahada was solid. These are the four categories. Category number one are the prophets and messengers of Allah subhana wa Tada. They are the first people that Allah subhanho wa Taala has favored, meaning These are the people that you should try to emulate their lives to the best of your ability, that whatever guidance you have seen in their lives, this is the guidance you tried to emulate. You tried to replicate their life to the best of your ability. Number two, and maybe you assert the code that they are the truthful ones at

the highest of them was Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu. And the scholars have said that this category generally refers to the scholars that who that exist. So you look at the luminaries of Islam, the likes of Imam Abu hanifa Imam Malik Imam Shafi, Mr. Muhammad Al Bukhari, Mr. Muslim, Mr. Takahashi, I like them to say, all of these great scholars, these are the types of people that you want to be like, right? So you emulate them and you look up to them as your role models, the number three, as Shahada, they are the martyrs now the martyrs over here are not just the ones that lost their lives in the way of Allah subhanho wa Taala. But the models are the ones that were willing to expand into

exhort anything and everything that they had for the sake of Allah subhana wa Tada. Right. When you look at how the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam defines, you know, martyrdom, he defines it as someone that was even protecting his own house from being attacked and stolen, that he died protecting his house that is a form of martyrdom. Someone that even died, while drowning is considered a form of martyrdom. Someone that dies with a sickness in his stomach, like a form of cancer, that is a form of martyrdom. Right? So martyrdom is of different levels, but it is

They were willing to sacrifice anything and everything that they had for the sake of Allah subhana wa Tada. And that is the third category. And then the fourth category is just righteousness. They are the righteous people, the people that are constantly worshiping Allah subhanho wa Taala, constantly busy with Vicar, regularly fasting regularly reading Quran. So those are the people that you should be emulating and following guidance to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored.

And then Allah subhanaw taala makes it even more explicit. If there's any doubt as to what the straight path is, then it's not the path available malcador behind him when avoiding and is not the path of those that have earned your anger, nor of those that have gone astray, who are those that have earned the Wrath of Allah subhanho wa Taala. They are the ones that knew what was right, and didn't follow it, and who are the ones that were went astray. They are the ones that never even bothered to find out what guidance is to begin with in the first place. And this is a very valuable lesson, that when we talk about hidayah when we talk about guidance, number one guidance has to be

sought from Allah subhanho wa Taala. Allah is the source of of guidance, right? He is Alhaji he is the one that guides you seek it from Allah subhana wa Tada. So when you want to know what guidance is, look into the Koran, look into the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And then number two is that once you know what guidance is, once you know what right and wrong is, and is no longer an option to pick and choose what you follow, right? You can say, Okay, today I'm going to do this, but I'm not going to do it tomorrow. Guidance gives us opportunities. Guidance gives us opportunities. And the more we take advantage of those opportunities, the further our guidance

increases. And the more we miss those opportunities, the more that guidance is taken away. And I'll tie this back into Scylla. Right, the person that makes it misses one summer, it will be relatively easy for him to come back. It's not going to be too too difficult. He gets into a flow and habit of things. It's not too difficult. But a person that misses Salah regularly and constantly, when he wants to get into the habit of it, it is going to be extremely difficult. Because Salah is not just about the physical action, it's not just about the rituals, it is about getting the heart to submit. And when the heart gets overcome by whims and desires, getting it's to submit to Allah subhanaw

taala again, is very, very difficult. And that is why when you want to see how it looks fine without it takes guidance away from people. That is how it's done. That Allah I know that gave them opportunities to follow what they knew, but they chose not to and that is when guidance was taken away. It's not snatched away. And so when we refuse to submit to what Allah subhanho wa Taala wants from us, that is when it's taken away, and that happens slowly but surely, as she thought planted seeds. So now when you look at this sutra, you'll notice that the suit that you're sending is so deep and so profound Subhana Allah and even they'll call him a Himalayan this point he says

everything in the Salah, you can find a replacement for that you will find another way to say something or do something and it might make sense he doesn't say does he said it might. But he says that there are two things that cannot be replaced. They're irreplaceable in the Salah. Number one is that the Kabir of saying Allahu Akbar, and I was constantly reminding you to stay humble and that there's nothing greater in your life. Then Allah subhanho wa Taala not now and not ever. And then the second thing he mentioned is Surah Fatiha. Surah Fatiha is so perfect that it is irreplaceable cannot be replaced with any other chapter of the Quran or any other form of Vicar because these are

all the lessons that Allah subhanho wa Taala wants us to derive from this Surah

Now this is just like a brief half an hour discussion that we had on Surah Fatiha, there are scholars that were written like volumes upon volumes upon volumes on Surah Fatiha Now, what I would suggest is that inshallah during this break as a lot of people have time off, go online and find like someone that's experienced for the first time detail, one of the CD sets that I would recommend if you have a lot of time and a lot of desire to learn detailed knowledge. Gemma's or Bowser has a 23 CD, you know, explanation of sort of photo. That's not for everyone that you really want to spend time studying. That's what you study. So if he has to because he has like a seven to 10 hour lecture

experience so that that's something that I would recommend everyone listen to. It's very good. And it's you know, everyone can listen to it and benefit from it. And you have even smaller ones people that did one or two hours that are out there as well. In fact, I remember the very first Holocaust that I gave at the ISC, this was in September 2012 SubhanAllah. We started off with the Tafseer of Surah Fatiha so that's still up online as well. So that is what I would recommend that all of us do to further our knowledge of Surah Fatiha. Then even again, Rahim Allah, he goes on to talk about the servitude in raising of the hands that when you before you go into court, depending on the method

that you follow, he says that you raise your hands before you say

Allahu Akbar and go on to the next point. And explain this by saying that the raising of the hands is the actual beautification of the Salah. So as you're going down into requires you're getting up from record, why are you raising your hands. He says, This is the beautification of the Salah, that just like an individual who is wearing like a chain or a necklace, and he is going up and down, it's going to sway back and forth. This is the beautification of the salon itself, that you're recognizing that these hands are empty without what Allah subhanho wa Taala has given you. And that he these are the same as that will eventually lead you into loco and essentially. So he calls this

the beautification of the salon. Now, this will depend on the method that you follow if you don't raise your hands. It's not a big deal. But it's a good thing to know that mo climalite defines the raising of the hands as the beautification of the salon. And this leads us into the Roku,

the Roku, bowing down in front of Allah subhanaw taala. If you follow or practice any form of martial arts, you'll notice that one of the things that you do before you start your belt and before and as you end your belt, is that you will bow down to your opponent. This is to show respect, not only for the art itself, but respect for your opponent. When we bow down to Allah subhana wa tada is not merely just about showing respect, it is about showing Allah subhanho wa Taala that I'm willing to put my body in whatever position you wanted me to forget to be in whatever position you wanted for me to be treated to be in. And this is why the bowing down is of the utmost significance. Not

only that, when you submit to Allah, you're letting Allah subhanaw taala know, I'm willing to put in any position you want me to put it in. But the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam describes this act of rocor, as the third phase of when the slave when the sins of the slave of Allah subhanho wa Taala are being forgiven? Who can remind what were the first two phases. What are the first two phases of the state since of the civil law being forgiven? Yep.

Waiting for the Salah time and will do fantastic. And this is Station Number three, that when you go down into the core, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu, I do send them he says that the sins fall off the shoulders of the slave of Allah subhanho wa Taala just as the leaves fall off of a tree just as the leaves fall off of a tree. So this is the third station of forgiveness that Allah subhanho wa Taala is forgiving you for your sins at that time. And that is why it is at that time that the slave of Allah He says subhana wa vilavi Glory be to my Lord, the most magnificent allow vehm meaning greatness when something is magnified, the greatest form of magnification is of the most the

greatest of Allah subhana wa Tada. So it is the greatness of Allah subhanho wa Taala. Now why is this specified over here? Because if anyone wanted to forgive you for your sins, could they, your mother, whom you have been commanded to show respect to three times more than anyone else? Could you forgive me for your sins? Your father, the one that supported you and sustains you and taught you? Could he forgive you for your sins? Your teachers? Could they forgive you for your sins? The prophets of Allah? Could they forgive you for your sins, the angels could they forgive you for your sins? No one can forgive you for your sins, other than Allah subhana wa Tada. And that is where the

magnificence of Allah subhanho wa Taala actually comes from that Allah subhanho wa Taala is the only one that can forgive you for your sins. And you recognizing that in your core, you're saying Glory be to Allah, the most magnificent, the one that will forgive my sins and is forgiving my sins. Now what's beautiful is the word Subhana. It doesn't just mean glory, it means that you're freeing Allah subhana wa tada from every deficiency and negative attribute. So it is as if you're saying, Oh Allah, I'm filled with deficiencies and shortcomings and being connected to you. Not only am I forgiven, but I become whole as well. I become complete as well. Such a powerful statement that the

slave says when he says Subhana Allah vilavi

then he stands up once again. And he says semi Allah Honeyman hamidah,

Allah subhanho wa Taala has indeed heard the one that has praised him. And you see a lot by now what I can say is as if it is a foretelling that when you say robina

Allah subhanho wa Taala has already heard you praise Him. And that is why you're saying that statements. Now when you're standing over here, I didn't explain this in the first one. I'll do it over here. The standing in front of Allah subhanho wa Taala. What is that representing? our predecessors have said those that want an easy standing in front of Allah subhanho wa Taala then make your standing in Salah long, make your standing in Salah monk and what that means is the

First thing that we will be asked about on the Day of Judgment is our Salah is our prayer. And if it goes smooth and well, everything else will be easy and smooth. And if it goes very difficult, then everything else will be difficult as well. Almost final tally tells us in the Quran for a moment Oh Chiquita will be a meanie. For so far you have several hisar buying a car, that whoever is given his Record his book with his right hand, then he will have a very easy judgment. The predecessor said that the one that is given his records in his right hand is the one that established the seller is the one that established the seller. So over here when you're standing in front of Allah subhana wa

tada again, it is symbolizing the standing on the Day of Judgment. So, if you want your standing on the Day of Judgment is to be easy, then prolong your standing in this life, prolong your standing in this life. Now, what is that going to require and take that is going to require that you make some a priority that is going to require that you take a good amount of time outside of your day to dedicated just to Salah that is what is going to take to prolong your standing. So that is what the standing in Salah actually represents. Then the slave finally goes down into such that he goes down into such them. And I want to read what he says over here. He says he should avoid placing the

weight of his thighs on his legs, maintain a space between his belly and his legs. And he was spacing between his arms by spreading them to the sides away from his body. This is so that each part of his physical self can individually demonstrate its slavery to Allah subhanho wa Taala. So now when we talk about slavery, it is demonstrated in prostrating down, but when you go down into such the each and every single part should demonstrate its slavery to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Starting from the hands, to the face, to the nose to the knees to the toes, everything is demonstrating its slavery and that you're putting your force on the ground rather than on its other

parts. And this is representing how dependent you are to Allah subhanho wa Taala. Now it is at this time you say Subhana Allah bl Allah, glory be to my Lord, the Most High. What is the significance of this? That why are you recognizing how high Allah subhanho wa Taala is and how low you are. Because this is the utmost definition of our relationship with Allah, that Allah is our master, and we are His slaves. And when you go down into such the, you are recognizing that that you are submitting your body and yourself and recognizing that you are the slave of Allah subhana wa Tada. Now what's beautiful about this position is that there is no position that I know of, that the heart will feel

more serene than in such that Allah subhana wa tada there is no heart There's no position that we know that the heart is more serene and tranquil than in making such a to Allah subhanho wa Taala.

And that is why the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he says that the position that you're closest to Allah subhanho wa Taala with is the such that it is the actual such itself. That is the closest you get to Allah subhanaw taala and that is the time where you confess your sins, that is the time you file your grievances, that is the time you share your pains. That is the time when you ask Allah subhana wa Taala for what your heart desires. Because that is what that position is for, to call out to Allah, and to let alone know that I am your slave, and you are my master. And I need this from you. I need you to take care of this for me, I need you to fix this for me. And I

recognize that you are the most high and I am the lowest of the law. You're showing your end capability, your deficiency without Allah subhanho wa Taala and that is what that position actually is for. MLK Abraham Allah. He says that the Salah is built upon five pillars. And these five pillars are not pillars of filk in our pillars of jurisprudence, like for those of you that attended the thick of solid class, we talked about the can of Salah, the pillars of Salah, that's not what he's referring to. He's talking about the spiritual pillars in Salah. He said they're built upon five things. Number one, recitation number two standing number three, Roku bowing down number four

prostration and number five, Vicar. Number five is liquor. So number one, recitation number two standing number three Roku and bowing down number four prostration number five, Vicar

What do these five pillars of spirituality and Salah represent? Meaning that if you want to gauge how spiritually engaged you are in your Salah, the look at how well you perform

For me these five things, how well are you reciting the Quran? How perfect is your standing? How perfect is your bowing down? How perfect is your prostration? And then how much Vicar Are you genuinely making in your Salah? How much are you genuinely making in your Salah

related to the point of vicco when the slave gets up from his such that he has a small pause and a small sitting at that time he says Arabic fairly Arabic filly that Oh ALLAH forgive me Oh Allah, forgive me. What exactly is he seeking forgiveness from? him they'll call him he mentions that on the snake goal, the slave of Allah goes into such that it transfers him naturally to the life of the hereafter was when he gets from such the it is symbolizing returning back to the life of this world. And then life of this world, again filled with shortcomings and mistakes. So we see forgiveness from Allah subhana wa Tada. He also mentioned that he seek forgiveness, if we didn't praise Allah as He

is worthy of being praised, or he didn't thank Allah as He is worthy of being thanked, or he did remember Allah Allah as He's worthy of being remembered. So we seek forgiveness at that time. Now that it's also an ideal time to make dua to Allah subhanho wa Taala, between the two sides of this, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to make a beautiful dua that Allah guide me, and grant me sustenance, and grant me good health and compel me to worship you and grant me well being right. These are five of the seven things that the Prophet sallallahu Sallam used to ask for when he was between the two centers. And this is why that sapan Allah is all encompassing one of the most

encompassing doors that the prophets I saw them use to make to Allah subhanho wa Taala Allah Allah Dini, what is yakni watch Barney What are funny we're funny These are from the device that the processor mister make at that time. Now even Okay, Rahim Allah, he talks about the diet, and the Shahada and the sending of salah and Salaam upon proper setup. And it's a very detailed explanation, because each of those are quite long. What I want to emphasize on before we conclude is two things. Number one, the salon Salam upon the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam an integral component of it. And you know, you know, one of the brothers he mentioned in the first session, and

I wish I remembered it earlier on. He says that part of the obligation that we have towards the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is at any time his name is mentioned, the first time to say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would send Salaam Salaam upon him is obligatory and every other time it is highly recommended to do so. In the Salah itself. Your Salah will be null and void it will not be accepted. If there's no salah and Salaam upon the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, let us understand why. Number one, he is the most beloved creation of Allah subhana wa Tada. There is nothing and no one that is more beloved to Allah subhanho wa Taala than our Prophet

Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Number two, there is not a creation that we know of that was more merciful and more compassionate to the world. Then he said, Allah Hi, Leo cinemas. Number three, he exhorted his whole entire life to live to the highest standard of character and anxiety, an example like you will get his whole entire life. It is absolutely remarkable. And I'll share just one simple thing that I was reflecting on the other day, that before we saw that before Prophethood, the Prophet sallallahu Sallam used to go and isolate himself in the cave to ponder and reflect. What is this naturally teach us about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he was an introverted

personality. He loved spending time by himself absolutely adored it. And that is why he could go to a cave, isolate himself, contemplate and reflect and be extremely comfortable with it, because that is his own being isolated and alone. Now you become a messenger of Allah subhanho wa Taala. You have to be the most social of all people, that anytime someone comes to you and says I want equal, you could be in a bad mood. You have to smile and say well I'll ecommerce sell them and give them full attention. Because you're representing the deen of Allah and you're representing God Himself. Subhana Allah, you're being asked a question you have to answer to the best of your ability, and you

just are constantly in human interaction. Now for someone that's introverted, you realize how difficult that is that even between sessions, I need to go sit in my office for 10 minutes and come back just so I can be in the public again. Now you can imagine being a prophet of Allah subhanho wa Taala. That's next to impossible because even your own wife, she is monitoring everything that you do so that she can teach the companions about it, and constantly human interaction and there's just like one simple enemy element of his life. Everything else from

generosity, to trustworthiness, to dependability to companionship. He was the highest standard of it. So much so that I sought out the other one. When asked about his character, she says Look, he is a walking manifestation of the Koran. That is who he said Allah hi Leo cinemas. And that is why when you send salah and Salam upon him, that is what you're reminding yourself of. Then it is the Messenger of Allah that taught me how to pray like this. It is the Messenger of Allah who is example that I tried to strive and be like, it is the Messenger of Allah who I want you to intercede for me on the Day of Judgment. It is the Messenger of Allah who had the Quran revealed to him memorize it

to his to his companions, and it was through them that it came to us like that is what the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was and that is why you when you send Salaam Salaam upon the Messenger of Allah, it is such a huge thing. So that's a beautiful discussion that America might now want to move on to the last thing before we have a q&a inshallah.

concluding the Salah with this name singer Santa Monica Matala cinematic ultimate Allah. Why do we conclude the Salah by spreading peace

and milk I am Rahim Allah, he reflected on this by saying that state of peace that you were in, in the state of Salah is what you're wishing for everyone else. Now that you're exiting from the Salah that you're seeing as salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah me the Peace and mercy of Allah subhanaw taala be upon you, just as it was upon me while I was in the Salah. And that's how, as Muslims, we are ambassadors of peace, we wish peace and tranquility upon everyone, and that you're wishing it not only for those that are present with you, but even those that are not there. So if you're playing solo by yourself at home, and no one is there, you still conclude with a Solomonic amatola to remind

us that as human beings as Muslims, we're out there to spread peace, starting with that peace that comes internally by guiding people back to their Creator, right. That is the greatest form of peace when you find peace spiritually and internally. So that conclusion of a salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah, that is what it is there to remind us of the MLK Mama, he has a beautiful discussion. And, you know, I wish I could have taken more time to discuss this, but I wanted to give you the most important points that I could find from this book, and to give you just enough to hopefully inspire you that you guys will go and download the book yourself and read it inshallah, you know, as

I mentioned, in this break, there's a lot of time off, use that time wisely, inshallah, you know, people always look for how can you spend time with my family, grab this book, just read a couple of pages at a time, within the week, you'll finish the book. And that's how much we know how much time most people have off. So like I mentioned, this book can be downloaded for free, just go to my Facebook page, and the link is there. And it's been shared over there. And we've just shared chapter one or four, there's like, the what I've shared from you is this half of the book, this half of the book still remains. So that is stuff that you can study for yourself. And even some of the sections

I skimmed over and breezed over. So those are definitely things that are worth going through. Now, what I want to highlight over here is that the journey of Salah is not a one time thing that you know, it's not going to be I'm going to have one good Salah, and that can give up after that. But rather Salah is a journey that for the rest of your life, you're striving to perfect it. And that is why I think gatherings like these are so I mean, I want to say mandatory that we have to do these gatherings regularly, not in this Masjid per se, not by me. Exactly. But even amongst yourselves that taking time out just to look at how is my Salah going, you know, am I doing it properly? What

can I improve in my Salah, asking these fundamental questions to take it to the next level. Because if you're not doing that, your Salah will gradually go down.

What I want to conclude with is how do we actually protect our salon, and this will be my conclusion before I open up the q&a. In terms of protecting the salon individually, we've covered that right? How to perfect your salon internally, we've covered that, but in terms of protecting your Salah on a much greater scale to make sure that you know in sha Allah will never add a phase where we stopped praying, how do we do that? Even a call him in one of his other books, he highlights this, that everything has a buffer zone everything has a cushion to it right like even this table, it has a layer it has a layer of cloth, then it has the plastic that has the metal underneath and that is how

this table is composed. Similarly with your Salah, it has layers to it, it has the first component the mandatory component then has the Sunni component which is the recommended supererogatory component. And then it has number three, which is like the Nuffield component, and in order for your fourth component to be protected.

The other question

This needs to be there as well. So for example, if you're just praying your five daily prayers, and that's it, you're putting yourself at immense risk and danger. Because when your mind goes down, your Salah is going with it. Why is the person that praises to the prayers when his he man goes down, he loses his sooner prayers, but his fourth prayer is still there as that buffer zone so that he can rejuvenate in his email and then go back to praying as soon the prayers as well. And then the highest is the one that is praying is knuffel is clear. malelane is tahajjud. So that when his the mind goes down, he might lose his tahajjud he might lose some of his novel prayers, but he still has

his Sunnah prayers and his fourth prayers protected that this novel has become his buffer zone question. So there's room for flexibility and that is why if you want to get to the stage where your Salah is protected, know that it will never come just by praying five daily prayers and has to be inclusive of your Sunnah prayers and your knuffle prayers and start off very gradually right? Make sure that at the very least you're praying your two Sooners for 5g and your with their prayer. Those are the two most important sinner prayers that we pray. The prophets are seldom said they're praying the two Sooners for fragile they're better than anything in this dunya anything that you can think

of in this dunya the two Sooners are fragile or better than it and these are the two prayers that the promises saddam never missed even while he was traveling. He would play them even while he was traveling all the other Sooners he would let go but when the two Sooners refrigerant and the water prayer you will never let them go Why? Because they act as a buffer zone. So that is to protect ourselves by increasing that buffer zone. I pray that Allah subhanaw taala mixes of those that are steadfast upon their Salah that Allah subhanaw taala makes our progeny is our sons and daughters and grandchildren. Those that established the seller and that carry the statement of Allah Muhammad

Rasul Allah, that Allah Subhana Allah forgives us for our sins and shortcomings. That honest final that allows us to perfect our salah and it makes those that can make their salons till the day that they die lahoma amin Allahu Allah sallallahu Sallam an article in the Vienna Mohamad while he was talking to send up anything that I've said that is correct is from Allah subhanaw taala anything that I've said that was incorrect is for myself and shavon and I seek forgiveness from Allah subhanho wa Taala and from all of you