Why Al-Fatihah Is Your Spiritual Lifeline

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Allah subhana wa tala.

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Was.

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My dear brothers, respected elders, beloved youth, mothers and sisters, we thank Allahhana tala for keeping us alive one more day on the path of Islam on the and allowing me and you to enter his house and worship him in the manner that pleases I ask Allahh to accept from me and except from you that little do his path. Amen. And I bear witness there's no deity worthy of worship except for Allah subhana tala and prophet Muhammad sallallah.aii wasallam is his last and final messenger for surely who Allah subhanaa tala chooses to guide and misguide choose to misguide can guide him back the path and we seek refuge in Allah from darkness of ourselves and evil of our deeds for Allah is knowing and all seeing what his creation does. In the previous weeks leading up to today, we've been talking about structuring our inner self, the ns, the nfs that makes us to be astray and also the same nfs that if it becomes grounded with Allah subhana wa ta'ala, it can reach you, it can take you to a lever of high piety and become one of the closest people to Allah.

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Tala and as such we'll embark on aba today that I'm hoping I'm saying hoping that I conclude in two subsequentbas which I know I will not be able to but at least we will start on it and inshallah what Allah desires and wills will happen and we go from there on in one of the methods to reign in our nefs this nef that wants to go and be the aggressor this nef that wants to lead us astray is to connect with Allah subhana wa ta'ala and one of the easiest ways Allah subhana t has told us to connect with him is the five times a day and that's why you see the salas the five prayers in the day are staggered in different places if Allah subhana t wanted to either he could have had all of them at the beginning of the day or the end of the day. And it would have been easier for us to come to the masjid at one designated time and pray all of them together and leave and perhaps probably would have been a bigger gathering of brothers in the in the in the messengers. But Allahh chose for us to have them staggered throughout the day. so we can come back and connect with him and humble ourselves. There is not a greater way for a human being to be humbled except when he puts his face in the ground. And as most Muslims would attest to this, we have prayed salah in places that have not one of those ordinary places to pray, right? We prayed in parking lots. We have prayed on side of the roads. We have prayed in rest areas. We have prayed with a musah that was not big enough to even cover our foreheads. And I often mention this story and I'm not mentioning the story because I want you to think I'm a great person or not, but I'm mentioning the story because we appreciate what Allah has blessed us Muslims with in this country in the present day. The amount of massagits and musas that are existing now, it did not exist when I was in high school. At least growing up in New York City, there was not a lot of massagits around. It might be surprising to you. The area I lived in that had nothing. And the only masid that we would go to was a train ride and it took two at least trains to exchange. And we would go to Manhattan on the 96th Street, 95th street as a big masid. The Saudis paid for it to be built. It's a huge masid. Mashallah. If you ever get a chance to go to visit New York City, look at it. It takes up an entire block in the city and it's a beautiful masjid. But when it came time for salah, there would be no places for us to pray. So for those who are known or know the New York City, there's a famous bridge called the tribal bridge which connects the three bors. I've prayed salah underneath it in rain in cold without a mus on a bare on the bare pavement. So this is the blessing of Allah subhana tala. A man who's walking around and if a little speck of dirt gets on his on his clothes and he's what is this? And the same man when he comes to a house of Allah or he's has to pray to Allahhaala sometimes he has his clothes on the floors in the dirt. You get ready to go a big event and mashallah you're there you're attending that everybody's dressed up nicely looking and then it's time for you to pray salah. And where do you go pray salah? on the floor. So that's the best way that Allah subhana t has kept it us for us to be conscience and be in humility that salah that connects us with Allah subhana wa ta'ala and what is the essence of salah itself the essence of salah itself is and this is not me saying this is Allah subhanaa tala says the hadith mentioned in authentic narrations we will not be covering this hadith today but I'll just mention it so we can establish why am I saying this saying this statement the essence of salah is the fat itself and nothing else asam says I have divided the salah between me and in two halves. Okay. And then the hadith continues. Okay. So Allah is saying salah is the fat itself. It is the essence. And unfortunately today our condition has become as such. And with all due respect with all due respect to the mash and the and and the and the I say this with the most humble statement. We prepare for salah to focus on the surah that comes after the fata and we forget the fata which Allah subhana t is saying a salah is fat and fata is the salah. instances that you went through so fast that you don't even remember you read fat or you did not read fata you you these these things do happen people ask questions about it and for just a statement wise if you just read fat in salah your salah is valid completely if you did not read anything after it we're not saying you should not read anything after it in the first two raqas but if that's all you knew because let's point to the hadith ofam and this is a major hadith and by the way I had a I had a when I mentioned this hadith long time ago at a different masid I used to I used to serve one of the brothers had a huge problem with me he said how dare you say this I said this is not my words ofam the hadith is explicit Whoever does not read the fat of the book is not one of us. Is not amongst us. Meaning what? What does it mean? It means the person is no longer in the fold of Islam. Am I correct? Am I wrong? The hadith subsequent is what? As I mentioned last week in the after the haditham said a person if you see a person come to the masid give testimony that he's a Muslim but this is saying who has not read the fat from the book is not one of us and and in true sense when you say it also means memorizing it. It doesn't mean just to read it in that sense. Doesn't mean just to read verbatim what's written in front of you. It also means memorizing fat is one of the greatest suras in the book and forb have a differentiation either it's or for it's been revealed twice. It came in Mecca and it came in Medina too. For some distinction is that it was revealed in Mecca. But for some they say no it was revealed twice in Mecca and Medina regardless the fact you know it's it's an opinion I I to mention different opinions when I do when I do at times. So it's a it's a it's a it's a surah that is amazing has mentioned over 24 names for this for the fat. And of course I'm not going to mention 24 names for you. We're going to focus on the main names that are mentioned fat by itself which is mentioned in the Quran what is in fat the word root itself means two different meanings means two meanings. One is to open it up you know it's one meaning and the other it comes from to be victorious. And the fat comes from a time when you are stuck in a spot or a position there's no way out from. Meaning what this fat will take you out of every single issue and the calamity you have in your life. And the next two are very close to each other. They have the same root so to speak as now for people if you're Arab or not Arab doesn't matter to you know you know the word what means but itself in a meaning it does not really mean the mother it means the ess is your origination point where do you come from as a human being your mom is your original original point. She is the one who's conceived you. So that's your so meaning that's the essence or the actual of the Quran itself. And look at it amazingly by the way it's seven verses and for some there is a distinction. What ayah is continued for some is part of the first verse? It's included in the first verse of the Quran. For some, so they divide, you know, they they do it and the last two verses are joined together. For some, they have made a distinction and said, "No is not part of the fata. We read it separately." And then, you know, you have the seven ayats afterwards. regardless of the fact is still seven verses. Now let's go to the the the the name that Allah has mentioned in the Quran in the have mentioned it and they there's an on this is as we read in 87 ayah Allahh.

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Wasallam We have given you the most recited seven verses and the Quran. Meaning what that seven verses of al fat the rest of the 113 chapters in the Quran are literally the ex Jesus of those seven verses. So you tell me now what's more important in the salah. And yet we have no idea what a great surah it is that we're reciting in al fat. I mean think about it this way. If you have four rakas of salah after this after in the third rakah you don't read in the first salah by the way I'm not saying you know first salah and you know you do not read anything after the fat why because the essence of the salah is that surah itself and we are so oblivious to the fact by the way if you sit with Quran teachers I'm talking about teachers who are really good good and great teachers They either will ask you to start with fata or they will finish on fata. So if you're reading the Quran, they will tell you start with fat. And you will say, "No, no, she we're reading Bakar." He says, "Okay, I understand. Read fat first." And he will ask you to read fat. And then he will say, "Okay, let's pick up from what's and bakar we're at." And for some teachers, I've noticed they will do the regular reading and they will end now. Let me hear fatha from you now. And by the way, one of the names for the fat that I personally is a shaf as well because it's used for shif for some scholars it's part of the as well. You can use it as on yourself or somebody who's sick. And by the way, but you know is not just for the or the or evil something. It could be for as well as basically healing yourself by the will of Allah subhana tala and the the way you do it from fat it's recommended seven times and you know you do on yourself or or the person who is sick inshallah and Allahh provides them cure there's a detailed hadith and we can mention it tonight after the prayer of how it came to be and what the the sahaba did in time of suham But understanding the three of the greatest names of Allah are mentioned in that there's actually four total mentioned in this in this but the three are if you have those three you can subsequently basically just define every single thing Allah subhana t's are is Allah and those are the three greatest names of Allah subhana tala and for some scholars the essence of all the rest of the names comes from these three major names and we have aasoolah that subsequently points in that direction as well by the way you have to understand sometimes did not make it super clear but we have it where there is the narrations ofatam where he's mentioned that we should ask Allah subhana tala by his and the direction indication is to Allah that's the and of course it goes through alhamdulill and for some recitation we have some we have either one is correct you know if you're reading from different narrations and authorities but stick to one inshallah. But the idea was to start a conversation today about this so that inshallah look there is every single day each one of us if we're praying our five salas inshallah we're reading it 17 times bare minimum I'm not including the sunnah and everything else I'm talking about salah 17 times every single day you're reading fat it's on repeat 17 times times and we assume if the twothirds of the Muslim population in the world today is reading five times a day salah fat is being recited over 7 trillion times a day and these are just rough numbers don't come to me and say this 7 trillion times a day we're reciting al fat as an we're assuming twothirds of us are praying every single day that's an amazing Remember for an amazing surah a surah whereas sallallahu alaihi wasallam held the hand of a sahhabi and I'm running out of time mah again. he read the hand of a sahhabi and he said before you leave the masjid I will teach you one of the greatest suras that has ever been revealed. Immed Ahmed has mentioned in in his musnet in two two different variations of the hadith and subsequently what it ends on is thatam advising the sahabi al fat is the greatest surah of all. I ask Allah subhana tala to give us all the wisdom and the insight in his beautiful Quran. A Quran a book that is everlasting. A book that is a pure guidance for all in this earth and the universe becauseam was given that book and wasam was so he's the prophet not only for the humans on this earth but every single thing that Allah has created in the universe he is the prophet he is the last messenger of Allah and he brought us that I ask Allah subhana tala to enlighten our our chest and our heart with al fath and make us from the people who recited 17 times every day. And make us amongst the people on the day of who are enlightened in their faces and in their with.

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Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Inshallah we'll conclude with the last look at the fat and if Allah subh gives us life inshallah we'll be we'll meet again next Jama and try to dissect and read some of the ex Jesus on the fata in detail. if the brothers in the back or the front can move just a little bit of front we're kind of getting a little bottleneck in the back. Please, brothers, make sure as soon as you enter, don't don't just take a spot in the front of the door to pray. It blocks people behind you and they cannot walk in front of you either. Continue to make dua for me. Inshallah, Allah heal me. I'm still in pain, still suffering, but Allah will have his mercy upon all of us who are suffering. Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam mentioned in in a narration in an authentic narration that nothing of this magnitude and I want you to pay attention to this statement of nothing of this magnitude for the surah has ever been revealed in any other books that were revealed to all the prophets beforeat wasam. So nothing has been ever revealed by Allah subhana wa ta'ala. And in the is mentioned that a special door of the heavens was opened and who have never come on this earth before brought down this surah toatuam. So I I beg you, I will not ask you. I'll beg you to take the time out of your time and to sit and read this surah and learn it in the proper manner that is meant to be recited and then take the time and teach your kids in the proper manner we're supposed to be reciting. It's only seven verses. Alhamdulillah, most of us know how to recite it, but the minor adjustments are needed from time to time. Even used to recite the Quran once a year on in the month of Ramadan so he can have his things in order. So it is nothing below us as human beings to to spend the time in revision and understanding the Quran. I ask Allahh to enrich our lives with this Quran. We ask Allahh to make the Quran the light in our graves and the light in the hereafter.

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Form. Allah Can.

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Foreham speech.

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For Allah.

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Allah abar. Strain your lines. Fill the gaps in between. May Allah subh mercy upon us. Allahbar. Alhamdulillah. with thee.

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Amen.

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Fore! Foreign! Foreign!

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Allah.

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Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Foreign speech. Foreign foreign foreign speech.

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Allah s Allah mana.

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Allah Allah. Allahbar.

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Alhamdulillah.

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Amen. Allahbar.

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Say Allah. Allahbar.

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Allah alone.

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Allah. I love this.

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I just need a few minutes of your precious time inshallah. So if you'll be kind enough to just give me three more minutes, I will be very thankful to you. So as you know, we have a school on the premises of MCCT and alhamdulillah we'll be adding fourth grade to it come this August. We ask Allahh to give us the ability and the community ability to continue to grow it inshallah. So inshallah they will be having on May 20th there will be an open house at the new building that's built which is on the back side from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the second class grade there will be an open house where the teachers will be available the principal will be there and it gives you time and opportunity to come and ask questions and discuss things. if I I I beg you to really think about If you have children who are at the age who can attend school to really pay attention and utilize the service, especially if they are going into kindergarten, you don't have to pay anything so to speak. We have scholarships available and you also have a scholar or voucher program from state of Arizona that can go towards your kids education. There's very there's a lot of avenues and I don't have to tell you what the climate sight looks today. But what I can tell you personally, I have a child who is in that program. And when he gets in the car in the morning and he tells me to put the Quran on so he can recite and and wall, it makes you happy. It brings a different kind of joy inside of you because they have that instilled and it comes from the program that's being there. Now we have a program available for newborns. We have a program for toddlers. We have preschool. We have prek. Then we have kindergarten. Then we have first grade, second grade, third grade, and fourth grade. And I say to you with all due respect, it is much better that your kids learn Quran. The worldly knowledge can be learned at any time. There's a brother in this mah right now and I don't want to point him out and say his name. I was talking to him over Ramadan and mashallah he's a hus and I said can you tell me your story of hs and he said my parents didn't let me go to a regular school until I became a hus they held me back and the brother is mal engineer now so the worldly gains will come if you keep Allah prioritized in his book and wahi once you memorize the Quran everything becomes easy to memorize it's just the rule of Allah Tala. So I beg you and implore you. We have summer program coming up for Rahma. Ahmed, brother Ahmed is here. Ahmed, can you raise your hand or stand up please? Brother Ahmed is here. I'm here in the office. We have summer Sunday school which is transitioning into summer program. If you can't afford either of the programs, come and talk to us. We'll find a way to take care of you. Whatever way it is, we can take care of you. Inshallah. So mark your calendars. May 20th open school. U open open day the new building at 6:00 to from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. If you are part of our announcement groups, the WhatsApp has already been sent out. If you're not part of our announcement groups, you want to be added on to it, come see me afterwards in the mah or in the office. Inshallah, we'll take care of you. Last but not least, please slow down on the road next to the masid, please. It's becoming a very big liability issue in the parking lot and in the in on the outside. And subhan Allah, I'm afraid one of these days a kid's going to get hit or something bad is going to happen. So please help us manage this.