Why Did Gabriel Only Ask Questions?

Alhamdulillah.

[Silence]

Our finaling, our final, our final examination or meditation on this narration of which was collected by im Muslim at the conclusion of which our prophet sallall.aii Wasam explains to Omar explains to the companions. He says that this man who came to ask me those questions on that day. It was who came to you all to teach you all your religion. Notice here who he ascribed the teaching to. He said that Gibl is the one who came to teach them. But all he did was ask questions. Correct? Then how is it that Gabriel is the one who is considered to have taught them when all he did was ask questions? The answer is those questions were the cause behind that teaching occurring. Correct? And in Islam, in the judgment of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the cause for something, the cause for an action has the ruling of the one who does the action. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said, He says subhanahu waala indeed we write what they have put forth for themselves of acts and their impacts their effects the effects of their actions is also considered to be part of our actions. For this reason, this this works here, the pendulum here swings on both sides. This is for good things. It can also be for bad things. The prophet sallall.aii Wasam. He said, "Oh, the one who leads another to something is the one who does that thing." Therefore, in a narration in Bkari Muslim, the prophet sallall.aii said, he said, "One of the greatest of the greatest of sins, one of the most major of major sins is that a man insult his own parents." In our time, unfortunately, that's not very peculiar. We don't need any more questions. We don't need to ask how something could happen. But at that time, in the time of the companions, in the time of human decency, the companions were perplexed by this. Who would insult his own parents? How does that even happen? They asked. And the prophet sallall.aii.

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He said a man would insult another man's father and in retaliation the insulted would turn and insult his. Who is responsible for this? The person didn't insult his own father directly but he was the cause for what? For his father to be insulted. Therefore he is considered to have insulted his own parent. He has insulted his own parent. And so this is the point here is that Gabriel when he came and he asked those questions he was actually given the reward of the one teaching. Does it mean that this excludes the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam? Of course not. He provided the answers and he taught. However, Gibl is considered to be a teacher in that in that exchange as well. So this narration has so many important points to the point that it's been referred to as sunnah. This narration has been referred to as the reference and the mother of all other narrations and the sunnah of the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam just like is so we haven't even really scratched the surface when with regards to the meanings embedded in this narration. However, before we move on to the next narration, we'd to take a bit of a review of this narration, inshallah, to make sure that we have understood the most critical elements and points of it. Says that as they were sitting in the masid with the prophet sallall.aii alaihi wasallam. A man walked in with very black hair, very white clothing. No one recognized him to be a local, nor did he have the appearance of a traveler. And this man came in in this form for what reason? We later find out this was Giblam. Why did he come in this form?

[Arabic recitation]

And Gabriel came in and he sat very close to the prophet sallall.aii wasallam and he aligned his knees to the knee to his knees and he placed his hands on his thighs and he said, "Yeah, tell me and define for me what is Islam? Islam in the Arabic language means what? What is the meaning? Huh?

[Silence]

Right. Islam. My Jews.

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For.

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Islam. Islam in the Arabic language is to submit. To submit to become subi subi submissive which is what is the legislative meaning of Islam? These are the elements. These are the pillars of Islam. We want the actual definition of al Islam. Now this is why we're reviewing because these things are so critical when we say for instance what is the definition of Islam? What this means is this is the bare minimum threshold for a person to be considered a Muslim. If a person does not have this description, they are not Muslim. Right? So we're not asking about the pillars of Islam. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam was asked tell me about the about Islam meaning it's its its rights its most prominent rights. However, we want the definition of Islam which is the bare minimum of what makes a person Muslim as opposed to what excludes a person from being Muslim. We gave this definition. We said three things. Yes. -huh. Well, you're you're creeping up on it a little bit, but not close enough. You're you're you're you're getting around the well, but you got to you got to draw the water. Now, Islam, memorize these things. These are not this knowledge that is being shared that I sit on this chair and share with you. This is not optional knowledge about your religion. These are the critical components of your religion that no Muslim has any excuse to be ignorant of especially in the quote unquote age of information. Right? Islam has three elements. What is Islam? Islam is the following definition.

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I'll repeat it again. Islam is defined as it is submission to Allah with monotheism. And it is submission to him with obedience. Okay. And disassociation from shik and its people. What is what is Islam? Islam. Islam is submission to Allah with monotheism. Meaning that we worship only Allah alone without any partners. Somebody claims to be a Muslim but worships other than Allah along with Allah. Can this person be a Muslim? What about if they pray five five times a day and sayahillahool and establish prayer and give zak fast Ramadan and make correct? Can they be a Muslim if they worship other than Allah along with Allah even if they do all these things? What about if they memorize the whole Quran? What about if they go and are martyed on the battlefield but they worship other than Allah along with Allah? Can they be a Muslim? The answer is no. A person may say well all these good things and that's the sha right that's what gives people pause doubt they say all these good things are invalidated by this one thing this isn't mathematics it's not an issue of two is more than one not all acts are the same there are actions which are great and then there are actions which make a person and define a person. And so if a person were to accept Islam yet they continue to worship other than Allah, this person cannot be a Muslim. This is not Islam. Right? So the first element of Islam, what is Islam? It is submission to Allah with monotheism. Mono meaning onetheism. It's Latin. I don't really using these definitions in English. They carry other connotations but for our intents and purposes. The second and it is adherence to Allah with obedience. adherence to Allah with obedience. This means that a person does this mean that a person has to obey in every single thing that if they don't obey in every single thing 100% and they make a mistake or they stumble or they fall short that they're somehow Islam is invalid. No. But what's meant is that there is a general attitude of holistic adherence, obedience to Allah. A person, imagine with me for a second, a people became Muslim in the prophet's time, sallallahu alaihi wasallam, and they said, "Listen, we will not worship other than Allah. However, we're not going to pray. We're not going to fast. We're not going to give zaka. We're not going to make Hajj. We're not going to stop eating pork. We're not going to stop drinking alcohol. We're going to continue to gamble. We're going to continue to commit adultery. We're going to murder. We're going to fight you. We're going to fight against your companions. But would he say that? Well, that's what's expected of you. Is that what he would say? Of course not. There has to be a general holistic attitude of adherence. Allah is my creator. Muhammad is my messenger. I must obey. His words are binding upon me. I have to change myself. I am not I am not acceptable as I currently am. There has to be that general air of adherence, right? There is no such thing as a person becoming Muslim without changing anything in their life at all. Nothing. nothing at all. This person cannot be a Muslim. This is not Islam because Islam has three components. The first is monotheism. The second is what? There has to be obedience. And what is the third?

[Silence]

And the third component is disassociation from shik and its people and its people. So what does this mean? We live in America. Most the people around us are mushri. Does this mean that we can't have neighbors that are mushri? We can't have co-workers that are mushri. We can't No, of course not. That's not what is intended. Disassociation here is a religious disassociation. Just you religiously affiliate yourself with Islam and the Muslim, you religiously disassociate yourself from Shik and its people. Right? These three elements that is the definition of Islam right? This is something that we have to memorize. When you read the Quran Allah says those the Muslim will enter paradise. Who are the Muslim? They are those who they they have monotheism. They have obedience and they are disassociate themselves from Shik and its people in all times. The Muslim in the time of the Muslim in the time of the Muslim this is Islam Islam Islam.

[Silence]

So when Allah says in the Quran and we'll finish with this he says indeed the religion the valid acceptable religion with Allah is what? Islam. We could exchange that for its definition. What does the verse mean? The verse literally says that indeed the religion, the acceptable religion with Allah is submission to Allah withhed monotheism and and obedience to him. adherence to him with holistic obedience and disassociation from Shik and his people from polytheism and his people. All right, let's see if we can't get that definition one more time before I I leave you and we'll continue to mention this. How many times have I mentioned this sitting in this chair in the past six months that I've been here? Almost six months. I say I've probably said it maybe 50 times. No less than 50. Probably around more a hundred times. I said it till I'm blue in the face. I'll probably keep saying it until I'm yellow and green and red in the face. And this is what knowledge is, right? I once had one of my mash in the science of hadith. He said something really that stuck with me years ago. He said, "A teacher who is bored with repetition is a failure. And a student who is bored with repetition is a failure." Meaning as a student, as a teacher, a teacher who teaches must have the longevity of repetition. Always, always, always, always. You look at the Quran, what is it repeated? itself over and over and over in many different ways. That's what teaching is. So the first element of Islam is raise your voice. It is submission to Allah with monotheism. and adherence to Allah with holistic obedience. And the third and disassociation from polytheism. Poly meaning more than one, multiple theism, polytheism and its people. Memorize these things. Write them down. It's all on the camera. You can go back and watch this again on Facebook, right? And you take your notes and you review those notes until you memorize them. And that way some guy on the TV or someone on Tik Tok can't pull the wool over your eyes and trick you and swindle you out of your.

[Arabic recitation]

No, that's that's not true. But we can say this there is a difference between definitions and judgment, right? for instance, if we say this particular thing here is shik, an act of shik, right? This particular thing is an act of shik. Does it mean that every person who does this thing irrespective of who they are, where they come from, their level of education indiscriminately is a Would that be correct? No, of course not. Second of all, numbers are not what make give us definitions. Can't say, well, the overwhelming amount of people that are doing this thing here, there's a huge amount of people that do this thing. Therefore, this could not be haram. Impossible. That's not how definitions work. Definitions are taken from the Quran and Sunnah and applied to people. Whoever fits the definition fits it. Whoever does not does not. But when you say 80% that is a huge percentage. Why would why would you say that?

[Arabic recitation]

Their own religion because of the Muslims who are always where the tree is where the Christmas tree is.

[Arabic recitation]

Stay with me here. Those 80% or 90% or 100%. the Muslims that you meet, let's say in Liban here in Tucson, wherever it is, if you were to stop them and say, "Do you if you were to let's let's frame the question in a different way. Let's say you and I walked into a casino." Yeah. Go ahead. Walked into a casino or walked into a bar or wherever and found Muslim in there gambling, drinking, whatever it is. Musliming. We pulled them aside. We said, "Is this behavior acceptable?" What would they say? They say, "No, they fit the second condition." That's what the second condition means. It doesn't mean that they adhere to everything. that none of us would fit that condition.