Pillars of Islam The Spiritual Dimension (281)

[Music] Salam alaikum I was able a min ash-shaytaan-i'r rajeem bismillah r-rahman r-rahim what's left was to them while I say didn't have Muhammad why that either he was not to be as mine inshallah I will be mine in this session our guest speaker today is brother Jeffrey Liang he's a professor of math at the University of Candace Kansas he he has three beautiful daughters and he wanted me to say that he misses them and his wife very very much so and show that message we'll get to them the tape will reach them look this topic for tonight is pillars of Islam the spiritual dimension so brother Jeffrey good [Music] microphones are low oh good see my head is here good yeah can you hear me should I do the same all right it's Millian Atlantia rahim in the name of God the merciful the compassionate well they gave me two hours the program is supposed to last till nine I don't think it will what I have to say is brief shouldn't take me more than 30 35 minutes and then there will be some question and answers and hopefully you'll all get out of here at least by 8 o'clock when brother Hammett Hannah does Ally vice president of isne invited me to this conference I told him I have run out of things to talk about so he asked me what are you writing about lately I told him I'm writing a book called even the angels asked I'm coming up towards the end of it right now I'm writing about the pillars of his life and he said well then talk about that I said Hamid the audience has heard the subject time and time again and I have nothing new to say and they know as much about this subject as I did so he said well come anyway we need a speaker just make it brief so here I am in the book I'm trying to take a new angle or at least what I perceived to be a new angle in discussing the five pillars of Islam when I was studying Islam as a non Muslim and I came across books that dealt with this subject I inevitably found that it was covered in a very dry and sort of mechanical fashion the pillars were described in detail as far as how to perform them several hadith about their merits were quoted and that was the extent of it and as a non-muslim as an atheist as a matter of fact considering this religion out of curiosity mostly I found that this subject was perhaps one of the least inspiring as it's often covered in text on Islam it was inevitably the least inspiring chapter the reason being because as an American when I think thought of faith back in those days I thought of the spiritual side of faith to me as an American faith meant something spiritual so when I came upon the Islamic rituals I explained it I expected to find something deeply spiritual and profound and i neva tably i found it to be very dry and matter-of-fact and i was greatly disappointed so today I would like you to sit there for a while and think about how you would take a fellow like me back in those days and how you would explain to him your experience of the pillars of Islam what do they mean to you what did they do for you what do you get out of them what do you accomplish by doing them and remember that you're talking to somebody that didn't didn't grow up in your tradition so even though I know this subject that I'm about to discuss is well known to all of you I want this to be an exercise for all of us an exercise in trying to communicate one of the most important elements of our religion to those who are not of our religion this is my own my own attempt and I hope you will formulate your own because when you do communicate your belief your faith experience to non-muslims you do have to do it I believe in a way that's personal so late that is what we'll move now that will that will be what will make them appreciate your faith experience so in other words I don't want you to mimic what I'm saying here today I want you to internalize these questions yourself and hopefully and to communicate that personal experience of faith to others it's important to remember that when when I'm about to give this lecture that I was a atheist for many many years from the time I was about 16 to the time I was 28 because that'll help you to understand the first story I'm gonna begin with this lecture with because when you're an atheist you reject God outright and when you do such a thing you're committing a grave and dangerous wrong grave and dangerous because you are harming yourself your soul your person in very profound ways and when you convert to Islam there's a lot of repair work to do because you've done such damage to yourself he's built up so much pride so much vanity so many harmful qualities that it's going to take some time to break them down and to build all over again and to construct your character the account I'm about to begin this story with is not flattering to me it's actually very embarrassing and I have a difficult time sharing it with you because it doesn't put me in a very good life but I do think it says something about the mercy and the glory and the grandeur of God of Allah the Almighty and the merciful and for that reason I share it with you before I begin it I was that story I would just like to tell you something a quote that an imam invested in san francisco once said to me when I asked him about his experience of prayer he said when we pray and put our nose to the ground we feel the joy arrest the strength that is outside this world and no words could ever truly describe you just have to experience it to know of all the words I ever heard in my life those words were the words that are locked the key in my soul that got me to the stage where I was ready to become a Muslim and the day I converted to Islam the amount of the student message it gave me a manual and how to perform salat the Islamic prayer rituals take it easy the Muslim students told me don't push yourself too hard it's better to take your time you know slowly slowly first time I heard that expression slowly slowly slowly slow it hear it a lot after that I was dumbfounded I was surprised by their concern how hard could it be to pray I wonder when I was back in my childhood I prayed all the time it didn't seem pretty effortless effortless in any case that same night I decided to ignore their advice which I typically do and I decided to start performing the five prayers at their appointed scheduled times so I sat for a long time on my couch in the small dimly lit living room of my Diamond Heights apartment in San Francisco studying and rehearsing the prayer postures I also studied in rehearsed the verses of the Quran that I needed to recite and the supplications that I would have to make now much of what I had to say would be in Arabic so I had not only to memorize the meaning but I had to memorize the Arabic transliterations and their interpretations that the manual provided so I pour it over this manual for a couple of hours at least maybe three and even four before I felt confident enough to attempt my first Islamic prayer and it was close to midnight so I decided to perform Jascha prayer well I walked into the bathroom where the vanity is placed the manual on the sink counter and with it open to the section that described how to perform the washing for the prayer I opened it up and I started to follow the instructions very meticulously I was like a cook trying a recipe for the first time I was sort of following the instructions and looking over here and doing this and they gave pictures when I was done I shut off the faucet and returned to my living room and with water still dripping from various parts of my body for the instruction stated that is preferable not to dry oneself with a towel after wash for the prayer I stood there dripping and trying to find the approximate the right direction so I stood in the center of the room aimed myself in the direction of what I hoped was Mecca although I had never been there before I glanced back over my shoulder then to make sure that the apartment door was secured and locked as frankly I was a little bit embarrassed and nervous I didn't want any neighbors passing by or knocking on the door push get open the thing let's Jeff doing that turning around looked at the door it was locked it was bolted checked again just the second time making sure again definitely it was locked and bolted and then I looked straight ahead straighten my stance took very deep breath raised my hands to the side of my face with my palms open and my thumbs touching my earlobes and then in a very hushed voice I pronounced a lot and I hoped no one hurt me I felt a little bit anxious a little bit of barest even a little bit humiliated I couldn't read myself of the feeling that someone was out there somewhere spying on and I suddenly realized and I was seized and panicked that I had left the curtains to my living room open one of her neighbors are looking at seeing it I thought I stopped what I was doing went to the window flash the light outside looked around the backyard thank God it was empty okay so I drew the curtains carefully to a close made sure that they overlap so nobody could pursue peek through any crack turn to my position in the middle of the room once again approximated the direction of Mecca stood straight raised my hands through where my thumb's were touching my earlobes and whispered this time even more quiet than I did the first time a llama in a barely audible tone I slowly and clumsily recited the first surah of the Quran and then another short surah after that in Arabic although I'm sure that any Arabs if they had heard me that night wouldn't have understood a word I said and then quietly said another a long length button and bowed with my back perpendicular to my legs and with my hands grasping my knees I had never bowed to anyone or anything before and I felt embarrassed I was glad that I was alone and while still in bowing position I repeated several times the phrase subhana rugby eileen glories be to my lord the great and then stood up and recited as best I could send me a love with him in Haneda God hears those who praise him and then wrapping our lack o health our Lord and to you belongs all praise and at that moment I felt my pulse racing and my heart pounding and my anxiety Mountain mounting as I meekly called out another Allah bless I had arrived at the moment when I had to perform a sedge to a prostration and I stood there frozen I was petrified I stared at the area in front of me on the carpet where I supposed to be down on all fours and with my face to the ground and I couldn't do it I just could not do it I must have stood there 30 seconds I could not get myself to lower myself to the floor to humble myself with my nose to the ground like a slave groveling before his master it was just my legs and back had braces on it that would not let me bend I felt too ashamed and humiliated I could imagine the Snickers and cackles of friends and acquaintances watching me make a fool of myself I envisioned how ridiculous and pitiable I would look to that poor Jeff I could hear them all say he really went Arab crazy in San Francisco didn't please please please help me do this I pray I took a deep breath and then I forced myself to that floor now in my hands and knees I hesitated for a brief moment my neck was stiff I couldn't put it down I then pushed my face to that tarp ridding my mind of all other thoughts I mechanically pronounced three times I didn't think about what I was saying I just didn't allow even a whisper to enter my mind some higher up the eyes to power up the all a lie supine or up da da da robotically I said it three times glory be to by lower than the highest a lot lack bar I called out and sat back on my heels I had memorized this part I knew what to say and I wasn't gonna do anything else but just get through it I kept my mind blank a few seemed to allow any distractions to enter it allah-u-akbar i pronounced again and stuck my face once again onto that carpet with my nose touching the ground I called out mechanically Super Rugby ah la la soupe honored I'd be allowed to powder up the illallah glory be to my Lord in the highest it just wasn't going to stop myself I was gonna get through this even if it killed me Allah Akbar I called I lifted myself from the floor and stood up straight three cycles I got to go I told myself reassuring myself as if I was swallowing some bitter and difficult medicine I had to wrestle with my emotions and pride the entire rest of the prayer but it did get a little easier with each cycle I was even almost calm during the last prostration while in the final sitting posture I recited the distant Asha hood and then entered ended the prayer by saying salaam-o-alaikum iraq myth Allah calling it over my right shoulder as-salam-o-alaikum Barak with Allah peace be upon you and the mercy of God calling it over my left and i sat there spent completely exhausted and I remained there on the floor reviewing the battle I had just been through I was extremely embarrassed that I had to struggle so hard to get through but a single prayer and my head lowered and chained very much in shame I prayed please forgive me for my arrogance for my vanity for my stupidity I have come from very very far and I still have very far to go at that moment I experienced something which I had never felt before and which is therefore Derek very difficult for me to put into words a wave of what I could only describe as coldness swept through me which seemed to radiate from some point within my chest it was rather intense and I was initially startled and I remember shuddering however it was much more than a physical sensation it affected my emotions as well in a strange way it was if mercy had taken on some kind of objective form it's not penetrating and enveloping me and flowing through me I cannot say exactly why but I began to cry tears began to run down my face and I found I found myself weeping uncontrollably and the harder I cried the more I felt the embrace of the most powerful kindness and compassion I was not crying out of guilt although I probably should have nor was I crying out of shame or joy It was as if this huge dam of pain this huge dam of anger had been unblocked and all that pain and anger and suffering was pouring out of me and being released as I say these words to you I cannot help but wonder this God's forgiveness is more than his mirror at solution of our sins if his forgiveness is not also soothing and repairing curative and a swaging as well I remain on my knees crouched the floor with my head in my hands sobbing for some time when I finally stopped crying I was completely exhausted the experience I just had was for me too unfamiliar and overwhelming to try to rationalize at that moment and I also thought it was too definitely too strange to tell anyone about right away although in months and years to come I had other intense spiritual experiences during prayers and I'm sure you all have as well and with conversations with Muslims I came to realize that there was nothing unusual or bizarre about that prayer experience however at that moment I did realize this much but I needed a lot but I knew that God that I needed prayer for the rest of my life desperately before getting up from my knees I made one last supplication Oh God if I ever gravitate towards disbelief again please please kill me first take this life from me it's hard enough to live with my imperfections and weaknesses but I cannot live another day denying you hasten to salat hasten to prayer hasten to Falah hasten to success Aradhana urges us if our main purpose in life is to grow ever nearer to Allah to God then towards this end prayer has to be essential for Muslims salat is one of the most important ways to pursue and experience this goal of growing ever nearer to a lot to God Almighty so that is a Muslim spiritual compass by which he or she repeatedly checks his or her progress in direction of life and it is his or her lifeline to paradise in the Hereafter because through that experience they could almost feel God's mercy in an intimate and powerful way in a way that no other thing on earth could provide to the experience of salat a Muslim tries to stay alert to the fluctuations of his faith a Muslim will ask himself or herself am i becoming lazy about my prayers lately am i rushing through them without feeling any benefit are my experiences of Prayer weaker or stronger than they used to be do I feel closer or farther from God in my prayers these days although each of the five pillars helps a Muslim gauge his growth in faith the salat is the principal day-to-day measure of a believer submission to allow Mike to perform the Islamic ritual prayer five times every day day in day out at the appointed times requires considerable commitment to Islam a single survivor ritual prayer is not very taxing it takes but just a few minutes but to rise out of bed before dawn every day of the year weekday or weekend weren't their holiday no matter what kind of day it is every day of the year day-in day-out for the rest of one's life to make the federal prayer on time before the crack of dawn already demands considerable commitment to Islam and considerable determination all of Islam's rituals test and challenge and help to build a Muslims willpower and self-control in various ways and in so doing these rituals help to build those qualities in us determination self-control stick-to-itiveness persistence willpower strength the Shahada tests the person's allegiances are you a is your main allegiance to Allah or is it to something else is your main allegiance to this community or is it to some other community is your allegiance to the Muslims or to another nation is your allegiance to God or is your allegiance to your boss at work which comes first the Shahada is continuous and persistent test of that allegiance the fast of Ramadan test the control our control over our physical needs there's a cat tests our ability to discipline our material desires and to extend the bounty that had God given us and to share with our fellow man the pilgrimage to Mecca in some ways tests all of the three things I just mentioned but the salat may not be as emotionally demanding as a conference first Shahada and it might not be as physically a material demanding as the other three pillars of Islam but the ritual prayer more than any other ritual in Islam tests constancy and perseverance test our ability to stick to it I have known many Muslims who fast every Ramadan and don't miss a day and do it right I have known many and Muslims do not only do that but pace a cat every year and pay what they owe and even more I have known Muslims who do not only those two but who have made the hatch and I've followed the Sunnah and followed it to the tea when it comes to making the hunt and I've known those same Muslims and among them I've known a considerable number of them who can't make the 5 prayers every day day in and day out most of us most of us are capable of great moments of virtue or religiosity on occasion we could rise to the occasion on rare occasions almost all of it all of us have it within us but very few of us only a minority of mankind could be consistently religious could be consistently virtuous in terms of our moral and spiritual growth we are too often like persons who decide that they're going to go and get physically fit by going out and run a twenty kilometer marathon we say oh my goodness I'm getting out of shape stomach or as the Arabs say the cushion is a character getting a little flabby I gotta get in shape so the guy goes and puts on his diving suit sweatshirt G goes out and buys new sneakers new socks sunglasses headband gets all ready watch but glass of water goes out and tries to run 20 kilometres comes back exhausted dead falls into bed blisters all over his feet can't get up the next day lies imbedded for 10 more days puts on 16 pounds cuz he hasn't moved it doesn't sound ridiculous but many of us approach faith in the same way everyone knows that in order to get physically fit you have to find a follow a regular and steady program of exercise but somehow we feel that to become religious we're just going to get out the beads and we're gonna recite Quran all day and we're gonna make supplications and do extra prayers and fast all day and we get really religious for two or three days and then we get so burnt out then we just give it off and take it easy for a while and think oh I'll get religious later that type of attitude whether in the physical sphere or the spiritual sphere is damaging because it teaches us failure it teaches us that we can't it helps to encourage us to be lazy failure continual failure producers of failure continued success produces a success so in the physical sphere we understand that we need a regular program to follow when you go to your high school football coach I played high school football no pain no gain boys get out there every day got to run this you got to do these exercises every day no pain no gain gotta stick to this program don't stick to this program you're not gonna make it and we understand and it's as plain as rain we know he's right we walk into the classroom my teachers got to do your homework every day got to work hard every day brain will atrophy work hard keep studying you're gonna be a failure you want to be a success got to work hard we know he's right but somehow we think that there's a whole different law that comes with our spiritual development we think it's like magic but islam teaches us that we have to find a regular follow this regular program which begins with the five pillars of islam and we can't forget that most important pillar Islamic prayer the Quran repeatedly repeatedly exerts the believer to develop southern the Arabic word that can connotes patience perseverance fortitude stick-to-itiveness equality that is essential to spiritual development it's essential to any kind of development very often these expectations they talk about the suburb occur with expectations to do what establish the regular prayer those are the believers who establish prayer and are patient and adversity how many times we see those that connection made throughout the Quran because the two obviously complement each other yet the rewards of salat far outweigh the demands just want to check up on running overtime get the rewards of survived far outweigh the demands and most of student once informed me as I mentioned in the beginning of this lecture that the power of salat is indescribable if you'll let me quote him again he said that when we pray and put our nose to the ground we feel a joy a rest a strength that is outside these this world and no words could ever describe you have to experience it to know but you'll my brothers and sisters are not ignorant of that experience or at least you shouldn't be you should know the day he told me this was the day I became a Muslim oh it's not long before I began to understand begin to understand what he meant for there are moments during salat moments of truth of true honesty sincerity and humility when a Muslim perceives the infinite presence of God's most merciful and compassionate light these are not moments that can be anticipated for you as you all know they almost always come unexpectedly but when those moments come and they do a Muslim feels the caress of the most tender and most overpowering kindness this is an utterly humbling experience because a Muslim knows that is too infinitely beautiful to be deserved it is a tremendously intoxicating experience because with their hands feet and face firmly to the ground you feel like you're suddenly lifted into heaven into paradise and you could breathe its air and smell its fragrances and soil and feel its gentle breezes the fields are sufficient as if you're about to be raised off the ground and to be placed in the arms of the most benevolent benevolent and affectionate love these moments of divine intimacy create in the worshiper and overpowering longing to be nearer to God and then her after and growing nearer nearer to God becomes the focus of that person's living and striving and dying this helps us understand why devout Muslims are so zealous about their prayers why they're so strict about them why they could seemingly prefer death to missing but a single ritual prayer so you could and that is why you that these Muslims these pious Muslims who know the power and the beauty of prayer you could see them you could see them at airports and you could see them on city sidewalks and in city parks and public buildings alone or in congregation standing bowing sitting and prostrating paying no attention to the hustle and bustle around them as if they were in a world of their own this is because they have come to need the salat so desperately it has become their main source of spiritual sustenance and their most personal and powerful means of relating to Allah the God Almighty a devout Muslim cannot risk missing a single salat for he knows that his spiritual center what people refer to symbolic as symbolically as one's heart he knows that that is real and that it grows in its ability to receive and experience the divine with the continual instead for a fast performance of the ritual prayer this is conviction born of study as he finds it the Quran statements of the Quran and also statesman's in the Sunnah to that effect but more than that is a conviction that is also born of experience a Muslim comes to know firsthand that his spirituality and spirits will run receptivity receptivity he's activity increases with and depends on the persistent exercise of Prayer but there is AI upstate up many occasions and the Quran makes perfectly clear and so does the prophets teachings peace be a pilot a Muslim growth is also tied to his deeds and his relationship with others perform prayer and do righteous deeds a fact that is also reinforced by the form of the congregational prayer because even in the congregational prayer our dependence not only on a lot but our commitment to our fellow man is emphasised by the very farm in which we pray as you all know we stand shoulder to shoulder foot to foot in tight formation leaving no gaps in between us the visual beauty and gracefulness of our ritual prayer depends on our obeying instructions of the man in unison and moving as one have you ever seen the pilgrims pray in Mecca during had they're all bowing and coming up at one time that beautiful sea of white for all the pilgrims bow and come up and prostrate that's one it's a beautiful confluence you see before you especially if you see it from up high as if you travel to the Middle East and seeing the cameras come down in that beautiful sight all that depends on the believers living and acting in that moment as one and following each other's anticipating each other's movements and following the instructions of the amount a Muslim student wants it for me that he could not understand why the Prophet ordered his companions peace be upon Prophet Muhammad to pray in such close contact with each other when they're trying to devote all their attention to a lot he said to me how can I concentrate on Allah when I have this person I'm rubbing against me on my right they're rubbing against me on my left amelia is sitting against me on my right left squeezed in there like sardines then he said please don't say this to any of the other brothers you know you're a convert I can talk about these I told them that perhaps he had confirmed with this question an important Islamic theme that even in our most intense worship we should not forget that a relationship to Allah mighty is tied to our relationship with our fellow human beings that we should never forget our brother on our right and our brother on our left or our sister on a right or left as well that our future and thereafter depends on our relationship today there's a well-known saying the Prophet peace be upon him we insist that a Muslim should not leave a gap between him herself and his/her neighbour during the prayer otherwise they will leave an opening for as you all know shaitaan/the satan another most Muslim student also had the courage to come up to me and I don't blame him I wish more would do this we learned by it come up to me and he said that that's not that's so silly to him he said how can Satan come up you know you leave a door by leaving a little space he do creep in there and reach over yeah he said they'll not only sounded very ridiculous to him so I asked him I said when you were performing a congregational prayer did it so happen that the person you were praying with ever intentionally or you least you thought intentionally left a space between you and him he thought about it for a minute he said yes that's happened to me several times and I said how did you feel very angry what did he think he was too good for me you could not pray beside me if I come from some great family or something he was somehow the superior believer to me believe me I've seen him walking around campus he looks at all the ladies I've seen I come from a big family he comes from a small family my ancestors are so great this or nothing I come from this country I looked at him and I said see adore to satan was open the door to temptation was left open as time passed i grew more and more to appreciate the student imam statement that the beauty of salat cannot be truly described its beauty seems to have no upper bound and it increases over time the consistence performance of the five daily prayers and as it does the believer comes to see with ever greater clarity just how much is at stake in this life how much there is the gain as he gets a hint of it through the beauty of that prayer and how much there is the lose a pious Muslim parent can certainly understand the urgency behave behind prophet abraham's prayer peace be upon him as described in the quran when he said o my lord make me one who establishes regular salat and of my descendants our lord my lord was a desperate plea and prayer i came to appreciate that in a very real way one day when i was praying the noon prayer with my daughter my oldest daughter jameelah he had just finished the noon prayer and then she said something that just sort of wasn't anticipated she said kids ask the simplest questions and yet they're the most poignant sometimes she said daddy why do we pray her question cost New York off guard I didn't expect it from an eight-year-old although I know she's quite clever and new of course the most obvious answer that as Muslims are obligated to but I did I didn't want to waste the opportunity to share with her the beauty and the power of the experience of prayer because if you miss those type of opportunities with your children and you just give them a dry answer that doesn't really come to the depth of that question they ask we as parents are blowing an opportunity we have an experience in prayer but just give them distant Curt response well we have to means that we're not willing to take the effort to can really deeply consider that questions those questions they ask and share with them the experience we've gained of practicing this faith over time nevertheless before answering her I tried to buy a little time by giving the usuals front in response well hon we pray because God wants us to and I knew that wouldn't do they still say that to me that's gonna become a lawyer someday she never lets a question we made half answers but why daddy what does brain do for us she asked I told her it's hard to explain to a young person I told her that someday she performs five prayers every day I'm sure she'll begin to understand but I told her nonetheless that I'll try to do the best I can to describe her to answer a question from a personal point of view I told her you see jameelah God is the source of all the love mercy kindness wisdom of all the beauty that we experience and feel in this life you know how the Sun is the source of the light we see in the daytime I told her God is a source of all these beautiful things I just described and so much more so that the love I feel for you and your sisters and your mommy is given to me by God to feel the mercy that I feel in my heart towards you and towards others it's a tiny fraction tiniest fraction of the mercy that God has imparted on this world which represents only a tiniest fraction of his great mercy for he is a source of all the mercy that exists everywhere and in this kindness and his generosity he allows that mercy to flourish inside of us to grow inside of us to fill our hearts so that we could know his mercy approximately but so beautifully because in his kindness he shares that with us I said for example I told him that I told her this when we pray we could feel God's love and kindness and mercy in a very special way in the most powerful way I told her think about this example you know that Mommy and I love you I told her by the way we care for you but but and the things we give you but when we hug and kiss you when we embrace you could feel that love that mercy that feeling we have for you flow through us to you I told you it's not something you can measure it's not something you could calculate it's not something you could even describe to your friend but when you feel it you know I said when you feel it it is more real to you it's a grounding walk on and you could identify and you respond by telling us mommy daddy I love you because you've just received ours I said in a similar way we know that God loves us but all that he has given to us in all the beautiful things that we have that he bestows upon us and he protects us the one we pray we can feel his love his mercy his kindness in a unique and very special way does praying make you a better daddy she asked I said I hope so and I told her I would like to think so because once you are touched by God's love and kindness in the prayer it is so beautiful and so powerful but you cannot but want to share it with others when you experience something that's so beautiful that's so powerful that fills you to such an extent you have this we Inhumans have this natural desire to communicate that to others on the simplest level think about it when you're walking around in life and you look up walking around you're walking down the street suddenly you look up and you see this beautiful cloud formation or a beautiful sunset and it strikes you is so beautiful and you sit there looking at it what's the natural thing you do you look to your right and left to see if anyone else is enjoying it maybe you'll even say to another person standing there gazing at the same same scene you are isn't that beautiful because you want to share that with others when God touches us with his love and mercy and celac in a way is the Prophet used to always say peace be upon them that is more beautiful and greater than this world and all it contains you naturally want to share that with others and those especially those most closest to you mean your family and your loved ones and your children and so that is what I told you I said you know when I come home from work I said a lot of times I'm tired I'm exhausted I put up with that department head all day and those goofy colleagues and I come home and frustrated and angry and I'm tired and I just want to come in this house I don't want to hear a sound and I just want to go to my room be left alone and just be quiet for a half hour but I told her when I make that salat then I suddenly look around and because of the beauty that God allows us to feel I look around and I see the gifts that he has given me a new jameelah and your sisters and your mommy and it just makes me feel how much he has given to me and how much I owe him and you as my daughter and your mom as my as my wife I asked her am I making any sense to you at all because I got sort of into it and she looked at me and I don't know if she got a hundred percent of what I said but she did say this she said the meal is very honest and she said I kind of understand what you mean and then she hugged me and said and I love you daddy and I told her I love you too sweetie pie and I love you too and may the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you all assalamualaikum rock with the law [Applause] how did that we have a we have some time for questions and answers so much all we can propose the first question is is scented by sister was five years old it says what did you tell people when you became Muslim and how did they act I told him I became a Muslim no I became a Muslim I hardly had to tell anybody strange thing happened I was working at Catholic University Christian University run by the Society of Jesus and I was an atheist at the time but I didn't tell then just wanted the job you know let them assume what they will I got the job well I was not on the job for three months the University of San Francisco and I became a Muslim and there were only two or three people in the mosque that day about four that day I became a Muslim student run message so I didn't assume that the news would travel very fast or far well the next day I'm walking on campus and all these Muslim students are coming up to me saying you the professor who became a Muslim I'm looking around and thinking yes and then the big smile come on their face and they'd say congratulations congratulate all the graduations congratulations everywhere I go gradually what some students who walk by me Middle Eastern looking students would just walk by and they smile and say congratulations [Music] so I started to get nervous and I swear if I walked in class and the professor said congratulations I was gonna really get scared but there the case it didn't quite work out that way with all this news among the Muslim community that very same day one of the professors on campus found out that I had become a Muslim and he was another professor I was hired a tenure track job he was just hired as a temporary but he thought I got fired he could get my job so he went around the entire campus telling the administration every professor he saw every secretary any person who could run into that jeff lang became a muslim and no sooner or not i within a honest this was in from the beginning of a that the end today and professors walking by me say it's it true did you become a Muslim so my start in Islam was I didn't have to tell anybody anything within a couple of weeks so it's probably the most famous Muslim in San Francisco believe me I didn't wanna be I just wanted to just relax somewhere you know just be like everybody else but it was immediately in the spotlight so I didn't have to tell anybody I had to sort of defend the decision I made right from the start but my reasons for becoming a Muslim were essentially this I was an atheist with very strong objections the idea of God very strong rational objections at least I thought I had through the process of reading Quran not only that I find the solution for those objections but I discovered God in the process and I became a Muslim so it was easy for me to defend my choice I told him I was not as an atheist for these reasons I became a Muslim because these were the answers I got from my religion and they would just stand there and say not bad makes sense if I ever become a religious person some day I'll think about it and also I had no difficulty defending that I had done so right from the moment I became a Muslim I was put in the position of having to defend myself the only difficulty I really had was telling my mother that I had become a Muslim because she was a very devout Christian and then I became an atheist that was a big shock in her life but when I became a Muslim that was even worse as far as she was concerned and I had a difficult time telling her couple days after I became a Muslim I called her on the phone but she was the first person that I personally notified about what I had done and it was a very emotionally charged three weeks but that semester break when I went home and had to defend what I had done to my parents because I had to explain as long to them from A to Z and we spent we were up till 5:00 in the morning every night my mother and I discussing religion for like two weeks straight exhausting each other but in the end she came to have a healthy respect for my religion at one point she said I understand why you became a Muslim a person who thinks the way you do and wasn't quite sure with that man but a person who thinks the way you do I can understand why that religion would definitely appeal to them and then she said to me but I'm sorry son but I could never become a Muslim and I told her I never even suggested the idea and after that we agreed to discuss it for a long time and we did but finally she asked me at one stage not to discuss it anymore and so we just hardly ever discuss it anymore unless she brings it up then I'll discuss it with her but I'll never bring it up first because she immediately becomes defensive has a very difficult time sothank because of my studies or a dead woman cannot find time how should we respond so they say they want to learn about Islam but they said they don't have the time so they want to learn but they can't find the time oh well I don't know if you're talking about a non-muslim who says he's interested in learning about Islam buddy this is not a good time for him you know I always say to people well I mean you've got it's your choice I'm not gonna ran my religion down your throat I mean and I never will but you know I I tell them that I think that I'll usually reinforce them I tell them that the search for one is for truth and the search for a relationship with God is very important I don't see how it could be more important than anything else in the world and I usually tell them to start learning about Islam you don't have to look very far all you have to do is pick up a pretty good interpretation of the Quran in English and just read a few pages at night takes it four or five minutes I said it's really no great commitment of time and no time at all I told him by the time you finish even the second surah of the Quran you'll have a pretty good summary knowledge of Islam oh well that's sort of how and the reason why I said that is that's how I sort of started I had received a copy of a Quran from some friends and I decided I would just read a few pages at night just to get an idea and I read the opening surround the Quran when I got done it dawned on me that I had just read a prayer for guidance and I felt like I would almost tricked into it so I got to the end and I said hey I just read a prayer for guidance I'm not a Muslim I'm an atheist I don't believe in God I just read a prayer for guidance so you could imagine my reaction when I open went on to the next page which began the second surah of the Quran entitled the cow and it began Alif LAAM Meem that is the book corrine no doubt his guidance for those last year of taqwa I shocked Oh since a voice from heaven was calling down to me I have no sooner just prayed for guidance semi-conscious me and now the next surah was answering my prayer that they translated at this but this author happened a translator is that I'm glad he did because that's the literal interpretation that what that this this book bad boy look this book that book is the book we're in no doubt his guidance for those who have fear of taqwa religious consciousness hell is stunt and so as I read through the Quran I was intrigued immediately what does it say so I started reading through the Quran and in the beginning it describes the people will be guided by this revelation it's as if it was written for an unbeliever I'm only surprised when Muslims think that it's read for believers and you shouldn't share it with non-believers it's principle audience originally were mostly non-believers they're the ones that heard it when I read it I felt that was definitely read for a non-believer I'm not saying it is only it's written for everyone it's revealed for everyone but I could feel it talking to me begins it begins by time describing its audience who will benefit most by this who will benefit least by this who will be in sort of the middle describes the believers and their qualities three or four verses talks about the people of completely closed mind they won't even consider this they won't even think about it they don't want to be bothered talks about them and about a line and a half they won't consider it no use wasting time on it then it talks for about 12 lines verse 8 through 20 of the second surah 13 lines about all those people in between which was me I may have been an atheist but I was willing to listen I made that an atheist but I was curious was an outright rejecter just couldn't satisfy my adults but here I was in the middle and that was me and I knew it as you read through that second surah it summarizes Islam's major themes and then from there on out you're sort of hooked what's your first question well your first question is what's the purpose of life why did God create is did he put us here just to punish us you start reading the second surah it begins to answer that question the Angels ask why create this thing who creates suffering and sheds blood when we celebrate your praises and glorify your Holy Name you know what reaction was when I read that wait a minute that's my question well I put us here on earth to suffer why make this creature who commit terrible wrongs and put them in this environment we could exercise his most negative and destructive tendencies why didn't you make us angels and just put us up in a heaven it what was it within your power that was my question I have asked in a priest I lasted of Rabbis I have asked the asset of Buddhist monks masses of Hindus I had asked them Hari Krishna's on campus I have asked him up everybody everybody said just gotta have faith here I was like but several lines into the Quran verse 30 of the second surah and my question is put there in the mouths of the Angels slowly but surely the Quran begins to unravel and answer and as it does it takes you through so many different facets and angles of life it interjects different parts of it message as it lures you into its design so as I read the Quran preceded it along I was trapped it was written I felt it was written perfectly for a non-believer that's all I would very much encourage you if you have somebody and he is honestly interested in Islam but feels he doesn't have the time point him in the direction of the Quran the good interpretation when did you find that you trust in English and get him in that direction nothing it's more powerful it's showing people the way to Islam the Quran okay next question is pretty brief it says the speech you just gave was taken from your latest book if so when will be published I don't know you have to talk to a man of publishers 9 I am right now on page 170 on my computer I'm just finishing the fourth chapter is called the pillars of its life I have two more chapters to write they're sort of brief one is about the trials and tribulations a typical Muslim convert faces when they enter the Muslim community the things I think that we Muslims do to dissuade people from staying in the community and the positive things we do that I think help people to find comfort and peace within that community so I discussed the Muslim community and then in the fifth or fifth the last chapter very briefly I discuss what I my hopes and dreams for my children as Muslims in America and my hopes for the future of Muslims in America and the problems I think the laughs to face so I think I have about 40 pages left so it should not be about 210 pages long sorry I have to talk about it in these terms now I'm envisioning it as my head in the typewriter as I'm talking to you mathematician 40 pages usually takes me about 40 days to write so I think at about 2 months I'll be done and I'll send it off to the publishers and they'll start editing it will start communicating back and forth maybe about a year and a half well you know it takes time then they got a printed manufacturer if they got it publish it once again once I send it to them it's out of my hands though and nothing to do with it except for checking ok sorry the next question you guys pray if you guys could keep the question topics according about prayer that would be very helpful because we have so many questions the question says how do you put all your concentration to your prayers well you do the best I can you know when I'm praying and I think you probably found this useful as well when you pray it's very difficult I mean to have total times and tracers during your prayer but I think it's good that while you're performing your prayer to interrupt yourself at times and think about genuinely think about something that you're grateful to a lot think about a deep concern you have for someone closely and you communicate that to a lot during your prayer think about something that you feel you may not have done quite right the doubt you have about yourself if I ask God to forgive you for that but to help you with that most importantly trying to adopt an attitude of humility during your prayer I think this is just my personal advice the more I find the more humble sincerely humble you are in your prayer the more when you turn to prayer you acknowledge and admit to a lot your dependence upon him the more you turn your heart totally over to him and concentrate on that the more you try to envision his greatness compared to your smallness his kindness compared to your humanity the more you concentrate on his beautiful attributes most powerful names I find the more beautiful is the experience of your prayer so as you recite the Quran interrupt yourself at stages just don't recite your prayers a four-minute stop yourself in moments whenever you feel so during your prayer and stop yourself at a verse and communicate to Allah your deepest feelings about and be thankful for what he has given you and ask for his help sincerely from the depths of your heart and tell them although he already knows how much you need him and you want to grow narrative because when you do that you are opening your heart to his life and then like I said those most beautiful moments almost never come as and when participated sometimes they come and you're not even trying well you're not you're just standing there in your prayer and you're exciting off that day and all of a sudden you'll feel this beauty take take over you but still I think it's the attitude with which you approach that prayer if you approach it just as a burden that you want to get out of the way then it's a probably going to be a burden lets you just get out of the way and you will receive a reward for it because it will develop your steadfastness persistence etc but if you approach it as a humble servant of God Almighty as one it depends on him totally it has total trusted I think it will enhance the beauty of your prayer all the more and God knows best but I will say this to all of us you need to remember this and we have to remind ourselves at this don't miss the prayers don't skip the prayers skip the prayers you're taking a step backwards and then you have a difficult time getting back to where you were before great day in day out as prescribed and you will slowly but surely notice of progress in your spirituality you will notice that the beauty of the prayers increases with that performance of prayer you will notice and if you compare your experience of prayer to the way it was three years ago there is something greater about it now than it was then provided that you're awesome trying to live the life of a Muslim sincerely trying to be humble and compassionate to others to be truthful to be good to be fair to your neighbor to be just to be honest etc etc but most of all with all that zone miss prayer because you take a huge step backwards and you got to start again nothing you go back to step one I frankly I don't know but you do go back and you got to bring yourself forward again at least as I am as I proceeded there's one question I asked about which translation of the Quran do you think was more beneficial for well it depends on the nine Muslim you know the one that moves me the most strangely enough was one that and I'm not recommending it just saying for me personally was one that came with no commentary and was done by a non-muslim name was Arthur Armory an English professor and English professor but he wasn't a professor in English he was an Englishman a professor scholar of Arabic who worked at and forgot the University Oxford or not quite sure in in England and he did this translation and that was the first one I stumbled on listened to his interpretation and it moves me great after that I stumbled on what's his name Dawood no not Yusuf Ali Marmaduke Pickthall and I found his very enlightening also I like the fact that he didn't provide so much commentary for somehow that was a distraction for me in the beginning after that I read Yusuf Ali's I found it enjoyable I found that I got things out of it I didn't get out of others I didn't agree with him on all the points he's exercising his opinion very frequently but still I found it valuable but you have to realize that these are men and they are providing their opinions and so many things they don't pretend to be perfect after that I read Muhammad Assad he had some interesting ideas in it I found some of the things he said very enlightening I took some I discarded others after that I read Muhammad Ali's it seemed that he was one of the earliest interpreters of the Quran into English he did a fairly good job I had a lot of respect with that interpretation let's see who else that I read I read who yeah hi Manasa I read Oh lots of people I just read about everyone I could find recently I've read the one that the Saudis Saudi Arabian organization for the propagation of islam put out I like that very much that one I think is very nice almost any of those are unsuitable pardon TB Irving TB Irving had it very nice very nice job I like that he did it for people who don't like Shakespearean English for some reason most Muslim interpreters inevitably use Shakespearean English and there are why a lot of people have difficulty with it I happen to like Shakespeare so I enjoyed it but TV earning a lot of people for me to prefer his work I would suggest that you use the interpretation of a sincere Muslim because that sincerity will show for the intensity of his faith will also come out in his work and that I think will be very inspiring and helpful as well any other questions okay a large portion of these questions are about the atheist and how what did you what would you tell a is that would spark interest in the Sun or how would you discuss it slam with them or prove the existence of God's own hey I don't really try to prove the existence of God to an atheist an atheist doesn't really come at you and said prove God exists to me most people don't expect that much famous atheists believed in God at one point in their life and because of various rational or emotional things rejected that belief at one stage so they have to see the belief in them at one stage in their life but because of a bitter experience within the religion of their birth they reject religion altogether so usually I wouldn't suggest for you to come to a tea is and say I'm going to prove the existence of God after an empirical proof of God a proof that we can use simply with the five senses that would be convincing to everyone no matter what then we everybody on earth would automatically believe but that's I I there is no such simply and purely empirical proof and I've studied them all and even studied the ones by even seen in others and you'll have to make certain very strong assumptions for them to work those arguments and an atheist might not accept those assumptions what I am saying is this then with an atheist you're taking the wrong approach if you say I'm going to prove to you that God exists because you get in a circle a circle circle let him start his starting position is this that I have reasons why I do not believe in God and then you'll start to explain them to you I don't believe in God because I can't explain the suffering and this why we're here to suffer I don't believe in God because if there's a God could he make a rock that's too heavy for himself to lift no looks a goofy things sometimes it's God is omnipotent can he kill himself you know what things like that you know or I don't believe in God because he could have made us angels to start with and he made us men inferior I don't believe in God because this world is imperfect and a perfect God if he creates an imperfect world means he's somewhat imperfect so he'll start giving you various argument that he's invented over the years for why there is not a god and then if you study the Quran carefully and study your faith carefully I think you'll be begin to point him in the right the right I'm not saying you'll be able to answer all those questions but you should think about what the Quran says about those issues and say oh you know Quran says this and the Quran does talk about that I personally don't quite understand it but I know that there are atheists who converted to Islam and found their answers in the Quran I know this one in particular this blond guy professor from the University of Kansas he became a Muslim through the Quran he was an atheist you know just and then let him go from there you know and he might say huh I think he said what did he do do you have a tape do you have a like knife I wouldn't suggest that I'm the one to do the trick I'm just saying he might say you know he might get something out of seeing what another atheist when true but most importantly get him to the right direction yeah don't you come in to walk up to like you have a suit of armor on say I am going to prove to you that there is a guy no no say I believe in God very much and because of my religion I do this and I do that he'll say he or she will say ah I respect your faith but I personally don't believe in that and these are the reasons why and then you could get into a good luck good discussion shoot ah please she is a Muslim I met her through Muslim families in San Francisco and I went about it and sort of the semi traditional way bad may over for outings and picnics and stuff like that they realized I was an M Ricky most most of the families that introduced me to their daughters or ODS or relatives they were a little bit flexible with me I mean they allowed me some maybe I noticed that among Arabs they're very strict with each other you know decide right now this are you at 30 seconds many many visits lots of discussion telephone conversations dinners lots of dinners it's very good we gained about 50 pounds looking for a wife okay just like now we have three beautiful children okay you miss them very much right yes I miss them very much okay the next there's a whole bunch of questions that deal with what exactly led you to becoming a Muslim and have you ever had any second thoughts about any other religions seconds after I became a Muslim or unhappy begins after I became a Muslim I never had any and you have to remember I had so much anger inside me and so what I felt were such strong objections to Islam to religion in general and I had searched really every other religion major world religion before come even considering this line because Islam has such a negative reputation in the West but I thought of this one this religion of the terrorists I definitely don't want to consider any religion that fosters terrorism I don't know why it was felt so easily into that prejudice I know that Western office could be very prejudiced but somebody believed it when they spoke about Islam because they were also unanimously prejudice against hated it but in any case so that was the last one I considered so I considered others and then I came up empty my feelings against religion were so strong by the time I became a Muslim I was so or began looking into Islam researching it I had lost all hope whatever believe me God really so you can imagine but after I became a Muslim there was no real reason to have second thoughts about whether another religion could do the job first of all I knew they couldn't because I had already tackled those and the second thing is is that once you felt the power of this religion it's that power that becomes your confirmation I mean suddenly it was the rational it's the carranza rational approach to faith that may help me to become a Muslim there was the answers had provided to my questions that helped me to become a Muslim from once you've tasted safe once you felt Islam that becomes your justification I saw I can't even remember all the rational arguments I had anymore because once I felt the power of this religion they seemed insignificant I'm not saying they weren't important they were important they stood as roadblocks before I'd smash those roadblocks but once it did and once I felt the beauty and power of this religion there was no turning back why would he want to wouldn't make sense you know it's as if I was blind and I was looking for something and people are claiming no go here and go here and go here and you're good if you go here you'll get your sight but another one says you go here you get your sight to go here you've got this I can see this doctor he can cut you your sight go to this clinic it'll get to your site and you're looking around you try one it doesn't work to try another it doesn't work you're looking for this it doesn't work you don't looking for that and finally you come to this institution and you get your sight well after that you don't need any more proof you're gonna get your sight you've gotten it I hope I'm making sense and like my daughter you're saying I think so okay okay the next question this next one says why did Allah make this world if he already knew what would happen yeah that's always an interesting question it's like predestination right and you this is a very ancient question this is a typically Christian question also typically Zoroastrian question the idea of predestination if God determines everything in advance if in the past he determined everything that's gonna happen in the future the ones thought the purpose of all of this but I think if we approach this we have to stick very close to the Quran that type of question I'm just gonna touch upon briefly one thing for sure that God maintains is that God transcends this very space-time environment he has created for us the living he is not bound by the limitations of space that this space-time environment this creation contains he is not bound by the limitations of time the spatial the fact that is infinite in relation to space we could readily appreciate none of us in this audience would say that God could possibly be on a bus between Chicago and Toledo at four o'clock in the afternoon the reason being because we understand that God transcends space he's not bound by his limitation we do not think of God as finite in space in the same way we do not think of God as finite and time like Weah we are bound by the limitations of time he transcends time he is outside of time and outside of this space space the environment we live in he is not limited by it in any way the reason why I say this is because the question you just posed situates God in time as we are if you say that how did if God in the past knew what was happening in the future we assume that somehow God what is bound in as we are and at some point in the past he was looking forward to the future it situates God in time as we are but that's erroneous assumption that's I believe a weak and false assumption that God is finite in time that he is sometime in the past looking forward to the future he transcends time that's the wrong question we should say is God's knowledge encompasses all time and space this entire space time creation that we existed if it is all that knowledge is like a single speck for him like a moment single atom of wisdom of everything that happens in space and everything that happens is time is encompassed by God's knowledge then why did he make this happen suddenly the question loses its force he made it have even though God controls all that all space and time is one for him but he is not bound by its limitations that doesn't mean that God does not allow us to make choices that as far as we're concerned we progress in space and time doesn't negate that at all so the point I'm trying to make is is that the question that you ask assumes a false makes a false assumption to begin with that God is limited in time the notion of color gots infinite power that God's power encompasses all in space and time should not be framed as the ancient Greek philosophers framed the guy to somehow finite in time looking forward to the future as we humans are the notion of the other is that God's power and his knowledge and compasses oh oh I got lot everything and as far as we are concerned we make choices and cetera and he responds to them but we just should not assume that God is finite in time we can readily appreciate that God transcends times because a little bit we have the notion that if we get up really high this transcendence means sort of get up high it's what the root comes from we get up high enough we could see many things happening below in different spaces at once and so we can somehow appreciate what it means to transcend time our knowledge of space our knowledge could encompass what's happening at different points in space simultaneously but God's being also transcends time this is philosophy I hope I'm not boring you all the day but God's knowledge transcends time so for him all things that happen even though they appear at different points in time or as one and he is not limited by that in any way shape or form so I'm Muslim but I have no difficulty answering the question you would just tell the personal asset that you're asking it in a way that naturally leads to a contradiction because your question contains a false assumption to begin with and anytime you begin an argument with a false assumption you're gonna be led to a contradiction here's a simple example that's analogous to the question that was just asked me and I don't blame the person for asking it was a beautiful question an important question but I know you're all probably thinking what is he saying but here's another example of how you begin a question with two with a fossa something with a contradiction it'll naturally lead to contradictions assume a circle is a square then I ask you there's a circle left corner well let me see if I concentrate on the properties of a square then the answer is yes goodbye a proper concentrate on the roundness of a circle then the answer is no oh my god the contradiction and then typical foolish person will then say oh well I don't know what's going on and get frazzled what the person should do is go back to the question does the assumption make sense assume a circle is a square and similarly if you begin a question and say if God in the past predestined the future go back to the original question is God stuck in the past it's got finite in time is he limited by time as we humans are does he sit in relation to time as we do no and the crown makes us perfectly clear a day for God it's like 50 thousand years of your time a day for God is like a thousand years of your time showing that time for God is nothing like time for us the day of judgment what was this life on earth I'll say to you oh boy I lived sixty-five years you'll say I live 70 years how does it appear on the day of judgment Lisa when their reality something comes to us our notion of time will suddenly seem confused like it wasn't objectively real you'll say oh let's see it was in an hour what's a less than that was it a day was it ten days till I come suddenly are we're confused because time as we perceived it's no longer an objective reality finally when the Quran talks about the day of judgment talks about in the past tense future tense think even the present tense which shows that this happens in a whole nother order of creation that is not limited by our space-time concepts the long and the short of what I'm trying to say is be careful when the answered questions think about the premises of those questions are as if you seem to be running yourself in circles and contradictions go back to the premises and analyze them there may be a contradiction subtly placed there sorry about the long discussion but I have these with my daughter all the time I really do and we get into them for hours daddy what is subtly mean with it sorry about that okay we had we had a lot of questions that dealt with the with hijab and ask some when you were before he became Muslim what did you what did you think or what you feel when you saw what's the movement with hey Jeb and what do you think about it now I can't wear one I tried got people taunted me I give it up no when I saw Muslims before I let see before I became a listen I didn't know who those people were I frankly thought they were either nuns or seventh-day Adventists or I didn't really know nowadays I think people know better because back when I became a Muslim you just didn't see ladies hearing that in America nowadays I think it's clearer to people now what do I think when I see them but to be frank I'm kind of happy you know I know it's very difficult for a lot of the sisters and I realized that a lot of them faced tremendous hardship which we men seem to be completely insensitive about but most of them face terrible difficulties tremendous hardship put up with terrible sacrifices that mighty of us males would fail to do good wouldn't be strong enough to do so I have a tremendous amount of respect for the sisters that do for those that don't or can't I'm struggling with it I understand it's very difficult and I certainly realize the hardship and the difficulties they're facing and I could definitely appreciate it especially here in America that I understand but still what I see personally when I see a list of sister walking down the street I feel and I can identify her as such it's a very pleasant feeling and because they are upholding an alternative to the to the style to the morals to the mores to the direction that the Western culture is pointing women and I think that takes a tremendous amount of courage especially when there's such a tiny minority of this society so I have a tremendous amount of respect for them the only thing is I wish when I would pass them on the street and I say salaam-o-alaikum they would respond to me and say oh they cancel on I don't know if it's because I look very American or what but they always look at me like and or maybe they just don't like saying a load of fellow Muslims I don't know but the Prophet peace be upon him used to say salaam-o-alaikum when he saw the ladies passing on the street they would respond well alaikum Salaam but nowadays I think some of the sisters get offended when I say that and I don't understand why maybe it's something that I don't under color all thing maybe oh it's the brothers uptight about it probably yeah I find that most of the problems in our community begin with the man that okay here's the university question this says that I know people who are kind and good and they're not hurting anyone and they're wondering if having they're not fulfilling their Islamic objections obligations and they want to give is it merely enough to have good character well let me ask answer that question extreme form the question is if someone is kind good karien merciful towards his fellow human beings helps his friends and neighbors is compassionate to others is he from the Islamic point of view what got achieve success in this life in the hereafter something to that effect and let me take the extreme let's let's say the person is an atheist well God knows best thank God it depends on what that person knows it depends on so many things that are beyond my knowledge how God will how that person will stand on the day of judgment maybe it was no one ever explained in the truth maybe he it was incapable of perceiving the truth maybe a circumstance I really don't know I do know this that God never holds a person to account for something until that person has had a true warning true Warner but I will say this that the Quran does not so much deal with these sort of gray cases it deals with real practical cases because when the Quran approaches the reader if he's gotten to that stage where he's approaching the Quran he's ready for the message of that revelation and once that revelation starts calling to him it presents things very stark terms and the message seems to be essentially this if you're a good person and you refuse to have a relationship with God you refuse to even acknowledge that the freedom shoes have anything to do with the idea of God I think generally that person is in a lot of trouble and the reason why I say this I'll give you an analogy because that person is not cultivating the most important relationship in his life we are here to come to know and grow nearer to God that person might be a fine human being he might be a great humanitarian he might be making himself feel very good inside the everything he does you might be getting a lot of peace and well-being for it but the only real relationship that matters really and that person's life is not being developed at all God's love is there for him to turn to but if he doesn't turn to it he's never gonna receive it because love is a two-way street God's love and mercy is near to shower on all but you have to enter into that loving relationship with God you have to turn to him and love let me give you the following example let's say I have three daughters hypothetically and let's say one of them for some reason or another chooses not to acknowledge that I exist such an extent that you never even knows that I exist nothing who cares whether I exist never does anything to even observe the fact that I exist and so no matter how much love I shower in that daughter's Direction oh my how much mercy I pour on that door no matter how many gifts I bestow on that child and when how good he is or she is to all the other people in this earth that daughter will never experience my parental love that daughter will never know my parental mercy and caring will never develop a relationship to receive that and experience that so it'll go throughout life having totally missed that I see the situation of an atheist who does good deeds towards others and it's a great humanitarian in a similar life now I am NOT God to judge that person's ultimate faith but frankly it was my friend and they raised this question with me I would say that you have something very serious to consider and I don't have much hope for such a person you know life is full of choices nobody simply gisborne to disbelieve in God disbelieve in God is a choice and it is made at a point the person's life and we're responsible for the choices we make and believe me as an atheist I'll tell you this from an atheist anymore but unless for many years you're presented many opportunities to think about God I'll give you one last example I had a friend an atheist very good friend still a very good friend colleague as a matter of fact can down with cancer pancreas cancer they said the cancer was as big as football on walls the doctors gave her no home went to the hospital called from the hospital so I don't know what to do would you pray for me I said I can't break me I said of course I could praise me but I said what's the point of me praying for you if you don't pray for you nobody could do anything for you unless you want I haven't done yourself like an alcoholic that has to give up drinking I can't do it for you you got to turn yourself in any case I don't know what happened but she said that if I ever get cured from this disease I will definitely strongly consider that religion that you adherent lo and behold they did perform the operation and she's alive today now I'm not saying it was because of that statement of hers God's mercy encompasses all things and he does what He wills according to his design I'm not trying to presume that I know why things turned out the way they did but I do know this that today when I talk about her religion she mocks it I talk about my religion says I don't believe it the point is is that she has already gone back on her promise to God she was given the opportunity and the choice and now she rejects it and believe me aside from her obstinate and rebellious rejection of God she's a nice person of people she helps neighbors gives gifts to friends etc and she's a miserable and she's miserable because there's something empty and missing in her life but she was given that choice and I know as an atheist you've given many God makes them come to you and so I don't see where I don't having lived that life I don't see where many people have many have an excuse and we have a brain to think with God gave us hearing sight and senses to perceive what he gave us minds to utilize and it gives us opportunities to learn and we either reject them or take we're a creature of choice I never I got over I got too long into that I'm sorry okay okay the next question says what do you say to an atheist when he/she asks who created God I say no one no I you know it's it's obvious you know I just tell them that one of the attributes of God is he is the creator if you don't want to accept that I mean that's up to you if you don't want to believe that there's a creator you know but we believe that God is the creator to some things that are silly to argue about you know who created God one of the attributes of God is the creator obviously from our point religious point of view he's not created you know and that's it it's nothing yeah there's nothing to there's nothing to argue you know there's sometimes you just have points of difference I know how the argument usually goes you say God is the creator of all things that's why I say it's silly to say that trying to prove to somebody this God by saying well who created all this because then he'll say well who created God that argument simply will not work with the nation is they've already rejected the idea of a creator and so you're getting yourself into pointless arguments you need to know the mindset of the person you're arguing but remember this at some stage in every atheist life that person consciously rejects belief in God and so when you present your belief of God they're gonna give you rational objections to that belief attack the rational objections don't try to come at them with the proof okay I'm tired you guys wore me out keep the questions simple tomorrow all right okay Jessica laughs hey brother Jeffrey Lange hey Charlotte we'll get it we're gonna take all the questions and give them to brother Jeffrey length maybe he'll come okay everybody please remain seated we have a lot of important announcements to make inshallah you'll cover him in his speech tomorrow or he can you know maybe incorporate them in the last two chapters of his book and first of all the first announcement to make I want to reiterate what brother Eamonn deadia had explained earlier today we have a new curfew system because we've had a few problems so inshallah would like to would like to enforce that today but let me explain the rules one more time from 11:30 to fedja nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to be up sitting around in the lobby or roaming around everybody has to be an adult who wants to be up or they have to you know they have to have a really really good reason and if any of the staff the hotel staff or any of the Maya staff asks you you must give them your name right away and you'll be given a warning instantly and then the second time you'll be asked to leave the conference and if any if nobody if you get if you don't cooperate then a lot more extreme measures will be taken also I'd like to ask the brothers in the back the brothers were coordinating inshallah we're gonna dismiss the sisters all first when I say not right now and the veins will all be the sisters only until all the sisters are gone and then a Shabbat will left recovers leave so you guys have quite a while to wait just please sit tight okay and one last announcement before we get going everybody please listen up there's been complaints that there's a lot of children that are in the hall that are crying and making a lot of noise so please take them to the the Radisson Hotel where they have services provided for just about any age kid that you have and they'll take care of them for you shovel you I have important to know me too well concerning the killer a lot just to put it in another way I see it differently and no kids are allowed without their parents after 11:30 so it's as simple as that I hate the world Kerry was making it big and making us you know I go to other conferences with non-muslims sometimes and professional conferences and I think it's doing much worse than our kids do so don't feel so bad about it thoughts it's not good but at least you know it's it's something insha'Allah we can handle locals are allowed to live eternally without their parents the important announcement that I have is that tomorrow's program won't be modifiable than the forms that you see and we already know about the program this will change it more because there were some programs that were designed to be transmitted over seven likely and unfortunately this is canceled there is no satellite programs that will be done tomorrow accordingly inshallah we'll have a change there will be a lecture by a speaker from England it comes from England and this will be in the morning I am trying to coordinate with the Arabic program the activities with them so most probably that will be the first one in the morning dr. Jeffries nine lecture will be given in the Arabic program and it would be short short one that won't be in the main convention center and most probably will be at different tongues I'm not sure if you're going to be able to attend that one or not and then the one after that will change to will give you in writing the first thing in the morning you will have the program the detailed program for the day in writing insha'Allah tomorrow morning that tapes for this lecture all be available in sha Allah first thing in the morning Nate tonight insha'Allah the other lectures are available at my desk if you need them also that to Jeffrey is booked the first book struggling to surrender is available in the bazaar and I'll have some copies here in Charlotte tomorrow morning if you would like to get a copy of his first book struggling to surrender meds thank you Yes No thank you very much subhana Allah whom are we hunting the Shadowland little piranha too oily or lost in an incident of pupils in the medina a man who are masala hadith also we talked about also some [Music] so now your brothers could you please remain seated or stay in your spot stretch if you want to get up and stretch and shower wait for all the sisters to leave and get at the other hotel and then Michelle aw you guys cannot go sit on seconds to equal attention

Channel: Speakers On Islam

Views: 55,538

Keywords: Islam, Jeff Lang, Jeffrey Lang

Id: ubPvAGJg9OA

Length: 110min 18sec (6618 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 07 2018