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We send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, his entire household, all his companions.

We ask Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to bless them all and to bless every single one of us and to grant us all goodness in this world and the next.

My brothers and sisters, I started off by saying Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

And I heard a response not as grand as I would have expected.

But I heard it.

If one has said it on behalf of the entire congregation, it actually is enough.

But I want to start off by making mention that when we greet it is actually a prayer and it is a powerful prayer.

When I say to you or when you say to me Assalamu Alaikum, it actually is making dua for you,

supplicating for you that you be in peace and at peace.

May peace be upon you.

What type of peace, the alif and lam at the beginning of Salam, which makes it as Salam,

actually makes it include all aspects of peace.

So it's important for us to know this.

Every aspect of peace be upon you.

You might be perhaps in some form of difficulty, hardship,

but may you always be at peace and ease.

And on top of that, when we say may peace be upon you, the first thing is

my declaration to you that I will not harm you because I am the one making dua for your peace.

I will not harm you.

So in actual fact, I am telling you, I am declaring to you that from me, you will not be harmed.

And then I say over and above that, wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, which means the mercy of Allah

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