Our Prophet ﷺ : Father, Guide, Doctor and Teacher

In this prayer, Habib Ali al-Habashi poetically expresses the noble qualities of our beloved Prophet ﷺ . In his relationship with his nation, the Messenger exhibits the qualities of a father who compassionately raises and nurtures his children, protecting them from all types of harm while guiding them to the best and straightest of paths. Continue reading Our Prophet ﷺ : Father, Guide, Doctor and Teacher

Roll up the distance between me and Your Beloved!

In these supplications, Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) teaches us to seek high degrees of love and closeness to Allah and His Beloved ﷺ :

 

اللَّهُمَّ اطْوِ مَسَافَةَ البُعْدِ بَيْنِي وبَيْنَ حَبِيبِكَ المًصْطَفى

Continue reading Roll up the distance between me and Your Beloved!

Selected Salawat: Attaching Everything to the Prophet ﷺ

In this prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) teaches us to attach everything we have to the Prophet: our hearts, bodies, actions, intentions and our every movement and stillness.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّمْ على سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ

وارْبُطْ قَلْبِي بِقَلْبِهِ

وارْبُطْ جِسْمِي بِجِسْمِهِ

Continue reading Selected Salawat: Attaching Everything to the Prophet ﷺ

Selected Salawat: Seeking to be at One With the Messenger ﷺ

Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and allow us to benefit from him) teaches us to use this prayer to seek the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and to ask that our actions and intentions be so connected to the Prophet that they are at one with him. Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz placed this prayer in his Hadrah Badriyyah.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّمْ على سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ ، صَلاةً تُرْضِيكَ وتُرْضِيهِ ، وتَنْطَوِي بِها أَعْمَالي ونِيَّاتي وحَرَكَاتي وسَكَناتي فِيه

Allahumma salli wa sallim `ala sayyidina Muhammad salatan turdika wa turdihi wa tantawi biha a`mali wa niyyaati wa harakaati wa sakanaati fih

O Allah, bestow Your prayers and peace upon our Master Muhammad, prayers which allow us to attain Your pleasure and his and cause my actions, intentions, movements and stillness to be enveloped in him.

Selected Salawat: Prayers Which Bring Life to My Soul

This prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ was composed by Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him)

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّمْ على سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ ، صَلاةً تَحْيَا بِها رُوحِي و تَنْشَطُ بِها جَوارِحي و يَقْوَى بِها قَلْبِي و يَسْرِي سِرُّها في أَوْلادِي و أَهْلِي و أَصْحَابي و أَكونُ بِها سَعِيداً مَسْعوداً

Allahumma salli wa sallim `ala sayyidina Muhammad salatan tahya biha ruhi wa tanshatu biha jawarihi wa yaqwa biha qalbi wa yasri sirruha fi awladi wa ahli wa ashabi wa akunu biha sa`idan mas’uda

 

O Allah, bestow Your prayers and peace upon our Master Muhammad, prayers which bring life to my soul, energy to my body and strength to my heart. May the secret of these prayers reach my children, my family and my companions and by them may I attain absolute felicity.

Understanding Commands and Prohibitions

Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) discusses the meanings and implications of commands and prohibitions.

The commands which are found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah can be divided into that which is obligatory (wajib) and that which is recommended (mustahabb). That which is obligatory must be performed. Not performing it entails a punishment, while performing it entails a great reward and leads to the pleasure of our Lord. Performing acts which are recommended is a path which leads to the pleasure of our Lord and entering into the sphere of those who have drawn close to Allah, act with complete sincerity and love Him. Continue reading Understanding Commands and Prohibitions

A Metaphor for Guidance

Habib Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) gives a metaphor for guidance.

“Felicity, guidance and all good attributes are like seeds planted in the heart of the believer. Those that call people to Allah and remind them of Allah and their reminders are like rain. People’s hearts are like the soil. Reminders are directed to the hearts like rain falls upon the soil. If Allah has decreed that it is time for someone to return to Him, the heart will react and submit and follow guidance, just like when rain falls upon fertile soil in which seeds have been planted it yields a good harvest.

Conversely, if the call is directed to hearts which possess no good qualities, it will be like rain falling upon rocky ground. If the call is directed to hearts filled with blameworthy qualities which are destined for wretchedness, they will respond by stubbornly rejecting the call and mocking the callers. This is like rain falling on earth filled with thorn trees. The more the rain falls, the more these trees grow and the more harmful they are. The only way to deal with them is to uproot them and burn them.”