We are all familiar with the well-known Quranic supplication: “Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire” (2:201). But what is meant by the good of this world and the next? Imam al-Haddad (may Allah benefit us by him) gives three meanings for each.
The good of this world has three meanings: Continue reading The Good of this World and the Good of the Hereafter
Habib Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf was born in Seiyun, the principal city of Hadramawt in 1972 (1392). He is a direct descendant of many imams of the Prophetic house, including Imam Taha bin Umar al-Safi (died 1007), the first of the Alawi Sayyids to settle in Seiyun, and Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf (died 819). The al-Saqqaf tribe is known in Seiyun for having produced great scholars and men of God in every generation, the most recent being Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf.
Hadramawt was in the grip of an oppressive socialist government so his parents moved to Jeddah when he was three years old. His father Sayyid Abd al-Rahman was a doctor who would frequent the circles of knowledge in the Hijaz. As a result, Habib Muhammad grew up with a love for scholars. Continue reading Habib Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Should I recite the Ratib of Imam al-Haddad or the Ratib of Imam al-Attas?
If you cannot recite both, there is no problem to alternate between the two Ratibs – one takes the place of the other.
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 :
Continue reading Roll up the distance between me and Your Beloved!
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.
Continue reading Selected Salawat: Attaching Everything to the Prophet ﷺ
Habib Muhammad al-Haddar reminds us of the greatness of seeking forgiveness and how this confounds the Devil.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The one who keeps seeking forgiveness is not regarded as a persistent sinner even if he were to return to the same sin seventy times a day.”[1]
All praise belongs to Allah for the blessing of seeking forgiveness (istighfar). Even if you were to keep committing a sin seventy times but you sought forgiveness, your Lord is All-Forgiving. The main thing is you seek forgiveness with your tongue and your heart. If the Devil tries to outdo you by sending you astray, outdo him by seeking forgiveness more. Continue reading Seek Forgiveness and Confound the Devil!
In this short poem, Imam al-Haddad counsels us to be people of sabr (steadfastness or patience). He extols the virtues of steadfastness, gives glad tidings to those who possess this trait and points to its connection to other lofty spiritual stations. He reminds us of the nature of tribulations and their connection to the divine decree. Finally, he calls upon us to emulate the steadfastness of the pious who have gone before and their master, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Continue reading Imam al-Haddad on Steadfastness
Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad describes Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad:
Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad was widely acknowledged as among the leading scholars and spiritual masters of the twentieth century. He was born in a town in Hadramawt, in southern Arabia. At an early age he committed the Quran to memory and spent most of his time in the relentless pursuit of the various branches of religious knowledge. He dedicated his life to teaching and spreading the word of Islam. He died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1995. Continue reading Habib Ahmad, as described by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
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.
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.
Imam Hasan, the son of Imam Abdullah bin Alawi al-Haddad was a seeker, a person of piety and a scholar who acted according to his knowledge. Imam al-Haddad, however, was waiting for him to reach higher levels. He said: “When that son of mine performs hajj something will be ingrained in him which was not in him before.” Continue reading Imam Hasan, son of Imam al-Haddad, and the Effect of Hajj
