On Removing Love of Dunya

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

What can I do to remove my love of the Dunya? What can I read to stop me being overly concerned with pleasing people?

Recite this 40 times a day:

يا حَيُّ قَيُّومُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Ya Hayyu ya Qayyumu la ilaha illa anta

O Living, O Self-Existing there is no deity save You

 

Recite this verse 100 times a day:

هُوَ اللهُ الَّذي لا إِلهَ إِلا هو عَالِمُ الغَيْبِ والشَّهادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيم

Huw’Allahu’lladhi la ilaha illa hu, ‘Alimu’l ghaybi wash-shahadah, Hu arrahmanu’ rahim

He is Allah, there is no deity save Him, Knower of the unseen and the seen, He is the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful.[1]

 

Recite the dua of Imam al-Haddad several times a day:[2]

اللَّهُمَّ أَخْرِجْ مِنْ قَلْبِي كُلَّ قَدْرٍ لِلدُّنْيَا، وَكُلَّ مَحَلٍّ لِلْخَلْقِ؛ يَمِيْلُ بِي إِلَى مَعْصِيَتِك، أَوْ يُشْغِلُنِي عَنْ طَاعَتِك، أَوْ يَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ التَّحَقُّقِ بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ الْخَاصَّة، وَمَحَبَّتِكَ الْخَالِصَة

Allahumma akhrij min qalbi kulla qadrin liddunya wa kulla mahallin lilkhalq yamilu bi ila ma’siyatik aw yushghiluni ‘an ta’atik aw yahulu bayni wa bayna’ttahaqquq bi ma’rifatika al-khassah wa mahabbitaka’l-khalisah

O Allah, remove from my heart any love for the material world and any status I may afford to people which cause me to disobey You or distract me from worshipping You or come between me and attaining special knowledge of You and sincere love for You.

[1] Al-Hashr, 59:22

[2] In the Khulasah, Habib Umar suggests reciting it after every prayer