Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can I strengthen my connection to my shaykh?
Generally speaking, you strengthen your attachment to your shaykh by knowing his merits and unique attributes and realising that he is a deputy of the Prophet ﷺ and the imams in his chain of connection. Furthermore you must strive to obey his instructions and love him for the sake of Allah.
The strength of your connection can be judged on the basis of three things:
- The strength of your love for him
- The excellence of your emulation of him
- The greatness of your perception of him
Therefore the more you love him, the more perfectly you emulate him and the greater your perception of him, the stronger your connection to him will be.
We advise all those seeking a stronger connection to us to strengthen their connection to the Prophet ﷺ by studying his attributes, loving him, longing for him, following him, revering and venerating him and seeking to be at one with him.
How can I attain true love for my shaykh?
You attain this by asking Allah for it and pleading with Him to be given it. You should also study how the Companions were with the Messenger of Allah, and how the seekers of the past were with their shaykhs. We can find this in their biographies.