Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can we avoid shaking hands with the opposite sex?
The best thing is to inform the person that your religion does not permit you to shake hands with them out of respect for them.
His Lineage
He is Habib Alawi bin Abdullah bin Aydarus bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Aydarus bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Shihab al-Din al-Asghar Ahmad bin Shaykh Abd al-Rahman bin Shaykh Ahmad al-Akbar bin Shaykh Abd al-Rahman bin Shaykh Ali bin Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Sakran bin Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf bin Shaykh Muhammad Mawla al-Dawilah, bin Ali Mawla al-Darak, bin Alawi al-Ghayur, bin al-Faqih al-Muqaddam Muhammad, bin Ali, bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbat, bin Ali Khali’ Qasam, bin Alawi, bin Muhammad Sahib al-Sawma’ah, bin Alawi, bin ‘Ubaydullah, bin al-Imam al-Muhajir il-Allah Ahmad, bin ‘Isa, bin Muhammad al-Naqib, bin ‘Ali al-‘Uraydi, bin Ja’far al-Sadiq, bin Muhammad al-Baqir, bin Ali Zayn al-‘Abidin, bin Husayn al-Sibt, bin Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatimah al-Zahra’, the daughter of our Master Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. Continue reading Habib Alawi bin Shihab
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I am in an environment in which is hard to avoid disobeying Allah. What can I read to protect me from disobedience?
Read the following 19 times before you enter any place where you find yourself disobeying Allah: Continue reading Protection from Disobedience
This prayer is taken from Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz’s collection of prayers using Allah’s beautiful names in which he calls upon Allah by His beautiful names and then asks Him to bestow prayers upon His Beloved by those names. Finally, he asks Allah for a portion of those attributes which belong to Allah and which He has bestowed upon His Messenger ﷺ.
O Allah, O One, bestow abundant prayers and peace upon Your slave and beloved, our Master Muhammad, the unique Prophet and upon his Family and Companions, and by him bless me with complete witnessing of Your Oneness purely out of Your immense bounty.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do we give advice to relatives or friends who follow the Shia branch of Islam?
If you see that they are ready to listen you should try to explain to them in the most appropriate way that the Qur’an praises the Companions, the Prophet ﷺ praised them and so too did Sayyiduna Ali and his children and grandchildren. The example we should follow is the example of the Prophet and the elect of the Prophetic Household (Ahl al-Bayt). Continue reading On Giving Advice to Shia Friends and Relatives
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Can someone who is driving alone to work be considered to be in a form of khalwah (spiritual seclusion)?
Yes, this could be a lesser khalwah when one isolates oneself to be with Allah. It is like when someone wraps a shawl around their head so they can only see what is in front of them and not what is around them.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can women perform their duties at home if they also have to go out to work?
They can do this by only going out when it is necessary to do and by wearing modest attire when they do so. They should follow the example of the daughters of the Prophet Shu`ayb, whom Allah mentions in the Qur’an: He (Musa) found at a distance from them two women keeping back (their flocks).[1] They refused to mix with the men but rather waited until they had finished watering their flocks. When their father sent one of them to Musa, Allah describes her as ‘walking shyly.’ When there is no longer a necessity for them to be out, they should return to attend to their duties in the house.
[1] Al-Qasas, 28:23
If a dead creature which does not have flowing blood falls into some water, it does not make the water impure. The scholars say this includes a gecko and anything smaller than it.
The gecko came to the fire in which Sayyiduna Ibrahim had been cast and blew upon it, trying to increase its ferocity. Obviously this had no effect on the fire but due to its bad intention it is recommended to kill geckos.
The frog on the other hand filled its mouth with water and put it on the fire, trying to extinguish it. Obviously this had no effect on the fire but due to its good intention and its respect for Ibrahim it is impermissible to kill frogs. Continue reading Insights into Purification: The Gecko and the Frog
The following prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ are composed by Habib Ibrahim bin `Aqil bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him).
Habib Ibrahim said:
“Every act of worship is liable to be ruined by ostentation (riya’) except bestowing prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ because it is a means of intercession and it is accepted by Allah whatever the state of the person.” Continue reading Salawat of Habib Ibrahim bin ‘Aqil bin Yahya
Words of wisdom from Habib Ibrahim bin ‘Aqil bin Yahya (may Allah have mercy on him and benefit us by him).
“Someone whose inner sight is blind is not ashamed to commit acts of disobedience because he is not aware that Allah is watching him at all times.” Continue reading Wisdoms of Habib Ibrahim bin ‘Aqil bin Yahya
