Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Can I ask Allah to make me the renewer (mujaddid) of this time?
Allah has guaranteed that He will continue to renew the religion in people’s hearts and He uses various means to realise this. There will generally be one principle figure who is like the head. He is supported by others who make up the rest of the body. We should ask Allah to be among those who are involved in this renewal.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can I taste the sweetness of worship?
Not tasting the sweetness of worship is mainly due to the heart not being fully focused on Allah and being preoccupied by other than Allah. It may also be due to a veil in the heart such as pride or hatred for someone. By standing at Allah’s door and attempting to purify your heart, you will no doubt taste the sweetness of worship. `Utbah al-Ghulam said: “I forced myself to perform the night vigil prayer for twenty years until I tasted its sweetness.”
He frowned and turned away when the blind man came to him – perhaps that he might be purified or take note of something useful to him. For the self-satisfied one you go out of your way – though you are not to be blamed for his lack of spiritual growth – but from the one who has come to you full of eagerness and awe you turn away. Surely this is a great lesson for those who wish to learn, [written] on honoured, exalted, pure pages, by the hands of noble and virtuous scribes. [`Abasa, 80:1-16]
The opening verses of Surat `Abasa are understood by most Qur’anic commentators to be a type of reproach (albeit gentle) from Allah to His Prophet ﷺ for not giving priority to ‘the Blind Man’, when he approached the Prophet seeking knowledge. Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah benefit us by him), however, gives a different perspective on the verses and shows us that the Prophet ﷺ made the correct choice and behaved in an exemplary fashion.
These verses reflect the strong desire of the Prophet ﷺ to convey the message. This led him to focus all his energy and attention on someone who opposed him and did not believe in him despite the fact that had he not done so, it would not have harmed him. In doing so he went against both what he and people in general are accustomed to do doing, namely welcoming and giving attention to those that love and support them. At the same time, he was mildly displeased with a believer (the blind man) due to the inappropriate manner of his questioning even though he was seeking to benefit. Normally the Prophet ﷺ would not find such a question burdensome especially when it was coming from someone who believed in him and loved him. He thus frowned and turned away from the believer (which was something he would not do naturally) in order to teach him the correct etiquette and to instil in him concern for saving disbelievers from the Fire. Allah then informed the Prophet that He was pleased with his actions: he might be purified or take note of something useful to him and that he and others will learn the etiquettes of asking questions.
Allah says to His Beloved ﷺ: you go against your own nature to focus on someone who is opposed to you even though had you not done so and had they not accepted Islam, it would not have been to your detriment. As for the one who came to you seeking you, you turned away from him even though it is human nature to welcome such a person. You went against human nature out of mercy for Allah’s slaves in the hope that they be guided. So what you did is a reminder for those who attempt to emulate you: This is a lesson from which those who wish to be taught should learn, [written] on honoured, exalted, pure pages, by the hands of noble and virtuous scribes.
May Allah enable us to follow his example.
Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) teaches us to seek for our hearts to be in the highest of states. Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz recommends reciting this awesome supplication regularly:
‘O Allah, raise me to a state in which my heart does not commit any acts of disobedience, or even thinks of doing so, and to a state in which my body parts do not commit any acts of disobedience. Raise me to a station in which my heart remains constantly in acts of obedience to You, which are pleasing to You and accepted by You; enable my body to continue to perform pious actions sincerely for your sake which are accepted by You, O Most Merciful.’
Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf (may Allah have mercy on him and benefit us by him) explains how we are affected by the spiritual state of those around us.
Every person has rays which emanate from their soul. You receive these rays when you come close to them or sit in their presence. Each person’s rays differ in strength according to the state of their soul. This explains how you become affected by sitting in the presence of great people. They are people who follow the way of the Prophets in their religious and worldly affairs. When they speak, they counsel people. Their actions guide people. When they are silent they are like sign posts which guide people along the path, or like lighthouses whose rays guide ships. Many of them speak very little, but when you see them or visit them you are affected by them. You leave their gatherings having been enveloped in their tranquillity. Their silence has more effect than the eloquent speech of others. This is because the rays of their souls enter you.