Teaching People About the Hijrah

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

What are the most important themes to focus on when teaching people about the Hijrah?

We should teach people about the truthfulness and patience of the Prophet ﷺ in giving victory to Allah’s cause and leaving one place for another. We should also talk about how he interacted with the things that Allah has decreed to take place in this life, such as people harming us and being given power over us. Continue reading Teaching People About the Hijrah

How Does a Seeker Study his Shaykh?

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

How does a seeker study his Shaykh?

The seeker studies his shaykh by reflecting upon his states and what they signify and upon the directions that he gives (isharat), his wayfaring and his Prophetic inheritance. He then seeks to benefit from this and become illuminated by it.

On the Cause of Harm Befalling You

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

When harm befalls you, how do you know whether it is from the effects of the Evil Eye or due to one’s sins?

Generally speaking, anything that befalls you is due to your sins, although it can be to raise your station. If it is due to the Evil Eye it usually occurs suddenly and it leads to a state which is not your normal state.

Reflecting Upon the Hijrah

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) derives lessons to be learned from the Hijrah of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ . Extracts from a Friday khutbah.

Should you not reflect on why the Prophet ﷺ made the Hijrah? Why he bore those hardships? Why he was forced to migrate? He looked at the city of Makkah upon leaving it and said: “Allah knows that you are the most beloved of cities to me. Had not your people driven me out, I would not have left.” How can you live as a believer in him without realising what drove him to bear these hardships? Continue reading Reflecting Upon the Hijrah

A New Year Message

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) calls us to reflect on the passing of time and the arrival of a new year. 

We bid farewell to another year of the Hijrah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , a year which contains a number of days and nights. These days and nights are what make up your lifespan. If a day passes then a part of you has passed. Continue reading A New Year Message

Bidding Farewell to this Year and Welcoming a New Year

We are fast approaching the end of this Hijri year. There remain a few days of the blessed month of Dhu’l-Hijjah for us to benefit from. We should try to round off the year with acts that draw us closer to Allah, as “actions are judged by their endings.”1

At the end of the financial year, businessmen analyse their year’s trading, but our trade is with Allah and is more worthy of being evaluated. Continue reading Bidding Farewell to this Year and Welcoming a New Year

The Worst Type of Pride

Habib Ali al-Jifri said: “I asked my teacher, Habib Umar bin Hafiz: which is more dangerous – being proud of one’s actions or being proud of one’s understanding?”

Habib Umar replied (may Allah protect him): “Being proud of one’s understanding is more dangerous than being proud of one’s actions and its outcome is more serious. Look at the response of Iblis (may Allah protect us from him): I am better than him – You created me from fire and You created him from earth. Continue reading The Worst Type of Pride