A Metaphor for Guidance

Habib Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) gives a metaphor for guidance.

“Felicity, guidance and all good attributes are like seeds planted in the heart of the believer. Those that call people to Allah and remind them of Allah and their reminders are like rain. People’s hearts are like the soil. Reminders are directed to the hearts like rain falls upon the soil. If Allah has decreed that it is time for someone to return to Him, the heart will react and submit and follow guidance, just like when rain falls upon fertile soil in which seeds have been planted it yields a good harvest.

Conversely, if the call is directed to hearts which possess no good qualities, it will be like rain falling upon rocky ground. If the call is directed to hearts filled with blameworthy qualities which are destined for wretchedness, they will respond by stubbornly rejecting the call and mocking the callers. This is like rain falling on earth filled with thorn trees. The more the rain falls, the more these trees grow and the more harmful they are. The only way to deal with them is to uproot them and burn them.”

One Believer is a Mirror to Another

Habib Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) derived four different meanings from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

المُؤْمِنُ مِرَآةُ المُؤْمِنِ

“One believer is a mirror to another.”[1] Continue reading One Believer is a Mirror to Another

Reminding Believers of What was Sent with the Best of Messengers

This is a translation of a treatise by Habib `Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) entitled ‘Reminding Believers of What was Sent with the Best of Messengers.’ Although small in size, the treatise contains a comprehensive summary of the message which the Prophet ﷺ conveyed. Many people have tried and will try to summarise the teachings of Islam, but few have been able or will be able to do so in a way as complete and comprehensive as this great Imam, who combined inward and outward knowledge. May Allah allow us to be included in the prayer of Habib `Abdullah that ‘those who use it as a reminder or disseminate it will be people who commanded the good and forbade evil, and that they be beloved to the Best of Creation.’

 

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Benefits of Keeping the Company of the Pious

Advice from Habib Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) on keeping the company of the pious.

The most beneficial means of rectifying your heart, attaining forgiveness for your sins, protecting yourself from calamities and attaining everything that you wish is keeping the company of the friends of Allah, the scholars who act on their knowledge. If you see them, they remind you of Allah. Continue reading Benefits of Keeping the Company of the Pious

Habib ‘Abdullah bin Husayn’s Prayer for the Removal of Hardships

This is Habib ‘Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir’s prayer which has been tried and tested for the removal of hardships:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ و عَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلاةَ عَبْدٍ قَلَّتْ حِيلَتُهُ و رَسُولُ اللهِ وَسِيلتُهُ  وأَنْتَ لها يا إِلهي و لِكُلِّ كَرْبٍ عَظِيمٍ فَفَرِّجْ ما أَنا فيِهِ بِسِرِّ :بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم

O Allah, bestow prayers upon our Master Muhammad and upon the Family of our Master Muhammad, the prayers of a slave who has no way out and the Messenger of Allah is his only intermediary. My Lord, You are here for this and for every great calamity, so remove the hardship that I am in through the secret of: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.’

Dealing with Unpleasant Things

Habib Abdullah bin Husayn bin Tahir (may Allah have mercy on him and benefit us by him) wrote the following piece of advice to help people deal with the oppression and turmoil that was taking place in Hadramawt at the time. His advice remains relevant to the times in which we are living.

It is rare in this time to find peace of mind and comfort. Worries, concerns and distractions are numerous. A person must be content and tranquil in the face of these things. He must surrender (to Allah’s decree) and not be dissatisfied. Continue reading Dealing with Unpleasant Things