Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
At what point should I increase my awrad?
You do this when you are consistent in reciting the awrad that you are already reciting and you have the desire to increase and sufficient time to do so.
Advice from Habib Husayn al-Saqqaf (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
When you remember Allah, you should focus on two things:
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)
If we come across a new dhikr or dua should we take permission before reciting it?
If it is from the Sunnah there is no need to take permission. Likewise there is no need to take permission before reciting the duas and adhkar of the great Imams of the Ummah as long as the meaning is clear and they are easy to read. Continue reading On Taking Permission Before Reciting a New Dhikr
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
After giving birth I have not been able to be consistent in my awrad and other acts of worship. What can I do to maintain my spiritual progress?
You should realise that raising your children is a type of worship so you should make a good intention in raising them and intend to follow the Prophet ﷺ in doing so.
You should take a moderate path – not neglecting the awrad completely and not trying to do too much. Rather you should do that which is easy for you to maintain. You will still be rewarded for that which you are unable to do.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can I stay awake after fajr until sunrise?
You can do this by reflecting upon the reward and benefits of doing so and by keeping this time alive with Allah’s remembrance with a group of people. If this is not possible you can drive sleep away by walking around in the place where you prayed. If you pray fajr with a small group of people you can delay the prayer so that there is not too long to wait until sunrise.
A Tunisian scholar asked Sayyidi Habib `Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him):
How does one balance between seeking knowledge and spending time in the remembrance of Allah (reading awrad or litanies)?
Habib Umar replied:
“The key to seeking knowledge is the soundness of one’s intention. If one’s intention is sound and pure, then seeking knowledge is one of the best acts of worship and one of the best forms of remembrance. Continue reading Balancing Seeking Knowledge and Remembrance of Allah
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What do I do if I do not have enough time to recite the Qur’an, read my adhkar and perform other acts of worship?
The general rule is that you try to combine all these acts of worship and have a specific time for everything. However, if there is not enough time for everything, precedence should be given to reciting the Qur’an, as this is one of the greatest adkhar. But bear in mind that one of the Qur’an’s injunctions is to engage in dhikr. Engaging in dhikr is thus acting upon the Qur’an. You should not allow the Devil to trick you into completely leaving the adhkar because he may then trick you into leaving the Qur’an too.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What do you do if you have a certain number of adhkar to read and you forget the number that you have read?
You should estimate the number you are certain you have read. If you are unsure whether you read 3,000 or 4,000 for example, you should always go with the lesser amount.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
A lot of my time is spent raising my children and doing the housework. How can I be consistent in reading my awrad?
Try to read the awrad while doing the housework. Perhaps the children will then memorise these awrad. A young child memorised Surah Ya Sin before knowing how to read and write just by hearing his mother reciting it while cleaning the house every day.
