Category: Clarifications

Appreciating Barakah

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) discusses the concept of barakah. 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed people to lick their fingers after eating and to clean the dish, saying: “You do not know in what part of the food the barakah lies.”

He also said: “When a morsel of your food falls down, you should pick it up and remove any dirt and then eat it. Do not leave it for the Devil, for you do not know in what part of the food the barakah lies.” Continue reading Appreciating Barakah

On Giving Advice to Shia Friends and Relatives

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

Principles to Follow When Talking About Imam al-Mahdi

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

What principles should be followed when talking about Imam al-Mahdi?

We should restrict ourselves to talking about what is narrated in the hadith about him. We should realise that his coming is a sign of Allah and something that Allah has promised that will come to pass at its appointed time. Our hearts should not be focused on his coming but rather on the obligations we would have to fulfil where he to appear. We should ask ourselves what we are doing to serve the Sacred Law which he will come to serve. Also refer to the section in the book ‘Tawhij al-Nabih’ (page 192) for clarification of our methodology in relation to these affairs.

On Permission to Read the Books of Imam al-Ghazali

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

Do we need permission to read the books of Imam al-Ghazali?

The books of Imam al-Ghazali are extremely beneficial and are quick to rectify and illuminate the heart. It is said that the early Ba `Alawi Imams praised two things to a great extent: the books of Imam al-Ghazali and the visit of the Prophet Hud (peace be upon him). This shows that there is a general permission to read the books and there is nothing to stop the person reading it.

 

On Free Will

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

Does man have free will or not?

Man’s Creator requests things from him and decrees things to occur by him. Man has a choice in that which is requested from him but he has no choice in that which is decreed to occur by him. Our role in life is thus to perform that which has been requested from us as well as we can using the strength and ability which we have been given. Continue reading On Free Will

On the Works of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah

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

What is our position on the works of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah?

The way of our predecessors was not to hold a bad opinion of anyone and not to speak badly about anyone in the knowledge that Allah will take everyone to account for their words or actions. At times they would warn people of certain books which contained errors or incorrect positions. They would accept the truth and reject falsehood whoever it came from. We never heard our great teachers in Hadramawt attacking Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah. They would sometimes mention his positions, especially when speaking to those who venerate him. They would use his teachings to heal them and bring them back to the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama`ah. When we went outside Hadramawt, we heard people condemning him and calling him an innovator or disbeliever for the first time. We had never heard this from our teachers in Hadramawt.

On Preparing for Imam al-Mahdi

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

How do we prepare for the coming of Imam al-Mahdi?

The coming of Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah’s peace be upon him and all of the Prophets and pious people, comes into the category of unseen things of which the Messenger of Allah ﷺinformed us. It is similar to the coming of the Dajjal or Ya’jaj and Ma’juj, the return of Sayyiduna `Isa bin Maryam or the Day of Judgement. We must believe in these things just as the Prophet mentioned them. Continue reading On Preparing for Imam al-Mahdi

The Understanding of the Salaf

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) reflects upon the understanding of the early generations.

A person’s caprice is the best type of firewood that can be ignited to stir up divisions between the believers. Caprice leads people to blindly follow a group or to follow their lower selves. It leads people to claim that their way or their group is the way of Allah and His Messenger. The pious scholars of this Ummah would be asked:

“What is Allah’s ruling on such and such a thing?” Continue reading The Understanding of the Salaf

On the Concept of Khilafah and the Reality of Political Power

At a time of political turmoil in the Muslim world, Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) expounds on some of the meanings of khilafah and clarifies the reality of political power. 

There are two types of khilafah. The first is the outward khilafah which relates to political power, which is not noble and honourable in itself. Anyone may attain political power, whether they be pious or corrupt, whether they be a believer or a disbeliever, whether they be a Prophet or a wretched person. Continue reading On the Concept of Khilafah and the Reality of Political Power