On Accusations Levelled against People of Tasawwuf

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

The people of tasawwuf have gained a reputation for being far removed from reality. It seems that they are not concerned about the state of the Muslims. People are being killed in a number of places, but we do not see the people of tasawwuf involved in the fighting, whereas we see a good number of other Islamic movements participating. What do you say about this? Continue reading On Accusations Levelled against People of Tasawwuf

On Dealing with Self-Proclaimed Scholars

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

We find some people in the West claiming to be shaykhs who can guide people and help them reach Allah. However, they have never studied any of the Islamic sciences at the hands of scholars but rather they have read books on their own. When we try to give them sincere advice they reject it. How should we deal with people like this? Continue reading On Dealing with Self-Proclaimed Scholars

On Permission to Read and Study Religious Texts

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

Do I need permission to read and study religious texts?

There is great benefit in the explanation of the scholars. Furthermore if you have permission (ijazah) from them to read or study a specific text it is more likely to be beneficial and your understanding will be deeper. However, every Muslim who studies these books will benefit, especially if one studies them with love, yearning and desire to travel the path.