Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do we understand the statement of Shaykh Abu Madyan that someone who is not on the same path as you is like a child even if he is seventy years old? Continue reading On Shaykh Abu Madyan’s Statement Regarding the Path
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do I maintain a good opinion of others?
You do this by ignoring their faults and focusing on their praiseworthy qualities and by remembering that Allah may forgive anyone and give them a good ending. Be certain that the smallest of your sins is far graver than the sins of all other people. Remember that your Creator has commanded you to have a good opinion of others and to have a heart full of love and respect for them.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I want to follow the Sunnah but I feel pride and ostentation in my heart when I do so. What should I do?
You should try to remove those blameworthy qualities while continuing to follow the Sunnah. The Devil may try to make you leave the Sunnah by making you fear falling into pride and ostentation. If he succeeds in doing that, he may then succeed in making you leave the prayer.
———
See these classes delivered by Habib Ali al-Jifri on ostentation and how to deal with it
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Can we take lessons in tasawwuf from other shuyukh?
This is fine if there is benefit in those lessons whether they are in tasawwuf or in any other science then unless your shaykh has specifically forbidden you from doing so.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What do you say about watching football matches?
It depends on the individual and his or her state with regard to travelling the path to Allah. If it is a waste of time for you then use your time wisely. If it is a means of relaxation and it allows you to recharge then it is like any other permissible means of recreation and it is fine as long as it does not cause you to neglect your obligations.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do we respond to those that claim that Sayyiduna Muawiyah is not one of the Companions and that we should not say ‘may Allah be pleased with him’?
The best response is to continue to say ‘may Allah be pleased with him,’ and to avoid any argumentation. This is just one of a number of issues that certain people bring up today to cause friction, disunity, to waste Muslim resources, to stop them from having an influence on others and to show them as being divided. So we should focus on that which is of benefit and not allow them to achieve these base goals.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do we combine between forbidding evil, maintaning a good opinion of others and leaving that which does not concern us?
When we forbid someone from doing something wrong we do not believe that they will have a bad ending or that they will be punished. Rather we believe that Allah will forgive them and replace their bad deeds with good deeds and perhaps they will intercede for us on the Day of Judgement. At the same time we do not spy on them or pry into their private affairs. If we do this we have left that which does not concern us. If we do see someone committing an act of disobedience then it concerns us to stop them from them doing it as far as we are able. The Prophet ﷺ said that if someone falls into an act of disobedience they should seek Allah’s concealment but only if they expose themselves we carry out the hadd punishment.
Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) discusses the manifestations of the Prophet’s generosity, commenting on the hadith of Ibn Abbas. Continue reading The Most Generous of All People ﷺ
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I find it difficult to recite the Qur’an, so during Ramadan I read a translation of the Qur’an. Will I be rewarded for this?
You will receive the reward of seeking knowledge and the reward for this is great. You should continue this but also recite even a small portion of the Qur’an, even if it is repeating Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas. You should also say ‘la ilaha ill’Allah’ in abundance and intend by doing so reciting the Qur’an.
(Note: words of remembrance such as alhamdulillah and la ilaha ill’Allah are contained in the Qur’an so when saying them one can intend reciting the Qur’an and gain extra reward)
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I understand the meaning of the love of Allah in my mind but it has not yet entered my heart. What can I do?
You should read and reflect upon the lives of the lovers of Allah. You should spend time alone with Allah. You should spend an hour at least mentioning Allah’s name by saying “Allah” and an hour at least bestowing prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ and you should do this with yearning.
