Category: The Path

Finding Qur’an Recitation Difficult

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)

 

On Love of Allah Entering the Heart

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.

Post Tarawih Qasaid

The tradition after the Tarawih prayer in Tarim is to recite poetry in praise of the Prophet ﷺ . Through praising him and bestowing prayers upon him it is hoped that people’s worship is accepted, and he is at his most generous in Ramadan, as the hadith tells us. Other poems that welcome Ramadan, talk about its merits and bid farewell to it are also read throughout the month along with a selection of duas. Many of these can be found in Habib Muhammad al-Haddar’s book al-Nafahat al-Ramadaniyyah. Coffee is served to rejuvenate those present.

Every night, a section is read from three collections of poetry. Each section corresponds to a letter of the Arabic Alphabet and the verses from that section end in that letter. The collections can be downloaded here:

Al-Fazaziyyah

Al-Qawafi

Al-Witriyyah

On Preparing for Hajj

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

How do I prepare for hajj?

You prepare for Hajj by purifying your heart, making sincere tawbah and giving people the rights that are due to them. You need to learn the rulings of Hajj and Umrah and etiquettes of Ziyarah. You must have veneration for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and the Sacred House. Also read about how the pious performed Hajj and visited the Prophet ﷺ .

On Making Up the Adhkar before Sleeping

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

If I fall asleep before completing the adhkar that it is recommended to recite before sleeping should I make them up when I wake up?

You will be rewarded for intending to recite them all even if you fall asleep before completing them. Strictly speaking, they are adhkar for a specific time and thus cannot be made up. However, if you do make them up you are guaranteeing yourself the reward for reciting them and teaching your lower self a lesson that it cannot fall asleep before completing them.