Category: The Path

On Being Distracted While Making Dhikr

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

I find myself thinking about calling to Allah when I am making dhikr. Is this blameworthy?

You should focus on the meaning of the dhikr that you are reading. Everything has an appointed time and you should focus on the thing you are doing while you are doing it. An exception to this is an urgent issue relating to calling to Allah which needs to be addressed immediately.

On the Books of Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jaylani

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

Do you recommend we read the books of Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Jaylani?

Yes, the Shaykh was one of the greatest knowers of Allah as well as being one of the descendants of the Prophet ﷺ. He has benefited people throughout the world. One of his best-known works is al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyyah, which is a collection of transcripts of his speeches. It has a good effect on the reader and brings about purification and illumination. Another work of his, al-Ghunyah, is also beneficial but a few parts which are not his work have been added to it.

Preparing for the Grave

Advice from Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (may Allah have mercy on him and benefit us by him). 

Make your grave the most important thing, for the day on which you are placed in your grave is the hardest day, the day on which you are most in need. For this reason some scholars were of the opinion that it is obligatory to seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave in every prayer. Among them was Imam Ta’us al-San`ani, the student of Sayyiduna `Abdullah Ibn `Abbas. One day he asked his son if he had sought refuge from the punishment of the grave in his prayer. When his son said no, he told him to repeat his prayer. The Prophet himself sought refuge from it, so why do we not do so? He taught us to say:  Continue reading Preparing for the Grave

The Ummah’s Golden Calf

Advice from Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him). 

Look at how the businessmen in Makkah and Jeddah have mastered their trade. They plaster their advertisements everywhere! If only these billboards clarified the rites of the Hajj and the etiquettes of entering Makkah! These advertisements are proof of their love of material things. Continue reading The Ummah’s Golden Calf

On Attaining Praiseworthy Attributes and Purifying the Heart

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

There are too many praiseworthy attributes that we must attain and too many blameworthy attributes from which we must purify ourselves. Even if we focused on just one of these attributes it would take a lifetime. What can we do? Continue reading On Attaining Praiseworthy Attributes and Purifying the Heart

On Continually Tasting the Sweetness of Dhikr

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

When we begin reciting a certain dhikr we taste the sweetness of the dhikr, but this gradually disappears. How do we retain this?

The soul naturally reacts to new things and gains new energy from them. So you should seek renewal in your presence every time you read your adhkar and increase your contemplation on them so that you receive new gifts from Allah.

On Attending Gatherings in which Forbidden Musical Instruments are Used

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

Can we attend gatherings in which forbidden musical instruments are used?

If there is scholarly consensus that they are forbidden then there is no way we can attend. If the scholars differ over whether they are permissible or not, we should assess what benefit there is in attending. If there is a great benefit to be had in attending, we can overlook the fact that the scholars differ over the permissibility of these instruments. If there is no great benefit to be had, it is better not to attend.