Category: The Path

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 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.