‘My dear son, tell your brothers nothing of this dream, or they may plot to harm you – the Devil is man’s sworn enemy.’ (12:5)
When Yusuf told his father Yaqub (peace be upon them both) of his dream, his father feared that envy would cause Yusuf’s brothers to harm him. Continue reading Jealousy: the Devil’s Scorpion
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Should I recite the Ratib of Imam al-Haddad or the Ratib of Imam al-Attas?
If you cannot recite both, there is no problem to alternate between the two Ratibs – one takes the place of the other.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Interacting with jinn is similar to interacting with humans. There are pious jinn and disobedient jinn just like there are pious humans and disobedient humans. Our interactions with everyone are governed by the Sacred Law and our interactions with the pious among them are on the principle of working together to attain piety and righteousness. As seekers, we should not be concerned with connections to the jinn. If any good is to come of such connections, Allah will facilitate them without us seeking them.
Is there a difference between making tawbah from major sins and minor sins?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Tawbah is obligatory from all sins, both the minor and major, but especially the major because the end result is worse. Continue reading Tawbah from Minor and Major Sins
How does someone attain direct knowledge of Allah (ma‘rifah khassah)?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
This is attained by purifying your heart, being in a constant state of presence with Allah and by deep reflection on the following things: Continue reading On Attaining Direct Knowledge of Allah
In these supplications, Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) teaches us to seek high degrees of love and closeness to Allah and His Beloved ﷺ :
Continue reading Roll up the distance between me and Your Beloved!
Every believer generally and those taking the spiritual path specifically should perform their obligations with excellence and strive for presence therein while seeking to strengthen their certainty. Whatever spiritual gifts – such as tranquillity, serenity and a feeling of connection – they receive in the course of that are from Allah and go back to Him. They are not theirs. Continue reading On Receiving Spiritual Gifts and not being distracted by them
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Generally speaking, the word rabitah means any type of connection between one thing and another. More specifically it is used to mean the sincere connection of one’s heart to one of the people of Allah. It could entail bringing one’s Shaykh to heart in a specific way while reciting a certain dhikr. Continue reading What does rabitah between the Shaykh and the seeker mean?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
When scholars talk about fighting against the nafs (lower self) this is not meant literally. Harming the nafs is not what is intended. What is meant is purifying it and elevating it. Fulfilling its desires and following its whims is what really harms it. Doing the opposite, although it may be difficult, is what really benefits it. Any dhikr performed with presence of heart also helps to purify the nafs.
Habib Muhammad al-Haddar reminds us of the greatness of seeking forgiveness and how this confounds the Devil.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The one who keeps seeking forgiveness is not regarded as a persistent sinner even if he were to return to the same sin seventy times a day.”[1]
All praise belongs to Allah for the blessing of seeking forgiveness (istighfar). Even if you were to keep committing a sin seventy times but you sought forgiveness, your Lord is All-Forgiving. The main thing is you seek forgiveness with your tongue and your heart. If the Devil tries to outdo you by sending you astray, outdo him by seeking forgiveness more. Continue reading Seek Forgiveness and Confound the Devil!
