Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What are the signs that indicate that a spiritual traveller is progressing? Continue reading On Spiritual Progress, Regress and Stagnancy
Category: The Path
On the Meaning of Reaching Allah
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
We hear talk of people ‘reaching Allah.’ What does this actually mean? Continue reading On the Meaning of Reaching Allah
On What to Focus on at the Beginning of the Path
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What should the seeker focus on at the beginning of the path – rectifying the heart or focusing on etiquette (adab)?
Rectification of the heart is the pinnacle of adab, so the seeker’s concern should be purifying his heart and ridding it of faults and blameworthy qualities.
On Attaining High Spiritual Stations
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can we attain these high stations which you talk about? They are beyond the likes of us.
On the Beginning and End of the Path
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What is the beginning of the path to Allah? Is there an end to this path, and how do we reach it? Continue reading On the Beginning and End of the Path
Acting upon Surat al-Fatihah
Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) asks us if we are truly acting upon what is contained in Surat al-Fatihah.
What is your state in relation to In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful? Do you do anything in other than His name? Do you forget His divinity and His mercy? Continue reading Acting upon Surat al-Fatihah
On Envying the Dawah Successes of Others
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can we remove the desire to outdo our brothers and our envy for them, especially when we see their success in da’wah?
The cure for this is to look at the reality. The reality is that nothing happens except by the will of Allah, so how can we wish for other than what our Lord wills? The reality is that if our brothers succeed in da’wah or in any other realm of the religion, then this is a source of assistance, goodness, blessings and strength for all of us. So how can we dislike this strength, harbour envy towards the one who has been given it and desire for it to be removed? Continue reading On Envying the Dawah Successes of Others
On Giving and Receiving Sincere Advice
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
When I give someone sincere advice (nasihah) and they reject it I become upset. How can I tell that I am upset for Allah’s sake and not merely because that person has gone against my will? Continue reading On Giving and Receiving Sincere Advice
On Seeing Your Shaykh in a Dream
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
If you see your shaykh in a dream, what does it signify?
For the seeker to see his shaykh in a dream is generally a sign of his connection to him. It may be accompanied by some advice, direction or encouragement from the shaykh. If this advice is clear and in accordance with the principles of the Sacred Law and the spiritual way, then he can act upon it. If it is not, he should not follow this advice and he should know that his lower self is to blame.
If my Shaykh gives me a certain dhikr in a dream should I start reciting it?
This follows the same principle as anything else that is received in a dream, such as advice or instructions: if it is in accordance with the methodology of the Shaykh, then you should act upon it without hesitation.
If, however, it is not in accordance with the methodology of the Shaykh, then you should not act upon it and instead should consult the Shaykh.
On the Greatness of Visiting the Pious
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
Before I visit the Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) I have many things in my heart that I wish to express but when I get there my mind goes blank. What should I do?
Your standing in those places suffices even if you do not say anything. Habib `Alawi bin Shihab said that he knew the intention of anyone that was coming to visit him when they passed Masjid Surur, before even reaching his house. If that was his state, how much greater is the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah and Sayyidah Khadijah of those visiting them? Someone complained to Imam al-Haddad that he would visit Sayyiduna al-Faqih al-Muqaddam and his heart would be full of needs but when he reached the grave he forgot everything. Imam al-Haddad informed him that merely reaching al-Faqih al-Muqaddam was enough.