When a thought enters your heart and something inside you tells you to make tawbah and repent, then be certain that this is a divine moment in which Allah is manifesting Himself to you with His name al-Tawwab, the Oft-Returning. Continue reading When Something Tells You to Make Tawbah..
Category: Travelling the Path
Whoever Knows Himself Knows His Lord
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How do we understand the statement that “whoever knows himself knows his Lord”? Continue reading Whoever Knows Himself Knows His Lord
A Remedy for Laziness
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
What do we do if we find in ourselves laziness and lack of motivation when it comes to performing certain sunnahs and reciting the awrad?
Drive your soul forward by giving it hope: remind it of the reward (of these actions) and their end result in the next life. Bring to mind the merits of these actions mentioned by your Prophet ﷺ. Continue reading A Remedy for Laziness
The Danger of Belittling Worship and Remembrance
Habib Ali al-Jifri (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) draws our attention to a subtle trap that activists may fall into. They may mistakenly think that spending time in Allah’s remembrance is a waste of time and that people instead should be occupied solving the problems of the Ummah. Such a belief has dangerous consequences. Continue reading The Danger of Belittling Worship and Remembrance
Perfect Patience
‘But perfect patience (is my state): Allah is the One whose support I seek to bear what you are saying’ (12:18)
When Sayyiduna Ya’qub received the news that Sayyiduna Yusuf had not returned, his response was one of perfect patience (sabr jamil).
The Prophet ﷺ described perfect patience as being a state in which a person makes no complaint to anyone other than Allah. The one who complains does not have perfect patience. Continue reading Perfect Patience
Signs of Acceptance
What are the signs that our actions in Ramadan have been accepted?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
There are three signs that you notice in your heart:
an increase in love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
a strong attachment to good and a desire to spread it
that you have no resentment or animosity towards your fellow Muslims.
Our Transaction with Allah is About Closeness
Habib Ali al-Jifri (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) explains that the essence of our transaction with Allah is closeness (qurb). We realise this when we reflect upon what Allah says in the Qur’an.
The essence of acts of worship is closeness: “Prostrate and draw close.” (96:19) Continue reading Our Transaction with Allah is About Closeness
Wishing to be in Blessed Places..
If you sincerely wish to be in a blessed place during Ramadan (or at any other time) like Tarim, Mecca, Madinah, Jerusalem or anywhere else, then your intention will be recorded and you will receive divine gifts according to your intention. Thereafter Allah may facilitate for you to come to that place and perhaps also your children at a later date. Good intentions are a valuable currency which we use in our trade with Allah. The effects of these intentions are amazing. A good intention is the key to every lock.
Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Bad Decisions and the Lower Self
“Kill Yusuf or banish him to another land, and your father’s attention will be free to turn to you. After that you can be righteous” (12:8).
This was Yusuf’s brothers’ plan but what did they gain? The years passed and they didn’t achieve their goal. Their father was not happy with them. He remained in a state of sadness and their life remained difficult. In fact, they only got what they wanted when they recognised Yusuf’s status and submitted to him decades later. Continue reading Bad Decisions and the Lower Self
No Ordinary Love
“Although we are many, Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we are – our father is clearly in the wrong” (12:8)
We find that the Prophets may love certain individuals more than others. That individual may be a wife or a child or a companion. This is because their love is for Allah’s sake. The more the individual possesses attributes beloved to Allah, the more that prophet will love them. No one would deny that the Prophet ﷺ loved Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali more than other Companions. Continue reading No Ordinary Love