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
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
“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
‘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)
How do we avoid backbiting (ghibah)?
We do this by bringing to mind the ugliness and danger of backbiting. We should also reflect on the punishment for it in the next life. In the Quran, Allah likens the person who backbites to someone who eats the flesh of his dead brother. We should see backbiting as a lightning bolt which destroys our good deeds. We should accustom ourselves to only mentioning a person’s good deeds and qualities if there is a benefit in doing so.
If we are tempted to backbite someone due to a perceived fault, we should do two things instead: pray for them and give them sincere advice either directly or indirectly.
Instead of allowing yourself to backbite, you must hold your tongue and use it to remember Allah. Instead of talking about worldly things, use wisdom in choosing a topic of conversation which is beneficial, such as stories of the Prophet, the Companions, the pious or the next life. In this way you will be acting upon the hadith: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say what it is good or remain silent.”
We are blessed to have a large number of letters that Imam al-Haddad wrote to his students. Each letter contains many lessons for us and paints a picture of the methods the Imam used in nurturing his students and guiding them along the path.
In this letter, Imam al-Haddad issues a strong rebuke to one of his students. Before even addressing him personally, he eloquently reminds him of the worthlessness of this life and warns him against being attached to anything worldly. He asks Allah to rectify his heart and bless him with contentment. Then comes the rebuke: Continue reading Imam al-Haddad Rebukes One of His Students
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I want to follow the Sunnah but I feel pride and ostentation in my heart when I do so. What should I do?
You should try to remove those blameworthy qualities while continuing to follow the Sunnah. The Devil may try to make you leave the Sunnah by making you fear falling into pride and ostentation. If he succeeds in doing that, he may then succeed in making you leave the prayer.
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See these classes delivered by Habib Ali al-Jifri on ostentation and how to deal with it
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Whenever I think I have dealt with one of the diseases in my heart I find I have other diseases. What should I do?
This is a sign that the remedies you are using are working. Continue to seek to purify yourself of these diseases. The more you search and put the spotlight on these diseases, the more you will be aware of them and the better you will be able to deal with them. The fact that you have been made aware of these diseases is a sign that Allah wants good for you and wants to rid you of them. You should continue seeking remedies for these diseases and never despair and abandon good actions.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
When harm befalls you, how do you know whether it is from the effects of the Evil Eye or due to one’s sins?
Generally speaking, anything that befalls you is due to your sins, although it can be to raise your station. If it is due to the Evil Eye it usually occurs suddenly and it leads to a state which is not your normal state.
Habib Ali al-Jifri said: “I asked my teacher, Habib Umar bin Hafiz: which is more dangerous – being proud of one’s actions or being proud of one’s understanding?”
Habib Umar replied (may Allah protect him): “Being proud of one’s understanding is more dangerous than being proud of one’s actions and its outcome is more serious. Look at the response of Iblis (may Allah protect us from him): I am better than him – You created me from fire and You created him from earth. Continue reading The Worst Type of Pride
