Category: Blameworthy Attributes

On Differentiating Between Wisdom and Caprice

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

How can I differentiate between when I act out of wisdom and when I act following the caprice (hawa) of the lower self?

Caprice and wisdom are in opposition to each other. Someone driven by his caprice rushes to gratify the desires of his lower self in a state of heedlessness of Allah. Someone who acts out of wisdom, on the other hand, rushes to seek that which pleases Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, and this is hard for his lower self. He experiences tranquillity, especially when he remembers Allah, and increases in humility and abasement in front of Allah.

On the Role of the Shaykh in Purification of the Heart

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

What is the role of the Shaykh in purification of the heart?

The Shaykh is the most important means of removing the seeker’s blameworthy traits. The Shaykh is not someone who makes false claims or performs miracles but rather someone who is upright in his religion and has a sanad (chain of connection) in purification of the heart. If the seeker is truthful, Allah will cause him to meet a shaykh who will purify him.

On Ridding Ourselves of Harshness and Arrogance

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

How can we rid ourselves of harshness and arrogance?

The sicknesses of the heart must be treated with a combination of knowledge and action. We thus treat harshness by continuously reading what has been narrated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah about the blameworthiness of harshness and what has been narrated about the praiseworthiness of being gentle and merciful. We must then strive to be gentle and merciful. Continue reading On Ridding Ourselves of Harshness and Arrogance

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 Laziness after Gatherings of Remembrance

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

I sometimes experience laziness or bad thoughts after attending gatherings of remembrance. What can I do to combat this?

This is a result of the anger of the Devil and the frustration of the lower self, due to the good that you have attained. So ignore these things and the Devil will achieve nothing and continue doing good works.

On Having a Bad Opinion of Others and Its Cure

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

What is the definition of having a bad opinion of Muslims?

To anticipate that they will be the cause of evil occurring or that evil will befall them in this life and the next. To forbid them from transgressing the Sacred Law is not having a bad opinion of them, but making a judgement that they will not repent, will not be granted forgiveness or that they will have a bad ending is.

Continue reading On Having a Bad Opinion of Others and Its Cure

On Removing Hardness of the Heart

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

How does someone remove hardness from their heart?

By seeking forgiveness often and having a heart that is broken before Allah in the depths of the night and reciting the Qur’an with reflection, and remembering that our ultimate end is to Allah.

 

On Purifying the Lower Self from Pride

Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

How can we purify our lower selves from pride (‘ujb)?

You can do this by remembering who you really are. Your reality is nothingness and your ending is being taken to account by Allah. So what is there to be proud of between nothingness and being taken to account? Allah says: You have not received any blessing except that it is from Allah (16:53). All bounty belongs to Allah; you possess nothing. So witness your Lord’s generosity, and beware: were He to take you to account for your best actions He would punish you. However, out of His bounty, He rewards you, shows you His generosity and multiplies your good deeds. Reflecting on this will remove your pride.

توجيه النبيه ص 320