Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Can people who are unable to repay their debts travel the path to Allah? Continue reading On Debts and Travelling the Path to Allah
Category: Obstacles
On Fear of Being Rejected by Allah
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
I feel as though I have been rejected by Allah. How do I know if this is the case or not?
Allah has called His slaves to His door. No one may definitely say if they or anyone else has been rejected, until after they meet Allah. Continue reading On Fear of Being Rejected by Allah
On the Meaning of Renouncing the Dunya
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Imam al-Haddad mentions that the dunya (the material world) is an obstacle to wayfarers on their path to Allah. What does it mean to renounce the dunya?
Renouncing the dunya in reality means leaving everything which distracts you from focusing on Allah and leaving everything which may lead to disobeying Him. It means having no reliance on worldly things, having no veneration for them and having no pride in them. It does not mean, as someone may imagine, leaving one’s food, drink and clothing and not making an effort to earn enough to support oneself and assist one’s relatives. Continue reading On the Meaning of Renouncing the Dunya
On Overcoming the Desire to Disobey Allah
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How can someone overcome the desire of their lower self which strongly calls them to commit acts of disobedience?
Such a person should remind himself of the consequences of wrongdoing. He should remind himself of Allah’s rewards and punishments and reflect upon the return to Allah and upon the fact that he will stand in front of Him to be taken to account. He must cultivate a strong will to leave that which is harmful to his religion, and be firm and determined in this, regardless of the calls of his lower self or the Devil. He must constantly renew his determination to refrain from falling into sin and seek Allah’s assistance in remaining upright. Continue reading On Overcoming the Desire to Disobey Allah
Persevering in Purifying Your Lower Self
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
My lower self has caused me endless problems and prevented me from drawing close to Allah. Whenever I take one step forward, I take several steps backward. How can I purify myself and my heart? Continue reading Persevering in Purifying Your Lower Self
On Overcoming the Excuses of Your Lower Self
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
It is difficult for me to oppose my nafs (lower self). How do I overcome its excuses? Continue reading On Overcoming the Excuses of Your Lower Self
On Accepting Allah’s Decree and Bettering One’s State
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
How does one combine between accepting the decree of Allah and bettering one’s state?
Accepting Allah’s decree means that you do not object to anything that He has decreed while at the same time you do not neglect what you are able to do to improve your own state. There is no contradiction between the two.
On Focusing on the Next Life
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
We are taught to turn away from this life and focus on the next life. However our worries and responsibilities preoccupy us. How do we clear our minds and focus on the next life?
Our worries should remind us of the worthlessness of this life and cause us to turn away from it. We should flee to Allah and seek that He removes our worries. At the same time, by fulfilling our responsibilities we take provision for the next life.
Freeing Ourselves from Deception
Advice from Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him). Extracts from a talk during the mawlid in Dar al-Mustafa the night of 28th Sha`ban 1432/ 28th July 2011.
You can see in front of you in the material world people expending all their efforts to attain that which amounts to nothing. Had these efforts been expended for the sake of Allah, attempting to purchase His merchandise, the results would be amazing! But the one who is imprisoned in the physical realm remains asleep until the veil is lifted, at which point it is of no benefit. Sayyiduna Ali, who had a direct understanding of these concepts, spoke the truth when he said: “People are asleep, and when they die they wake up.” Continue reading Freeing Ourselves from Deception