Category: Travelling the Path

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 Preventing Excessive Use of the Internet and Mobile Devices

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

How can we prevent excessive use of the Internet and mobile devices?

This can be done by focusing the heart on remembrance and reflection. You should remember Allah until His remembrance dominates your heart. You should reflect upon the life of the Prophet ﷺ. This engenders a longing to be in his company and a longing to meet him. You should also avoid keeping the company of those who spend a lot of time using the internet. Continue reading On Preventing Excessive Use of the Internet and Mobile Devices

On Learning How to Forgive Others

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

How can someone forgive and pardon people who have wronged him?

We can attain praiseworthy traits and rid ourselves of blameworthy traits with a combination of knowledge and action. We should thus remember the greatness of pardoning and forgiving people and the reward for doing so. We should reflect upon examples of the forbearance of the Prophet ﷺ and the pious, love them for the sake of Allah, and then force ourselves to forgive those who have wronged us and to treat them well.

Preparing for the Grave

Advice from Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (may Allah have mercy on him and benefit us by him). 

Make your grave the most important thing, for the day on which you are placed in your grave is the hardest day, the day on which you are most in need. For this reason some scholars were of the opinion that it is obligatory to seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave in every prayer. Among them was Imam Ta’us al-San`ani, the student of Sayyiduna `Abdullah Ibn `Abbas. One day he asked his son if he had sought refuge from the punishment of the grave in his prayer. When his son said no, he told him to repeat his prayer. The Prophet himself sought refuge from it, so why do we not do so? He taught us to say:  Continue reading Preparing for the Grave

The Ummah’s Golden Calf

Advice from Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him). 

Look at how the businessmen in Makkah and Jeddah have mastered their trade. They plaster their advertisements everywhere! If only these billboards clarified the rites of the Hajj and the etiquettes of entering Makkah! These advertisements are proof of their love of material things. Continue reading The Ummah’s Golden Calf

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 Losing Spiritual Aspiration

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

What advice do you have for us if we lose our aspiration for travelling the spiritual path and for performing acts of worship?

You must renew your approach to Allah. Sit for an hour or two or three facing the qiblah imagining that you are in the Blessed Rawdah or in front of the grave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , seeking a connection to him, closeness to him, and his companionship, while bestowing many prayers upon him. This will be a means of renewing your approach. Continue reading On Losing Spiritual Aspiration