Category: The Prophet ﷺ

Welcoming Rabi al-Awwal by Seeking the Pleasure of Allah and His Messenger

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafīz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) teaches us how to welcome the month Rabi al-Awwal. 

The new moon of Rabi al-Awwal has appeared, the month in which Allah brought forth His best and most perfect slave, His Chosen One, His Beloved, the Most Noble of the First and the Last in the sight of the Lord of the Worlds. His uncle al-‘Abbas addressed him at the end of his life, on their return from Tabuk, his last expedition, with the following verses:

ُوأَنْتَ لَمَّا وُلِدْتَ أشْرَقَتْ الأَرْضُ وضَاءَتْ بِنُورِكَ الأُفُق
ُفَنَحْنُ في ذلك الضِّياءِ وفي النُّورِ وسُبْلِ الرَّشَادِ نَخْتَرِق

When you were born the earth and the horizons were illuminated by your light

We remain bathed in that glow and it continues to light the path as we travel it Continue reading Welcoming Rabi al-Awwal by Seeking the Pleasure of Allah and His Messenger

Talking about Imam al-Husayn on Ashura

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

What should we mention when we talk about Sayyiduna al-Husayn at the time of Ashura?

We should talk about his upbringing and his character – his mercy, compassion and generosity. We should refer to the biographies of respected scholars from Ahl al-Sunnah. As for his martyrdom, we can mention the fact that he requested one of three things from his killers: that he be allowed to return to al-Madinah or that he be allowed to go to fight jihad on the frontiers or that he be allowed to meet with Yazid ibn Muawiya. However, they rejected his request. He tried to save the lives of his relatives by telling them to leave but they insisted on staying with him.

On Following the Sunnah and Avoiding Ostentation

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.

———

See these classes delivered by Habib Ali al-Jifri on ostentation and how to deal with it

 

Salat for the Night of Badr

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) recommends this prayer in abundance on the night of Badr:

يا حَيُّ يا قَيُّومُ صَلِّ على حَبِيبِكَ سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّد، وأَغِثْنِي بِهِ، وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ وسَلِّمْ

Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum salli `ala habibika sayyidina Muhammad wa aghithni bihi wa `ala alihi wa sahbhihi wa sallim

O Living, O Sustainer, bestow prayers and peace upon Your Beloved, our Master Muhammad and upon his Family and Companions and by him come to my aid!

 

Commemorating Badr

On the 17th of Ramadan, we commemorate the Battle of Badr, which took place on that day in the second year of the Hijrah. It is one of the most important events in the history of the Ummah, and Allah describes it as “the Day of Decision.” Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) places great emphasis on commemorating it and marks the event by completing the Qur’an in Tarawih on the eve of the 17th, after which there are big celebrations in Dar al-Mustafa attended by thousands. The rest of the night is spent in prayer, remembrance and supplication, since prayers are answered when the Qur’an is completed.

Habib Umar reflects upon some of the lessons we can learn from Badr. Extracts from a Friday khutbah, Masjid al-Rawdah, Tarim 12th Ramadan 1432 / 12th August 2011.  Continue reading Commemorating Badr

On Serving the Ahl al-Bayt

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

How can we serve the Ahl al-Bayt in these times?

We must love them for the sake of Allah, which is something Allah has made incumbent on us in the Qur’an. We should support and honour them and those connected to them. We should follow their way and emulate them.

Post Tarawih Qasaid

The tradition after the Tarawih prayer in Tarim is to recite poetry in praise of the Prophet ﷺ . Through praising him and bestowing prayers upon him it is hoped that people’s worship is accepted, and he is at his most generous in Ramadan, as the hadith tells us. Other poems that welcome Ramadan, talk about its merits and bid farewell to it are also read throughout the month along with a selection of duas. Many of these can be found in Habib Muhammad al-Haddar’s book al-Nafahat al-Ramadaniyyah. Coffee is served to rejuvenate those present.

Every night, a section is read from three collections of poetry. Each section corresponds to a letter of the Arabic Alphabet and the verses from that section end in that letter. The collections can be downloaded here:

Al-Fazaziyyah

Al-Qawafi

Al-Witriyyah