They hid him like a piece of merchandise – Allah was well aware of what they did (12:19)
Allah had complete knowledge both of what Yusuf’s brothers had done and now what these travellers were doing with Yusuf. He was doing all this in order to raise the rank of His servant in this life and the next. Do not think for a moment that anything happens outside the knowledge of Allah. Continue reading I Know That You Know
This is how Imam al-Haddad addresses a plea to the Prophet ﷺ . Verses from his great poem, al-Ra’iyyah al-Kubra:
Imam al-Haddad (may Allah benefit us by him) teaches us that there are two types of wellbeing (‘afiyah):
Physical ‘afiyah is for the body to be safe from falling into sin and not to be affected by illness.
Spiritual ‘afiyah is for the heart to be free from doubt and delusion and from concealing hatred for any Muslim.
The one who is blessed with both types of ‘afiyah will be consistent in seeking Allah and obeying Him. This is a manifestation of Allah’s bounty and He gives it to whomever He wishes.
Image: the minaret of Masjid al-Fath, the mosque which Imam al-Haddad built at Hawi, near Tarim.
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
If someone bestows abundant prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ it helps them to overcome obstacles on the spiritual path, remove blameworthy qualities and gain noble qualities. Then through the blessing of bestowing those prayers, Allah unites that person with a shaykh who will be a means for them to reach Allah. So bestowing abundant prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ (and also abundant istighfar) is one of the best means to prepare someone for spiritual progress and facilitate their meeting with their shaykh.
Habib Muhammad was born in the village of Budah in the Dawan Valley south of Hadramawt in 1349 (1931). His father, Habib Husayn was a saintly man who was nicknamed ‘Jibril’ due to the sheer number of times he would see the Prophet ﷺ in his dreams. Continue reading Habib Muhammad bin Husayn ‘Jibril’ al-Attas
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Repeat La ilaha ill’Allah in abundance and recite 100 times a day:
Rabbi-shraḥ lī ṣadrī wa yassir lī amrī
“My Lord bring tranquillity to my heart and give me ease in my affair.” (20:25-26)
‘But perfect patience (is my state): Allah is the One whose support I seek to bear what you are saying’ (12:18)
When Sayyiduna Ya’qub received the news that Sayyiduna Yusuf had not returned, his response was one of perfect patience (sabr jamil).
The Prophet ﷺ described perfect patience as being a state in which a person makes no complaint to anyone other than Allah. The one who complains does not have perfect patience. Continue reading Perfect Patience
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
We must love them for Allah’s sake, feel sadness for what saddens them and feel joy for what gives them joy. We must offer them whatever support we can in whatever form that takes. We must counsel them to hold fast to the truth and to be patient and steadfast. We must pray for them in abundance.
What are the signs that our actions in Ramadan have been accepted?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
There are three signs that you notice in your heart:
an increase in love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ
a strong attachment to good and a desire to spread it
that you have no resentment or animosity towards your fellow Muslims.
Habib Ali al-Jifri (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) explains that the essence of our transaction with Allah is closeness (qurb). We realise this when we reflect upon what Allah says in the Qur’an.
The essence of acts of worship is closeness: “Prostrate and draw close.” (96:19) Continue reading Our Transaction with Allah is About Closeness
