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

Habib ‘Ali bin Muhammad al-‘Attas

In his youth, Habib ‘Ali studied under Habib ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar al-Shatiri in the Ribat of Tarim and became one of the greatest scholars of the region. He ended his life as he had lived it, and spent the night before he died poring over books of the Sacred Law. Habib ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf described his existence in our times as a great blessing. He was known for his knowledge, humility and uprightness. He said that he had not left the night prayer nor any of his adkhar for the last seventy years. Continue reading Habib ‘Ali bin Muhammad al-‘Attas

The Understanding of the Salaf

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) reflects upon the understanding of the early generations.

A person’s caprice is the best type of firewood that can be ignited to stir up divisions between the believers. Caprice leads people to blindly follow a group or to follow their lower selves. It leads people to claim that their way or their group is the way of Allah and His Messenger. The pious scholars of this Ummah would be asked:

“What is Allah’s ruling on such and such a thing?” Continue reading The Understanding of the Salaf

On Exhaustion Due to Dawah Work

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

I have been involved in dawah for some years and I feel drained and I lack the support of those around me. What advice do you have for me?

You must remember for Whose sake you are working. You must be true to Him and remain serving Him until you meet Him. Even if no one on the face of the earth supported you and everyone was against you, it would still be your obligation to remain calling people to Allah until you meet Him. At one point Sayyiduna Ibrahim was the only believer on the earth. Allah said about him: Truly Ibrahim was an entire nation.

On Women Attaining the Reward for Praying for Forty Days in Congregation

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

The hadith states that if someone prays the five prayers in congregation for forty days consistently catching the opening takbir with the imam they will be safe from the Fire and safe from hypocrisy.[1] How can a woman attain this reward if her monthly cycle prevents her from praying for forty days consistently?

She can attain the reward by praying in congregation consistently up until her cycle starts. Then as soon as it finishes she continues where she left off.

[1] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi