Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
Neither spouse is obliged to disclose every detail to the other. What is required is for each party to take care of the needs and welfare of the other. There should be goodwill between them, good dealings and a willingness to spend freely on the other.
Habib Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf was born in Seiyun, the principal city of Hadramawt in 1972 (1392). He is a direct descendant of many imams of the Prophetic house, including Imam Taha bin Umar al-Safi (died 1007), the first of the Alawi Sayyids to settle in Seiyun, and Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf (died 819). The al-Saqqaf tribe is known in Seiyun for having produced great scholars and men of God in every generation, the most recent being Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf.
Hadramawt was in the grip of an oppressive socialist government so his parents moved to Jeddah when he was three years old. His father Sayyid Abd al-Rahman was a doctor who would frequent the circles of knowledge in the Hijaz. As a result, Habib Muhammad grew up with a love for scholars. Continue reading Habib Muhammad Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Should I recite the Ratib of Imam al-Haddad or the Ratib of Imam al-Attas?
If you cannot recite both, there is no problem to alternate between the two Ratibs – one takes the place of the other.
What advice do you have for people working in a mixed working environment?
Answered by Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Mixing between men and women is a problem that confronts Muslims in many parts of the world. Continue reading On Mixing Between Men and Women in the Workplace
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Interacting with jinn is similar to interacting with humans. There are pious jinn and disobedient jinn just like there are pious humans and disobedient humans. Our interactions with everyone are governed by the Sacred Law and our interactions with the pious among them are on the principle of working together to attain piety and righteousness. As seekers, we should not be concerned with connections to the jinn. If any good is to come of such connections, Allah will facilitate them without us seeking them.
Is there a difference between making tawbah from major sins and minor sins?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Tawbah is obligatory from all sins, both the minor and major, but especially the major because the end result is worse. Continue reading Tawbah from Minor and Major Sins
How does someone attain direct knowledge of Allah (ma‘rifah khassah)?
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
This is attained by purifying your heart, being in a constant state of presence with Allah and by deep reflection on the following things: Continue reading On Attaining Direct Knowledge of Allah
In these supplications, Habib Ali al-Habashi (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) teaches us to seek high degrees of love and closeness to Allah and His Beloved ﷺ :
Continue reading Roll up the distance between me and Your Beloved!
Every believer generally and those taking the spiritual path specifically should perform their obligations with excellence and strive for presence therein while seeking to strengthen their certainty. Whatever spiritual gifts – such as tranquillity, serenity and a feeling of connection – they receive in the course of that are from Allah and go back to Him. They are not theirs. Continue reading On Receiving Spiritual Gifts and not being distracted by them
Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Generally speaking, the word rabitah means any type of connection between one thing and another. More specifically it is used to mean the sincere connection of one’s heart to one of the people of Allah. It could entail bringing one’s Shaykh to heart in a specific way while reciting a certain dhikr. Continue reading What does rabitah between the Shaykh and the seeker mean?
