On Helping to Educate New Muslims

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

How can we best educate those who have recently accepted Islam in our community?

The best thing we can do is to teach new Muslims a sound understanding of the religion. We need to teach them how to perform the most important acts of worship and we need to teach them about Allah, His Prophets and Messengers, the angels and the next life. We should encourage them to show people noble character, especially their parents and families. We should direct them to be a cause of guidance of others. We should hold gatherings for them or establish a place of learning for them.

On Prayer and Vigilance

Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) explains that if the prayer is correctly established, it is a means for seekers to take themselves to account (make muhasabah) and be in a state of vigilance (muraqabah). 

One of the wisdoms of the prayer is that it enables us to be in a state of vigilance and to constantly take ourselves to account. By being in control of your body you prepare your heart to attain this. Your prayer then puts light into your time so that the time between each prayer becomes illuminated. The Prophet ﷺ pointed to this when he said: “One prayer to the next; one Friday prayer to the next and one Ramadan to the next – all of these wipe out the sins a person commits between them, as long as grave sins are avoided.” Continue reading On Prayer and Vigilance

Al-Faqih al-Muqaddam

His Lineage

He is al-Faqih al-Muqaddam, al-Ustadh al-`Azam, Muhammad, bin `Ali, bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbat, bin `Ali Khali` Qasam, bin `Alawi, bin Muhammad Sahib al-Sawma`ah, bin `Alawi, bin `Ubaydullah, bin al-Imam al-Muhajir il-Allah Ahmad, bin `Isa, bin Muhammad al-Naqib, bin `Ali al-`Uraydi, bin Ja`far al-Sadiq, bin Muhammad al-Baqir, bin `Ali Zayn al-`Abidin, bin Husayn al-Sibt, bin `Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatimah al-Zahra’, the daughter of our Master Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ.

Continue reading Al-Faqih al-Muqaddam

Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf

His Lineage

He is Shaykh `Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf bin Shaykh Muhammad Mawla al-Dawilah, bin `Ali Mawla al-Darak, bin `Alawi al-Ghayur, bin al-Faqih al-Muqaddam Muhammad, bin `Ali, bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbat, bin `Ali Khali` Qasam, bin `Alawi, bin Muhammad Sahib al-Sawma`ah, bin `Alawi, bin `Ubaydullah, bin al-Imam al-Muhajir il-Allah Ahmad, bin `Isa, bin Muhammad al-Naqib, bin `Ali al-`Uraydi, bin Ja`far al-Sadiq, bin Muhammad al-Baqir, bin `Ali Zayn al-`Abidin, bin Husayn al-Sibt, bin `Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatimah al-Zahra’, the daughter of our Master Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. Continue reading Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Saqqaf

Imam al-‘Aydarus al-Akbar

His Lineage

He is Imām `Abdullāh al-`Aydarūs bin Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Sakrān bin Shaykh `Abd al-Raḥmān al-Saqqāf bin Shaykh Muḥammad Mawlā al-Dawīlah, bin `Alī Mawlā al-Darak, bin `Alawī al-Ghayūr, bin al-Faqīh al-Muqaddam Muḥammad, bin `Alī, bin Muḥammad Ṣāḥib Mirbāṭ, bin `Alī Khāli` Qasam, bin `Alawī, bin Muḥammad Ṣāḥib al-Ṣawma`ah, bin `Alawī, bin `Ubaydullāh, bin al-Imām al-Muhājir il-Allāh Aḥmad, bin `Īsā, bin Muḥammad al-Naqīb, bin `Ali al-`Urayḍī, bin Ja`far al-Ṣādiq, bin Muḥammad al-Bāqir, bin `Ali Zayn al-`Ābidīn, bin Ḥusayn al-Sibṭ, bin `Alī bin Abī Ṭālib and Fāṭimah al-Zahrā’, the daughter of our Master Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. Continue reading Imam al-‘Aydarus al-Akbar

Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim

His Lineage

He is Fakhr al-Wujūd Shaykh Abū Bakr bin Sālim bin `Abdullāh bin `Abd al-Raḥmān bin `Abdullāh bin Shaykh `Abd al-Raḥmān al-Saqqāf bin Shaykh Muḥammad Mawlā al-Dawīlah, bin `Alī Mawlā al-Darak, bin `Alawī al-Ghayūr, bin al-Faqīh al-Muqaddam Muḥammad, bin `Alī, bin Muḥammad Ṣāḥib Mirbāṭ, bin `Alī Khāli` Qasam, bin `Alawī, bin Muḥammad Ṣāḥib al-Ṣawma`ah, bin `Alawī, bin `Ubaydullāh, bin al-Imām al-Muhājir il-Allāh Aḥmad, bin `Īsā, bin Muḥammad al-Naqīb, bin `Ali al-`Urayḍī, bin Ja`far al-Ṣādiq, bin Muḥammad al-Bāqir, bin `Ali Zayn al-`Ābidīn, bin Ḥusayn al-Sibṭ, bin `Alī bin Abī Ṭālib and Fāṭimah al-Zahrā’, the daughter of our Master Muḥammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. Continue reading Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim

Habib Abdullah bin Umar al-Shatiri

His Lineage

He is al-Imam Shaykh al-Islam al-Ḥabīb `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Ahmad bin `Umar bin Ahmad bin `Umar bin Ahmad bin `Ali bin Husayn bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin `Umar bin `Alawi al-Shatiri bin `Ali bin Ahmad bin Muhammad “Asad Allah” bin Hasan al-Turabi bin `Ali bin al-Faqih al-Muqaddam Muhammad, bin `Ali, bin Muhammad Sahib Mirbat, bin `Ali Khali` Qasam, bin `Alawi, bin Muhammad Sahib al-Sawma`ah, bin `Alawi, bin `Ubaydullah, bin al-Imam al-Muhajir il-Allah Ahmad, bin `Isa, bin Muhammad al-Naqib, bin `Ali al-`Uraydi, bin Ja`far al-Sadiq, bin Muhammad al-Baqir, bin `Ali Zayn al-`Abidin, bin Husayn al-Sibt, bin `Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatimah al-Zahra’, the daughter of our Master Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ. Continue reading Habib Abdullah bin Umar al-Shatiri

Selected Salawat: Nurik al-Sari

This is a prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ composed by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ على سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ نُورِكَ السَّارِي وَمَدَدِكَ الجَارِي واجْمَعْنِي بِهِ فِي كُلِّ أَطْوَارِي وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ يَانُورْ

Allahumma salli wa sallim `ala sayyidina Muhammadin nurik as-sari wa madadik al-jari w’ajm`ani bihi fi kulli atwari wa `ala alihi wa sahbihi ya Nur

O Allah, bestow prayers and peace upon our Master Muhammad, Your light which spreads and Your assistance which flows (throughout creation) and join me with him in all my states, and upon his Family and Companions, O Light!

 

Selected Salawat: The Possessor of All Praiseworthy Attributes

This is a prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ composed by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ و سَلِّمْ على جَامِعِ المحَامِد مَنْ بِهِ تُفَرَّجُ الكُروبُ و تُكْشَفُ الشَّدائِد سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ وعلى آلِهِ و صَحْبِهِ يا حَيُّ يا قَيُّومُ يا واحِد

Allāhumma ṣalli wa sallim `alā Jāmi` al-Mahāmid man bihi tufarraju’l-kurūb wa tukshafu al-shadā’id sayyidinā Muḥammadin wa `alālihi wa saḥbih ya Ḥayyu ya Qayyūmu ya Wāḥid

O Allah, bestow prayers and peace upon the possessor of all praiseworthy attributes, the one through whom tribulations are removed and hardships relieved, our Master Muhammad and upon his Family and Companions, O Living, O Everlasting, O One!

 

Selected Salawat: the Sweetest of Drinks

In this prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ  Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him) asks for the veil between us and him to be lifted and to be given the sweetest of drinks directly by the Prophet ﷺ . 

،اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَالأَصْحَاب

،صَلاةً وَسَلامًا تَرْفَعُ بِهِمَا بَيْني و بَيْنَهُ الحِجَاب

،وَتُدْخِلُنِي بِهِمَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَوْسَعِ بَاب

،وَتَسْقِينِي بِهِمَا بِيْدِهِ الشَّرِيفَةِ أَعْذَبَ الْكُؤُوسِ مِنْ أَحْلَى شَرَاب

Allāhumma ṣalli wa sallim `alā sayyidinā Muḥammadin wa `alā āli sayyidinā Muḥammadin w’al-aṣḥāb, ṣalātan wa salāman tarfa`u bihimā baynī wa baynahu’l-ḥijāb, wa tudkhilunī bihimā `alayhi min awsa`i bāb, wa tasqīnī bihimā biyadhihi ash-sharīfati a`dhaba al-ku`ūsi min aḥla sharāb

O Allah, bestow prayers and peace upon our Master Muhammad and the Family of our Master Muhammad and upon the Companions, by which You lift the veil between us and him, give us the best entry into his presence, and give us to drink from the sweetest of drinks by his noble hand.