Ramadhan Advice by Shaykh Syed Muhammad AnNinowy

12 August
The Holy month of Ramadan‏ (Message From Shaykh Ninowy, Ramadan 2004)
Bismillah,
My dear respected brothers and sisters,
Assalamu Alaykum,

I hope and pray that all of you are in the best of iman and health.

The holy month of Ramadan has come, and it is a special occasion to all, but especially to the People of Tasawuff. This is the time where body, heart and mind purification occurs. But only if you expose yourself to it, with your presistant efforts, extra worship, and re-shaping yourself and your commitments.

Two things I would like you to to increase in this Holy month:
1- the numer of times you send your Salams to our Beloved Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam ( with the specific form you were given lately, it has tremendous secrets, benefits and enlightments)
2- The number of Ayahs of the Qu'ran you recite daily. As this is the month of Qur'an.

Remember, that some think this is the month to eat, when infact, this is the month not to eat a lot.

Remember that you do not only obstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset during this month, but to go to a higher level by:
1- Commanding your organs and limbs ( including tongue, eyes, ears, hands) to obstain from all that's not good.
This is extremely important.
2- Commanding your thoughts that cross your mind to obstain from all that's not good. This comes with training, and perseverance, so please start.


Khutbah (Sermon) of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam) about Ramadan

'O you who believe, prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that haply you will have taqwa.' Qur`an 2:183
'A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its nights in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfills an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in some other month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer's provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his wrong actions and save him from the Fire, and he will have a reward equal to the fasting man's reward without his reward being diminished in any way... Allah gives this reward to anyone who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink by Allah and will not thirst until he enters Paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from the Fire. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, Allah will forgive him and free him from the Fire.'

From a khutba (sermon) given by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on the last day of Shaban.
Reported by Salman al-Farsi (Mishkat al Masabih).
Some Hadiths About Ramadan

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger as saying: 'Ramadan, a blessed month, has cometo you during which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of the Garden are opened, the gates of the Fire are locked, and the rebellious Shaytan is chained. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good indeed suffered deprivation.'Ahmad and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Every good deed will be rewarded from ten to seven hundred fold except fasting which is endured for My sake and which I shall reward.'Hadith Qudsi, Sahih al-Bukhari

'By Him Who holds my life in His hand the breath of the fasting man's mouth is more fragrant before God and better pleasing to Him than redolent musk.'Sahih Muslim

'Paradise has a gate which is called al-Rayyan through which not one shall enter except those who have observed the fast.'Sahih al-Bukhari

'Two joys are prepared for him who observes the fast, the joy of breaking the fast and that of meeting his Lord.'Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim

Excerpts from the Book of the Mysteries of Fasting from the
Ihya Ulum al-Deen of Imam al-Ghazali
'Praise be to Allah who has shown great favor to His servants, Who has frustrated the hopes and plans of Shaytan by making fasting a bulwark and a shield for His friends.'
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'The reward of the fasting man will be generous beyond imagination or estimate.' And so it should be because fasting belongs to Allah and by virtue of this relationship it has been rendered noble. The fast belongs to Allah in two respects. First because it is a form of desisting and relinquishing, in its very nature concealed from human sight, whereas all the other acts of worship are apparent and exposed to it. And secondly because it is a means of vanquishing the enemy of Allah, Shaytan, who works through the appetites and desires. These appetites and desires are increased by eating and drinking. For this reason the Prophet said, 'Shaytan affects the son of Adam by pervading his blood. Let him therefore make this difficult for Shaytan by means of hunger.' For the same reason he told A'isha, 'Persist in knocking on the door of Paradise.' When she asked what she should knock with he replied, 'With hunger.'
The excellence of fasting established, what follows is a basic description of the outward and inward conditions for fasting.

Outward conditions for fasting
The first outward duty is to watch the beginning of the month of Ramadan and announce it at the observation of the new moon (al-hilal). If clouds make the observation of the new moon impossible then the length of Shaban should be extended to thirty days. By observation we mean actual sighting of the new moon. Anyone who hears a trustworthy witness say that he has seen the new moon and believes him, fasting then becomes incumbent on him.
The second outward duty is intention (niyyah). Every night before the dawn of the following day one should specifically and deliberately entertain the intention of fasting. If he should entertain the intention to fast the month of Ramadan but fails to renew his intention every night his fast would not be valid...
The third duty is that, as long as he remembers that he is fasting, the individual should abstain from intentionally allowing any material substance such as food, drink, snuff and enema, to enter his body... Whatever enters the body unintentionally, such as dust, or water, during the rinsing of the mouth will not invalidate the fast...
The fourth duty is abstinence from sexual intercourse...
The fifth duty is abstinence from deliberate seminal emission.
The sixth outward duty is abstinence from vomiting. If one cannot help it however, his fast remains intact and valid.
Practices connected with the Fast
Delaying the time of suhur (until near the time of daybreak).
Speeding the breaking of the fast by eating dates or drinking water before performing the prayer.
Generous giving throughout the month.
Special study of the Our' an.
Retreat (i'tikaf) into the mosque, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan (in which the Night of Power, laylat ul-Qadr, falls).
Inward conditions of fasting
Fasting is of three grades:
The fasting of the general public (sawm al-umun)
The fasting of the select few (sawm al-khusus)
The fasting of the elite among the select few (sawm kusus al-khusus)
The fasting of the general public involves refraining from satisfying the appetites of the stomach and the appetites of sex and is described in the section on Outward conditions.
The fasting of the select few is to keep the ears, the eyes, the tongue, and hands, the feet and other senses free from wrong actions. It consists of:
Refraining from looking at anything disapproved, or anything which occupies the person and distracts him from remembering Allah.
Keeping the tongue free from raving, lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, obscenity, abusive speech, wrangling and hypocrisy.
Closing the ears to every reprehensible thing because everything which is unlawful to utter is also unlawful to hear.
Restraining the limbs from wrong actions as well as avoiding questionable foods at the breaking of the fast.
Not overeating when breaking the fast.
Remaining in a state of suspense between fear and hope after breaking the fast as to whether or not the fast has been accepted by Allah.
The fast of the elite among the select few is the fast of the heart from mean thoughts and worldly worries and its complete unconcern with anything but Allah and the Last Day, as well as by concern over this world, except insofar as it promotes the deen (life-transaction), which belongs to the hereafter.
Every act of worship is possessed of an outward form and an inner secret, an external husk and internal path. The husks are of different grades and each grade has different layers. It is for you to choose whether to be content with the husk or join the company of the wise and learned.
Breaking the Fast
'A human being has not filled any vessel which is worse than a belly. Enough for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls which keep his back straight, but if there is not escape he should fill it a third with food, a third with drink, and leave a third empty.'
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
'Many a one who fasts gets nothing from his fasting but thirst and many a one who prays during the night gets nothing from his night prayers but sleeplessness.'
Tirmidhi
The mercy of the fast of Ramadan penetrates all dimensions of man's existence, providing a holistic cure for all that ails him, rejuvenating the body as well as the spirit of man. Breaking the fast by overeating renders both these beneficial effects useless. And breaking the fast with the wrong foods in any amount will debilitate the one who fasts and make his spiritual efforts more difficult.
Allah exhorts us in the Our' an to eat of the purest foods and the practitioners of modern medicine are just beginning to realize the essential wisdom of this command along with the wisdom of the fast itself. The therapeutic effect of fasting is well documented by actual clinical experience both in Europe and in the United States, leading to general acceptance of the principal that fasting is man's oldest and best healing method. And the kind and amount of food with which one breaks the fast to a large extent determines whether the fast is useful or a waste of time.
The main rule in breaking the fast is to remember why you are fasting and what you hope to obtain by it. There are several du'a [supplications] for breaking the fast which call one back to this reality, one of which is:
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate,
O Allah, for You I have fasted and I have believed in You,
And have broken my fast on Your bounty and so forgive me
my past and present wrong actions.
O Lord of the Worlds.

Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem
Allahumma laka sumtu wa bika aamantu
Wa 'alaa rizqika aftartu faghfirlee
Maa addamtu wa maa akhartu
Ya rabbil aalamen.
One of the sunnas [practices] of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, is to break the fast as soon as the Adhan [call to prayer] is heard before performing the Maghrib prayer, with a date and some water. Ramadan Food Guideline
The rule of thumb of the amount of food to be consumed at the evening meal which follows is that it should be no more than is usually eaten at that time. In fact, if it is, the fast is technically invalid. Again one has to review what one's goal in Ramadan is -- to bury his head deep into a nose-bag full of food every evening after sunset and snore his nights away or to eat a light but nutritious evening meal and use the precious nights of Ramadan for dhikr [remembrance] and fikr [reflection].

The following is a guideline to the types of food which will enhance the natural purifying effect which the fast already has on the body and which will increase the one who incorporates them into his diet in energy, clarity and awareness:
Use as much as possible pure and organic foods, uncontaminated by artificial flavorings, colors, and preservatives.
Avoid eating too much meat too frequently. The Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, ate meat only twice a week. Needless to say it should be halal, but it is also recommended to find a source of free-range animals and to have as close a control as possible over the actual killing.
Include lots of vegetables and raw fruits in your diet.
Avoid overdoses of starches, particularly excessive amounts of polished white rice -- use whole grains when possible and then not too much of them.
Avoid too much sugar and substances containing caffeine -- they will unbalance the delicate endocrine system of the body.
Pay attention to the order in which you eat different foods and the combinations of foods which you eat. The medicine of the Prophet recommends limiting the number of different types of food eaten at one time as much as possible, and latest research has revealed that the reason for this is the stomach's ability to produce

And finally, please do not forget me in your daily Du'a,
May Allah bless you and make this month a success for all,
wassalam,
Muhammad bin Yahya

Loving the Dunya by Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi

Gardens of Enlightments: The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain

Gardens of Enlightments: The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain

The House Of Saydatina Fatimah and Sayyidina Ali Radhi Allahu Anhum Ajmain

Shaykh Syed Muhammad bin Yahya Alhusainy Anninowy

Seerah of Sayyidina Ali and Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi Salam
Birmingham 2009 (17th rejab 1430)

Shaykh started the talk with asking us to increase solah and salam on the Prophet Sallalahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam and smile.

We were to open our souls so that Shaykh talked to our souls and then to open our hearts as we are talking about the dearest and the nearest and the Purified, the continuation of the Best of Creation Sallalahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
Rough meaning as translated by the Shaykh;

………………Allah wishes only to remove any impurities from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you indeed .
( سورة الأحزاب , Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #33)
Hadith as narrated by Ahmad tabarani with authentic isnad
From Umar , Radhi Allahu anhu , son of Ummu Salamah (Umar was raised by the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam. “When this ayat was revealed at baiti Ummu Salamah Radhi Allahu Anha, Umar says that Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam called Fatimah , Alhasan and Alhusayn. He covered them with a sheet. Saydina Ali Karamallahu wajhah stood behind his bacl and he covered him with the sheet.
“Oh Allah these are the ahlul bayti, purify them and remove any impurities” Ummu Salamah asked can I come and be covered? “You stay where you are and you are deemed to be good”.

Alshaykh found it difficult to talk about Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam although this was the request as Saydina Ali Karamallahu wajhah was much discussed by the speaker before this.

A description by a poet
“When her Nur appear, you cannot compare to the sun and the moon
AzZahra from her Nur the entire universe illuminated
She combined all the Qualities of The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
If not because of her (?didnt get this word) , she is a copy of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam “

Fatimah the shining star, kauthar Fayyad
Ongoing source of light
Batul/Zakiyah/ Alhawrah Fatimahtuz Zahra
Who has been described as “ Allah displeasured at her anger and Allah is pleasured at the pleasure”

Hadith from Bukhari and Muslim:
“Whoever displeases Fatimah has displeased me “ Hadith Bukhari
(know that whoever displeases the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam qualifies for the wrath from Allah)
This is only a glimpse of her greatness
Her greatness is made with Nurani essence willed from eternity by Allah
She is the Master Lady of Jannah

Hadith Sahih (1) hakim narration (2) Tabarani narration
(1) The best of women of ahli Jannah
(2) The best of women of alamin
And hadith continues Khadijah binti Khuwailid, Fatimah binti Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam) . Asiyah and Maryam binti Imran
Allah gave her such a beauty!
Shaykh Ninowy divides her (alaihi salam’s) life into 3 phases
1. From birth to upbringing in the house of her father until she married Amirul mu’minin Ali
2. Living in the house of Amirul Mu’minin Ali till the passing away of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
3. From the passing away of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam until her own death
Life of Azzahra with so many characteristics, alShaykh is obliged to go through even before she was born
Saydatina Khadijah Radhi Allahu anha, broke the rule and she was boycotted by the society
She was a wealthy billionaire who married someone of “low cast” i. e different social standing, orphan and poor, thus she broke ties with her own “posh” community of Quraisy.
The women of high society boycotted her
They stopped visiting her
And for a women, the neediest time is when she is pregnant, with the hormonal change /physiological/psychological change
She had no one next to her, thus ulama’ mentioned that what she used to do when she was pregnant was to talk to Saydatina Fatimah while she was in the womb. When people boycotted, Allah made provisions, to be boycotted by the creation is better than the opposite.
Narrations about her birth mentioned either 5 years before announcement of the message or 5 years after or 1 year after that. Alshaykh is inclined to the 5 years before the announcement as it is more right based on sequence of events)
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam named her Fatimah
Fatimah means to distance/separate something from something
There are many meaning of Fatimah and perhaps another time alShaykh will be discussing this. Her name implies that she is separated from the rest of the women of her time BUT also mankind, by being the superior!
The best of Annisa AlAlamin is Fatimah binti Muhammad (alaihi salam)

She was nicknamed UMMU ABIHA by the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam.
What kind of name is that, the mother of your father- ummu in essence is source not the branch
For example in Alquran Allah uses Ummul Qura for Makkatul Mukaramah and for Luh mahfuz, allah refers as Ummul Kitab
(to be continued)

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had 2 sons from Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi Salam , Tahir and qasim , both who died young and from saydatina Mariah Qibtiyah Radhi Allahu anh
When his sons died, Quraisy found the opportunity to hurt Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam.
When Ibrahim died, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam said the eyes water over you and the heart is saddened… Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi roji’un
The honourable heart of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam that carries concerns of people, pain with each plant and animal… this was the heart that the Quraisy wanted to hurt and make it bleed.
Asr bin Wayl, not a muslim , walked to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam and said , “You are abtar” which means cut off i.e. no offspring. Meaning you are sealed off, you have nothing left. In Arabic tradition, only males were considered offspring. That means your zikr will die when you die. No one carry name after you’d gone.
AlQuran: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ
1. We have given you al kauthar, a lot, abundance, a lot of offspring, children

2 Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice.
3 For he who is trying to shame you thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope, offspring)

Now there are many men and women who claims offspring of the Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam. Al Kauthar, whatever it entails…. Allah will give you Ya Rasulullah until you are pleased.

Jabir, the narrator of Hadith, who is trustworthy, narrated
“ Every offspring of man, their name and allegiance is to the man except of Fatimah. I am their father and source and essence” This emphasis the meaning, supplementing the AlQuranic verse

Saydina Hasan and Husayn alaihi salam, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam calls them my sons. All the hadith that Shaykh Ninowy has access to, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam never refers them as his grandson, but as sons.
Hadith Bukhari…. Narrated Abu Bakra: I heard the Prophet talking at the pulpit while Al-hasan was sitting beside him, and he (i.e. the Prophet ) was once looking at the people and at another time Al-hasan, and saying, "This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e. chief)….

Hadith Shababi:
“My sons, the Sayyidina of youth of ahlul Jannah and their father is better than them”.

Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi Salam is the source of all children… hence the title Ummu Abiha. Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam’s offspring is limited to the offspring of Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam.

Jahili Society , man would bury their female children. A Jahili poet had said “ Death is the best gift for female offspring, ineed an honourable thing to do”
That was the kind of society that was thriving then, that mentality.
If any man has a daughter at teen age, he would be in shame and humiliation.

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam honoured his daughter alaihi salam to break such taboo. Female like Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam equals the WHOLE
WORLD. Remember, the most honourable amongst you is the one with most taqwa.

From collection of Sunan abudawud
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: I never saw anyone more like the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) in respect of gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition - according to al-Hasan's version: in respect of talk and speech. Al-Hasan did not mention gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition - than fatimah, may Allah honour her face. When she came to visit him (the Prophet) he got up to (welcome) her, took her by the hand, kissed her and made her sit where he was sitting; and when he went to visit her, she got up to (welcome) him, took him by the hand, kissed him, and made him sit where she was sitting. (Book #41, Hadith #5198)

This is the rank of Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam.
The due maqam of Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam… she lived where the malaikah/angels land, where Jibrail alaihi salam revealed wahi, where Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam lived, her ears wake up to the wahi, her nights was filled with tartil of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam , where Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam’s voice was reading the alQuran. This is the household that Fatimah AzZahra was born and lived in, she grew up until puberty.

The great sahabi radhi Allahu anhum ajmain came to ask for her hand in marriage, Abu Bakar wa Umar wa Abdur Rahman
Each time Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam refused softly.

According to Albazaar, Saydina Abu Bakar Radhi allahu anh said to Saydatina Aishah radhi Allahu anha “ when Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam is pleased with you, say I mention Fatimah” (SubhanAllah look at the adab of Saydina Abu Bakar).
“ So imentioned to him, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam refuse until Allah decree”

Saydina Ali came and asked , his head down not able to see Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam. “ Why so long Ali” “ I don’t have anything”
The status of Saydina Ali… fakir in duniya yet Ghani akhirah!
Our helpline is our deed, the amal soleh.
Anything that came to him , he would give away.
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam asked “where is the shield I gave you”
This was the dowry/ mahar

Ya akhi, you daughter’s future isn’t guaranteed by money/car/position, but guaranteed by taqwa- if you have taqwa, that secures the future
No taqwa, not secure
We need to recalibrate our compass.

After the wedding Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam brought his daughter to the house of Saydina ali, only 1 room, 1 pillow
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam reads doa for the couple to bless them
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam gave her with comfort that he has done his job, as she was in the hands of someone who fears Allah
Someone who loves Allah and his rasul and Allah and Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam love him!

People had asked Saydatina Fatimah “ You could have been married to someone rich but he (Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam) married you to someone poor like Ali

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam said “ ya Fatimah, By Allah I married you to someone with most knowledge, with much patience and the first to come to Islam.”

At this point we need to realize Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam is drawing line to Fatimah and us all to look for iman not money
Taqwa, not looks
Ahlaq and decency
If you put your daughter in the wrong bed, you may loose Allah.

Remember her father is Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi salam whose eyes are filled with Nur

Hadith Bukhari
“ You to me Ali is like Harun is to Musa”

Seerah before battle of Khaibar
“ I will give the flag tomorrow to someone who love Allah and His Rasul and Allah and His Rasul love him”

Hadith
“ Whoever Ali is his Mawla, I am his mawla”

Life for Saydatina Fatimah is beautiful like no one can describe
Beauty in simplicity
But there was hardship in her life
Saydatina Fatimah was somone much strength, lived by the way of AlQuran realized that Sayyidina Ali was involved in daawah.
She was to him like Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi salam was to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
Remember how Saydatina Khadijah Alaihi salam used to be a source of comfort to Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam, when Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam returned after the first revelation and she said, “By Allah, Allah will never put you down…..”

One day Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam went to Saydatina Fatimah’s house looking for Saydina Hasan and Saydina Husayn, “ Where are my two sons?”
Saydatina Fatimah replied that when they woke up, there was nothing to eat. SubhanAllah, nothing at all.
“So Ali told me , let me take the childen with me as I am afraid they will cry out of hunger and went to the Jewish men to work for them”

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam went to look for Saydina Ali who was working for a Jew. “ Don’t you take care of my two sons , in the heat of this desert?”
“Would you sit here until I finish my shift to get dates to bring to Fatimah?”

So while Saydina Ali collected buckets of dates, and for each bucket-full, he was paid one date. Saydina Ali collected for Saydatina Fatimah the dates and put in his clothes to bring home.
This is an average occurrence in this blessed household.

Please note that if we resource back to previous books, the title Alaihi Salam is a sign of sunnah and to be given to this blessed household.

In Sahih Bukhari, Saydatina Fatimah alaihi salam use to cursh wheat with her own hands until she had coarse hands from grinding. She heard Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had maids to give to people and went over. She met Saydatina Aishah Radhi Allahu Anh while Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam wasn’t in and left a message of her need for a maid. Upon Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam’s return, Saydatina Aishah Radhi Alllahu Anh informed of the message.

Hadith: While me and Fatimah were sleeping, Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam came and sat between us , so much until I felt the coolness of his honourable feet between us.

Hadith Bukhari:

Narrated 'Ali bin Abi Talib: Fatima came to the Prophet asking for a servant. He said, "May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite "Subhan Allah' thirty three times, 'Alhamdulillah' thirty three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty four times. 'All added, 'I have never failed to recite it ever since." Somebody asked, "Even on the night of the battle of siffin?" He said, "No, even on the night of the battle of siffin." (Book #64, Hadith #275)

When Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam had to leave, the last home he would stop is the house of Saydatina Fatimah
When Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam returned, the first house he would visit is her house too!

Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam sees through her face, the face of Saydatina Khadijah , full of iman and smell of Jannah.


When Sayyidina Ali enter the house he would say salam

These are amongst lessons: You have to honour your wife.

Wa alaykum salam Ya Abal Hasan
Again: Lesson: Honour due from wife to husband
Not tit for tat

Remember the better one amongst you is the one who forgives.
Acknowledge your spouse, with smelling nice, dress up for him/her

Ibn Abbas: “I dress up for my wife”
(She is someone I want to look good for just like you want her to look good for you!)

One day Sayyidina Ali commented “ What is that good smell like the smell of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam”

Lesson: When you marry, you want to honour and respect her/his family

Sayyidina Ali had said: “ By Allah I have never upset her and I have never forced her to do anything. She has never upset me nor has she disobeyed me”
“When I use to look at her, all my worries and sadness go away immediately when I lay my eyes on her”.

Imam Hassan had narrated that “ I saw my mother on the night of Jumaah making ruku and sujud until Fajr. And she is making doa to the mu’minin/mu’minat- who she remembers by name one by one and not for herself. I told her mother , you make doa for all you know and not for yourself”
Look at the akhlaq and care!

Saydatina Fatimah Alaihi salam use to go to bed little, she was up in tahajjud most nights in worship
The home of Saydatina Fatimah , there were prayers all night and in the day

Sayyidina Hassan and Husayn used to say “ This world does not know any worshipper like Fatimah . She would pray at night until her ankle swelled”.

These people in their homes made zikr to Allah duniya akhirah
Make your home a masjid where Allah is mentioned duniya akhirah

Adopt the Fatimi Approach:
In ibadah/ in the love of Allah and Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa salam
In sacrifice to the Deen
In meeting the daily challenges
Yet GLORY THAT COMES WITH NUR!

AlQuran AlAhzab, 33:33

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and to purify you with a thorough purification.
( سورة الأحزاب , Al-Ahzab, Chapter #33, Verse #33)





Sahih Muslim
'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying) (Book #031, Hadith #5955)

Habib Kazim al-Saqqaff "Dealing with Difference" // July 2009 // Radical Middle Way

Abu Bakar As-Siddiq RadhyiaAllahu 'anh

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

These are our notes from dars by Syeikh Abdul Aziz Ahmed for FOSIS held in Edinburgh alhamdulillah wa syukrililLah.

- Sayidina Abu Bakar was the complete among Sahabah.
- he is the father of bikr (purity, newness). Bikr: a newly married girl.
- His nickname is 'atiq. (itqihi minan naar)
- itaqa: exceedingly beautiful; in a conversation his face gives the impression of welcoming and warmth.
- it also means one who has good lineage and no fault.
- his parents had two children before him who passed away and when they had Sayidina Abu Bakar, his mother make the du'a 'o Allah! Make this one freedom from death'
- He was the son of Ibnu Abu Quhafa ( a muslim) and his grandson was the first person to be born in Islam (Abdullah ibnu Zubayr, son of Asma binti Abu Bakar) RadhiyaAllahu 'anhum
- He has sidqul eeman (belief totally in RasululLahi salalLahu 'alayhi wassalam), he was a sidqul friend and he's sadiq in giving his monew away (he was a rich man but when he became khalifah he was very poor).
- He lived exactly 63 years (he was born 2 years after RasuluLlahi SallaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam was born and passed away 2 years after rasululLahi SallaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam passed away) and Sayidina Umar passed away when he was 63 years old as well.
- He was very good at interpretation of dreams. Sayidina Khalid bin Said dreams he was being dragged to fire and he was very scared. his father, Said ibnul 'As pushed him and Rasul SalaLlahi 'alayhi wassalam said 'I will save you'.
In the same time Sayidina Uthman RadhiyaAllahu 'anh had a dream of someone saying 'bu'ithta ahmed'. both of them came to Sayidina Abu Bakar to understand the meaning of their dreams.
- Sayidina Abu Bakar RadhiyaAllah 'anh never drink nor recite poetry before and after Islam. When being asked why he never drank, he said he wanted to protect his honour.
- In the early period of Islam, when the believers still hid their Islam from everyone, Sayidina Abu Bakar went to Masjidil haram and announced he is a muslim from every corner of the masjid. He was the first person to be beaten because of islam.
- Sayidina Abu Bakar taught only when it is necessary for example when people arguing about where to bury RasullulLahi salalLahi 'alayhi wassalam, he relayed the hadith that prophets were buried in the place where they passed away.
- sayidina Ali KaramaLlahu wajha was very good at judging character and he said amongst the sahaba the bravest was sayidina Abu bakar RadhiyaAllahu 'anhum.

Tafseer Al-Baqara

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُواْ بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ (2:40)
• 2:40 (Asad) O CHILDREN of Israel! Remember those blessings of Mine with which I graced you, and fulfil your promise unto Me, [whereupon] I shall fulfil My promise unto you; and of Me, of Me stand in awe! -
وَآمِنُواْ بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ (2:41)
• 2:41 (Asad) Believe in that which I have [now] bestowed from on high, confirming the truth already in your possession, and be not foremost among those who deny its truth; and do not barter away My messages for a trifling gain; and of Me, of Me be conscious -

وَلاَ تَلْبِسُواْ الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُواْ الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (2:42)
• 2:42 (Asad) And do not overlay the truth with falsehood, and do not knowingly suppress the truth;

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (2:43)
• 2:43 (Asad) and be constant in prayer, and spend in charity, and bow down in prayer with all who thus bow down. -

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ (2:44)
• 2:44 (Asad) Do you bid other people to be pious, the while you forget your own selves -and yet you recite the divine writ? Will you not, then, use your reason? ; -

وَاسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ (2:45)
• 2:45 (Asad) And seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: and this, indeed, is a hard thing for all but the humble in spirit, -



- Israel is the name of Prophet Ishaq the son of Ya’qoub ('alayhima assalam).
- Bani means the children of
Because this is from the qur’an, the verse addresses all humankind and in specific the people of Madina. The Prophet, sallalahu ‘alaihi wassalam, said:
‘Whoever performs ablution at home, then comes to the Quba mosque to perform prayer therein, will get the reward of Umrah.’ (Al Tirmidhi)
The Banu Nadir tribe in Madinah knew the truth about Rasul Salallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi Wassalam.
- Ka’ab bin Asyraf, a leader of Banu Nadir tribe in Madinah said to the jewish tribe ‘typical of you, not making any decision.’
- Banu Nadir has a pact with Banu Ghatafan who lived in Najd before Islam. ‘Uyaynah bin Husayn, the leader of Banu Ghatafan used to come to Banu Nadir and listened to them saying about the prophet.
- Hasan bin Thabit RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhu lived with Banu Nadir. One night he saw them crying and said that this is the night, tonight is the night in which the star of Ahmad rose.

‘chosen’ = to worship Allah. If we don’t take care of worshipping Allah, it can be taken away from us.
Said Nursi said that you will see that Islam will be taken away from Ottoman and it will be given to the European. The Arab world will be pregnant with the west and the west was pregnant with the Arab world.

‘Remember the blessings’ ~ amongst the blessings to the jewish people: (Kitab) Books, prophets, Zara’a (vegetation), olives and parting of the ocean.

‘Sell your religion with thamanan qaleela (trifling gain)’ ~ For adultery, the original punishment is stoning. They decided to be lenient with richer people who paid the scholars and as a result they just painted an adulterer's face black.
No clergy should sell Islam for money.
Mullah Ali Qari RahmatulLahu ‘alayh is a very big teacher. He used to sell one qur’an that he wrote with calligraphy in a year and he used the money to support himself.
Habib Umar bin Semait HafidzulLah used to buy and sell some oranges and with the profits he travel.

May Allah make us amongst the steadfast and gain His pleasure

Habib Umar reviving the love for Allah and His meesenger

On the last Monday in Rabi Al-Awwal, a special mawlid was held in Dar Al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. We were blessed to have Sidi Amjad Tarsin share with us the link to the live broadcast as well as his live translation of Habib Umar’s speech. All praises to Allah for allowing us to gather the pearls of wisdom, advice and knowledge from Habib Umar. We would like to share with you the notes we took. All mistakes are entirely from us, we are incapable of fully translating the tremendous wisdom of Habib Umar. Please be aware that these notes are for reference only. If you are plan on posting this elsewhere, kindly include the link to this post.

The first noble scholar to speak was Habib Mashhur, Habib Umar bin Hafidh’s oldest brother. Habib Mashhur is also the mufti of Tarim. The next to speak was Habib Abdullah bin Shihab. Soon after, Habib Salim Al-Shatiry, the Sultan of Scholars, began his speech. Habib Salim said that all these majalis (gatherings) were from the barakah of the martyrdom of Habib Umar’s beloved father.

After this, Habib Umar began by speaking about the blessings of these gatherings.

Praise is due to Allah with thanks, for the blessings that come down in succession. We praise Him in secret and openly, and in the mornings and evenings (part of an Imam Al-Haddad poem).

He sent upon the clouds of His mercy and made us of the Community of the best of His creation. And He allowed us to enjoy life - those who remember, remember and they turn to the Most Merciful, Mighty and Majestic is He. And He prepared for us those who remind us, and those who make us pay attention, and those who warns us, and those who guide us.

In this month of Rabi Al-Awwal, Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wasalam was born, and he came into existence. Alhamdulilah for this blessing.

And how many people have attended this gathering? From all over the world, from within Hadramawt and from outside Hadramawt. All trying to implement the methodology our Prophet taught us, peace be upon him.

We came from different tribes, different places. Coming together to remember Allah. [On the day of judgment) there will be people on pedestals of light. The prophets and martyrs will have ghibt (halal jealousy) for these people on the pedestals of light. And the prophets and martyrs will ask: Who are these people? [They will be told:] they are the ones who love one another for the sake of Allah. May Allah make us from them!

We have heard the description of the Prophet peace and mercy be upon him. And remember the responsibilities upon us, [knowing and working for]:

* the realities of islam
* the realities of iman
* the realities of ihsan

And these realities will not manifest within someone except that they are connected to this Prophet, peace and mercy be upon him. [Therefore,] follow this Prophet!

You have heard about the martyrdom of our father, Habib Muhammad Bin Salim Bin Hafidh Bin Shaykh Abu Bakr Bin Salim. And all the good that came from him [and his sacrifice]. His [courage and selflessness] could not have come except through the connection to the Prophet and [through] the Prophet’s teachings, peace and mercy be upon him.

We saw how the pious predecessors were concerned with Da’awah and their extreme level of mercy towards creation. As we just heard about the life of Habib Umar bin Abdullah Al Shatiry and how he was merciful to the young and old. Likewise with Habib Muhammad bin Shihab; how people used to weep in his gatherings.

All of these blessed occurrences was due to their connection to the Prophet and the mercy of the Prophet; [for he is] the door to God’s mercy. Our righteous predecessors saw before them the faces of those who manifested these realities, those who had the secrets of this message. Such as Habib Ali Al-Habshi and many others. These are the realities of the jewels of this valley (Hadramawt). The jewels of the Muslims in the East and West.

All of this was attainable through the connection to Al-Amin, peace be upon him. How many blessings have occurred through these moments of purity [with Allah]? In which the pious predecessors turned to their Lord and the light [He gave them] was spread to others through their sincerity.

And how many groups of people became Muslim, without a sword, without wars, but through the sincerity of these men. The people of Allah worship Allah through dhikr (remembrance), through ritual prayer, and through salawat upon the Prophet. And there is no way to draw closer to Allah through one of his creation than through remembering the Prophet Muhammad, sala Allahu alayhi wasalam. There is no invoking blessings upon anyone like invoking blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, sal Allahu alayhi wasalam! May Allah build up our hearts through remembering this Prophet. As our beloved Prophet told us: “None of you truly believes until I become more beloved than his parents and his children and all people.”

If we remember his birth, his migration, the wars he fought in, and the tears he wept… O you whose eyes rarely weep out of love and out of fear of Allah! How many a tear did your Prophet shed? We ask Allah that He shows mercy to us.

Whose Ummah is this? He is this Ummah’s example, he is this Ummah’s light. He is the one who will show them mercy [when interceding for them before Allah] and he is the one who has the most right to their love. Before anyone [in rank], before any human or jinn, there is Muhammad, sal Allahu alayhi wasalam. The Sahaba always used to think of him in their seclusion and they used to cry remembering him.

Habib Jafar bin Muhammad Al-Aydarus wrote: “My young heart has become torn asunder out of love for the best of creation.”

We have to revive these meanings [and realities]! We have to have Allah and His Messenger be more beloved to us than anything. May Allah revive all the good qualities that were in the gatherings of the pious predecessors. You would see their gatherings full of tranquility. And of fear of Allah. If anyone came in [to their gatherings] with a heart full of worldly worries, they would leave them with their heart freed of those worries. If they came in in darkness, they would leave illuminated. He is the One who your heart is in His hands. He is the One whose hand lies your husn al khatima (a good ending). He is the Hayy Al-Qayyum (the Living, the Self-Sustaining)! May Allah bring back upon us what our righteous predecessors had of His grace. And may Allah increase us from His grace, rectify this valley, rectify all the Muslims, rectify them from the barriers that veil them from Your Greatness. And allow us to taste the sweetness of faith. wa Alhamdulilah rabb al alameen.

Translated by Amjad Tarsin.
Compiled by Mikael Pittam and Amjad Tarsin.

To hear the full lecture, please visit Habib Umar’s website: http://www.alhabibomar.com/Lecture.aspx?SectionID=8&RefID=738
Click on the “Play” button on the right column of the page.

(reproduced from IslamCrunch)

Khasais Kubra

Al-Khasâis al-Kubra by al-Imâm Jalâludîn al-Suyûti RahmatulLahu ‘alayh.

- When did Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassalam use his ring? When he wrote letters to Persians and Romans as a seal ~ he modified the method he relay the message Sallahu ‘alayhi wa alhi wassalam.

- Mutawatir is when it originates from different sources but have the same narration eg. the attack of elephants in the Year of Elephant. It came from two different sources and Allah relayed in the Al-Qur’an in Surah Al-Feel.

- Definition of hadith sahih: rigorously authenticated; one which has a continuous isnad, made up of reporters of trustworthy memory from similar authorities, and which is found to be free from any irregularities (i.e. in the text) or defects (i.e. in the isnad)
Definition of hadith hasan: a hadith which is not Shadhdh (no irregularities), nor contains a disparage reporter in its isnad, and which is reported through more than one route of narration.

- Muntajasima are anthropomorphist and they attributed human character to Allah (Exalted is He).

- Abu Na’im Al-Isfahani was from Persia (Isfahan). His name is Ahmad bin Abdullah and he was a syafi’e and asy’ari. He lived for 94 years (336 AH – 430 AH). His first teacher was his own grandfather and his father was a muhadith who travelled widely to collect ahadith (He was obsessed with collecting ahadith and was called hufadz (100 hadith, biography, chain, rawayatain memorized)). Abu Na’im became a scholar and al-hafidz when he was just 10 years old. He received ijazah on hadith even as far as Uzbekistan and had the shortest chain of hadith unknown to people at that time. Abu Bakar Al-Khatib (rahmatulLahu ‘alayh) said only two person can have the title of hufadz and he is one of them. Ibnu Taymiyah said that he is the greatest of hufadzul hadith.

- Al-Hakim narrated on the authority of Salman Al-Farisi, it was relayed from Abdul Mutalib on one of his journey to Syria (rihlatal syita’, rihalatal sayf was to Yemen in wintertime) that they stayed with some jewish scholars. One of the people of Zabur (psalms of David) said to him who is this man?
He is from Quraisy.
From which quraisy?
From Hisyam.
Would you allow me to see his body?
Of course, as long as it’s not my awrah.
He looked into my nostril and he can see kingship. He looked into the other and he can see something of Bani Zuhrah.
Do you have a wife from Banu Zuhrah?
At that moment, he was not married to the lady from Bani Zuhrah yet.

- The story of Abrahah: http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Elephant.html

- Hassan bin Thabit RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhu became muslim when he was 60 years old. He passed away when he was 120 years old. He was only a child when Rasul Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassallam was born. A particular tribe of jews gathered and cried as they can see that the star of Ahmad had risen. It was on the 12th of Rabi’ul Awwal in the Year of Elephant.

- Related by Imam Bayhaqi, Tabrani and Muslim that light was emanating from Sayidatina Aminah (this was before he was born). She could see the palace of Bosra.

- When he was born, he bowed down his head, and Syifa’ (mother of Abdul Rahman ibnu ‘auf RadhiyaAllahu ‘anhum) held him Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa alihi wassallam and she saw the light. She said she is the first believer.

- The Ka’bah shook and idols fell on their faces (narrated by Abu Nu’aym).

- On the night, the sorcerer and magicians had veil and they could not talk to jinns.

- Sayidatina Amina did not have pain during childbirth.

- Further reading: Dalail Al-Nubuwa Imam Bayhaqi.

Al-Habib Ahmad bin Zayn Al-Habshi

AL-HABIB AHMAD BIN ZAYN AL-HABSHI
By : ash-Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mash-hur bin Taha al-Haddad
Translated by: Shaykh Muhammad Mlamali Adam

In the name of Allah, the Infinitely Merciful, the Compassionate. The Laud is Allah's the Laud of the grateful, the Laud that is equal to His bounty and sufficing to His increment thereto. And blessings and peace be upon the Lord of Prophets and the Beloved of the Creator and Sustainer and Nourisher of the worlds, and may Allah be pleased with his kinsmen and companions and successors… Says the said as-Sayyid Ahmad:

As for the author of an-Nafahat as-Sirriyyah (that is the Commentary on al-Ayniyya), he is the all round Imam, a deep ocean, who dispenses graced wisdom both comprehensively and in detail, assembles diverse gnoses and who is an heir to Masters of sactified secrets al-Habib Ahmad bin Zayn al-Habshy of the town of Ghurfa in the Valley of Hadhramawt.

He was born in the year 1069 Hijriyya and grew up in the best 'Alawiyya surroundings, and traces his line to al-Mustafa -- the Prophet, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah.

He worked hard in searching for 'ilm from his very youth; learnt the Qur'an by heart and acquired various kinds of 'ilm from the 'ulamaa of his home area, except that he did not find everything he wanted in his town of al-Ghurfa. He travelled to Seyun and Tarim. Dates were his only provision. He used to frequent the 'ulamaa and attend their darsas and pick up their priceless pearls. He attached himself to al-'Arif Billahi 'Abdalla bin Ahmad Balfaqih and studied under him many titles of Sacred Law and Gnosis. He also studied under as-Sayyid al-Imam Ahmad bin 'Umar al-Hinduwan who gave him magnificent predictions about the future at the mountain path of the tomb of Prophet Hud, upon whom be peace. He had contacts with many of the 'Ulamaa of Hadhramawt and Yaman and al-Haramayn (the Sacred Sanctuaries of Makka and al-Madina). He exhausted all the 'ulum they had. And the last to whom he attached himself exclusively at the end was Qutb al-Irshad al-Habib 'Abdalla bin 'Alawi al-Haddad. He befriended him for about 40 years and received his infinite 'ulum and gnoses, and he never ceased studying under him. In fact he died when al-Habib Ahmad was reading to him al-Muwatta of Imam Malik and Sharh as-Sunnah --- the Commentary on the Sunnah -- of al-Imam al-Baghwy. And he used to revere and venerate him and urge people to study under him.

As for veneration for his Shaykh, that was beyond words. Indeed he took him as proof for everything. He used to say : "What we believe and dedicate ourselves to Allah upon, is that our Shaykh al-Haddad has inherited the states of all saints, predecessors and the successors alike. We have seen that both with our physical eyes and through revealed knowledge." And for this reason he surrendered himself totally to him. Indeed, he quotes his Shaykh, namely al-Haddad as saying : We do not say anything other than what Abul-Hasan ash-Shadhili said: "Whosoever finds a source of water sweeter that this one should accordingly quench his thirst there." For this reason he stopped at his Shaykh's water source and drank and drank, and consequently became The Shaykh of the People, and caravans headed for him.

His Knowledge
He devoted his whole time acquiring both inner and outer 'ulum. Therefore he said: After I was 70 years of age I had no other desire except 'ilm. Indeed, he looked at about 100 books around him and said: "Were all these books to be destroyed , I would reproduce them from my heart." He studied most of the highly regarded books of ash-Shafi'i and others on the subject of exegesis and the Hadith and instrumental subjects and recitations and medicine and mathematics and engineering, the 'ulum of the Folk and Subleties as you may well observe in his all-comprehensive Safinah which runs to 25 volumes.

Exposition
He was given the gift of brevity and the facility of easy exposition understood by the brilliant of mind and slow of wit, the near and the far. He had a grip on the hearts of listeners and the ability to move them to the manifest truth. And when he expounded on the hidden gnoses and ma'arif, he had the ocean at the tip of his tongue. And when he ventured into fine subtleties, it was as if he was picking roses. There he was among the guiding inviters to Allah, reaching the ears and removing rust from hearts.

His Writings
He had well-rounded titles on intelligible and received subjects, and they all point to his vast and deep scholarship, the first and the most deserving of mention being Sharh al-'Ayniyya which is called: An-Nafahatu as-Sirriyah wa-n-Nafahat al-Amiriyyah, and al-Mawaridi al-Haniyyah: Sharh al-Qasida al-Baiyya whose openings lines are : Here is my counsel O man of distinction and becoming deportment -- composed by al-Imam al-Haddad, and Sabil ar-Rushd wal-Hidaya -- the Sharh of Qasida an-Nuniyyah whose opening is: Be counselled to adhere to Taqwa both in private and in public, and al-Jadhabat ash-Shawqiyyah and ar-Rawdh an-Nadhir -- and they are all commentaries on the Qasaid of al-Imam al-Haddad. Also among his works are: al-Maqasid as-Swaliha, and Turyaq al-Asrar, and al-Qawl ar-Raiq and al-Maslak as-Sawiyy and Fat-hu al-Hayyi al-Qayyum and al-Isharat as-Suffiyah and ar-Risalat al-Jami'ah on the theme of 'Ibadah and an opuscule in explanation of the Tariqa of the Sadat Abi 'Alawi. He also has beautiful poetry which is highly regarded, and this huge as-Safinah al-Jami'ah which runs to over 20 volumes in which he amassed the sciences of exegesis of the Qur'an and Hadith and other Sufi 'ulum and astronomy as stated when discussing his scholarship. The sum of things is that he was a veritable unfathomed ocean. And what a Safinah his book is : full of divine adab and prophetic wisdoms.

His acts of worship and strivings
He was, may Allah show him mercy, all oriented to his Lord. His pre-occupations did not stop him from writing on 'ilm diffusing it among seekers; he had many 'Ibadat, hardly an hour passed which did not find him engaged in act of obedience to his Lord. He was ardently anxious in adhering to the model of his grandfather, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah, the Qur'an being constantly in front of him and acting as his leader. He was frequent of invocation of the Word of at-Tawhid, invoking it 70,000 times on each occasion and dedicated on congregational prayers and enduring difficulties in the pursuit of the Rida of his Lord. Acts which please Allah and the love of Allah overpowered him as indeed he said in one of his qasidas :

What aspiration have I
What desire
Except seeking nearness to the Lord
That He may look at me with mercy
That day when I meet Him
Well pleasing to Him
Also He with me
Well-pleased

His zuhud in the world and the wordly
He was a zahid -- renouncer of the world -- avoiding it as a matter of choice, lifting up his aspirations away from it and its people. And he used to say : "The people of Allah did not descend upon it." His student, namely, al-Habib Muhammad Zayn bin Sumayt said: "We sat with him for many years but I never heard him mentioning the world nor incline to its people. He used to look at its people with lack of appreciation, and to the renouncers of the world and people of contentment which high regard and veneration. In addition, he used to undertake enormous religious activities like renewing sacred sites, zawiyas, constructing mosques in different parts of the country, mosques which are still there now; and they are in active use with congregational prayers and darsas and invocations of the Name of Allah -- dhikr. He used to spend large amounts of money on them, seeking thereby to be near Allah and upholding the Word of the Exalted: "By no means shall ye attain righteousness unless ye give freely of that which ye love" ('Aal-i 'Imran: 92).

His adabs and nature
None except those who witnessed him and sat with him can adequately describe them: There he was among his friends and his students, a veritable kindly father and a beautiful garden full of fruits, liberal of nature to close intimates as well as strangers, extremely humble and compassionate, patient, forgiving, modest and awe-inspiring. He covered people with his 'ilm and his good nature and enveloped them with his generosity and loving kindness. Full of acknowledgement that he has not discharged the divine obligations, all the time in a state of indigence to his Lord. These are the distinctions which mark him out and with them he ascended to lofty position, and his benefits include both the town and desert. He soared to the station of as-Siddiqiyyah on the testimony of his Shaykh al-Haddad. And he became a place of homage, the destination of students and visitors to his protected town of al-Hawtah until he died in the year 1145 Hijriyyah. He was succeeded in his station by his son, the very learned Ja'afar bin Ahmad, then his sons who came after -- all committed to the 'Alawi Path until our own day. May Allah infuse all of us with his imdadat via their intercession, - Amin.

Rabi'ul Awal

Alhamdulillah we are blessed to have entered the month of Rabi`. May Allah increase us in closeness and connection to His Beloved, peace and blessings be upon him.

Sayyidi al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah preserve him) said: if we look at the full moon we realise that the reason for its fullness is because it is fully facing the sun. The degree of the moon’s completion is according to its facing the source of light. Likewise if a believer fully faces the source of perfection (the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) then he will achieve perfection. For this reason the first group of believers to enter Paradise are described by the Prophet as being like the full moon in their illumination.

Someone complained to Habib Umar that there are too many praiseworthy attributes that we must attain and too many blameworthy attributes from which we must purify ourselves. Even if we focused on just one of these attributes it would take a lifetime. Habib Umar replied that if one can attain two attributes it will lead to the attainment of all praiseworthy attributes and to purification from all blameworthy attributes:

1. Constant awareness of Allah with a heart that is present
2. Following the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) with complete awareness (of that following).

Shaykh Umar Husayn al-Khatib (may Allah preserve him) explained the second attribute as being following the Prophet while witnessing that he is in front of you. For example if you drink sitting down you do not do it merely intending following the Sunna, rather you witness that this is how the Prophet would have done it. Likewise with anything you say or do you ask yourself is this how he would have done it? For that reason when Sayyiduna Ikrimah was mortally wounded he asked, “Is this a death that is pleasing to the Messenger of Allah?”

Attached are a couple of formulas of Habib Umar’s prayers upon the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and a beautiful du’a

Habib Umar (may Allah preserve him) recommends reading the following:



* اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ على سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ أَنْبِيَائِكَ وسَيِّدِ رُسُلِكَ وأَكْرَمِ خَلْقِكَ وَإِمَامِ أَهْلِ حقِيْقَةِ تَوْحِيْدِكَ وَ صَفْوَتِكَ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ وَعلى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيماً وانْصُرْنَا بِهِ وأَصْلِحْ بِهِ شُئُونَنَا وَ شُئُونَ أُمَّتِهِ أَجْمعِيْنَ .

O Allah send your blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad, the Seal of Your Prophets, the Master of Your Messengers, the Most Noble of Your Creation, the Imam of the people who have realised the reality of Your oneness, the best of Your slaves, and upon his family and companions and give us victory through him and rectify through him our affairs and the affairs of his whole Umma.

* اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ على سَيْدنَا مُحَمَّدْ نُورِكَ السَّارِي وَمَدَدِكَ الجَارِي واجْمَعْنِي بِهِ فِي كُلِّ أَطْوَارِي وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ يَانُورْ

O Allah send your blessings 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!

This is the du’a of Habib Ahmad bin Hasan al-Attas (may Allah have mercy upon him):



اللَّهُمَّ ياربَّ سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) و آلِ سيِّدنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ ) ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ سيِّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ على سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) و أَنْ تُحَبِّب إِلينا سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ)و أَنْ تُحَبِّبَنا إِلى سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ(صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ ) و أَنْ تُخَلِّقَنا بِأَخْلاقِ سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) و أَنْ تَرْزُقَنا المُتابعةَ لِسيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) و أَنْ تَرْفَعَ الحِجَابَ بَيْنَنا وَبَيْنَ سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) و أَنْ تَجْمَعْ بَيْنَنَا وَبْينَ سيَّدِنا محمَّدٍ (صلّى الله علَيهِ وسَلَّمْ) فِي الأوَّلِ وَالآخِرِ وَالظَّاهِرِ وَالباطِنِ والسِّرِّ والعَلانِيَةِ واليَقَظَةِ والمَنَام والحَيَاةِ والمَمَاتِ فِي الدنيا والآخِرَةِ فِي لُطْفٍ وَعافيةٍ



O Allah, Lord of our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and of the family of our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) I ask you by the right of our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to send blessings upon our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to make beloved to us our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to make us beloved to our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to bless us with the noble character traits of our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to help us to follow our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to remove the veil between us and our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and to bring us together with our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at the beginning and at the end, inwardly and outwardly, in secret and in public, when we are awake and when we are asleep, in life and at death, in this life and the next with ease and wellbeing.