Showing posts with label Habaib/Shuyukh lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Habaib/Shuyukh lessons. Show all posts

Saturday, October 30, 2021

The much loved mu'alleem Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam Al-Banjari An-Nadwi Al-Maliki returns to Him

Bismillah.



Innalillah wa inna ilai hira'jiun.

Allahu Allah....I don't know how to begin.

His words of wisdom had first graced this space in June 2009. Most of them were from the majlis taa'lim organized by Ba'alawi KL in Kemensah, hosted by Sister Ina & spouse.

Without a doubt, we'll have to revisit the lessons. I made a niyyat (pledge) to translate his most recent lessons that were shared on his Pesantren Yasin's FB page InSha Allah, as many as possible, bi-iznillah.


I must thank Sis Ina for the opportunity to participate in a group Quran Recital for Almarhum Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam this morning. A very sad morning indeed.

I'll be honest. The passing of any mu'aleem/Habaib/Shuyukh saddens us, for sure but I'd never cried so hard as I did today. I pray the tears will serve as proof of my respect and love for one extremely learned and loving man as Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam. Coincidently, his last lesson as shared on his FB is about respect for learned men, one's guru. He said, in Malay: 'Tidak sampai orang yang sampai kecuali dengan menghormati gurunya.' 

'Sampai' (arrive) is an old Malay term that is commonly used among salik, meaning to obtain the knowledge that one seeks, its usefulness and its blessings. It means one has attained success in esoteric terms due to the respect one offers to the guru.

I felt funny as I was reciting the holy verses. I thought, what am I doing? The shaykh does not need it. He is way up there. He is a beloved soul. Even in his passing, he taught me something. The recitation is for me, the hasanah is for me even though it's dedicated to him. I am the faqir. He has most definitely read the Quran a whole lot more than I can ever match. He is meeting the Lord with plenty of credits. Subhanallah.

So I said in my doa so that Allah pardon any mistakes in my recital. My deeds are full of flaws. How can I offer something worthy for an honourable person like Shaykh Fahmi?! It's simply a humble gesture of respect and love that I have for him, no more than that. You know love is subjective. The matter of the heart is latif (subtle), you feel what you feel. You feel a bit more strongly to some souls than to others. Only God knows why.

I can only thank God for the beautiful and memorable experiences of being in his majalis. The fatherly tone of his voice, interspersed at times with laughter, the clarity of his message...and of course it was lovely to see him at his peak, so to speak, about nine years ago 2009 to 2013, he was in his early 50s. If you listen to his recent talks, you'll know what I mean, it's obvious that he had been giving way too many lessons than he should. But Allah knows best. And certainly, as we all know, the shuyukh are all tireless and selfless. MaShaAllah.

Now, what about us? We fall every now and then, we need a frequent refresher of the advice and wisdom he has left us with. We need to keep our hearts connected with the ruhul qudus, the muqarabeen those who still grace this land and those who have passed on.

Wama taufiqi illa billah.


*** 

Bismillah.

Links to Shaykh Fahmi's lessons from 2009 - 2013 that I managed to capture by the grace of Allah. Those years, there were not many YouTube channels or FB pages that published such lessons. So we must be grateful and take advantage of the abundant resources and access that we now have.





















 
   

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Beautiful gathering at Masjid ArRaudhah, Indonesia on 13 March 2020

Bismillah.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


Habib Novel bin Muhammad Alaydrus [pic: left] is a regular host at Masjid ArRaudhah in Solo at Central Java, Indonesia. I have been actively (albeit remotely) following the majlis taalim and mawlid organized in Java, particularly those held at Masjid ArRaudhah and Gedung Bustanul Ashikin [hosted by Habib Syech AsSegaf].

During a majlis last Friday, Habib Novel said this week's event would be extra special on three accounts: to commemorate the upcoming Israk Mikraj, his birthday and there'd be a couple of special invitees.

Masjid ArRaudhah was well decorated with beautiful bouquets of flowers. To be frank, I've not seen mosques in Malaysia being decorated with flowers on any occasion. Ever since I follow the live streamings on Nabawi TV [a YouTube channel that focuses on Indonesian events], I'd noticed many beautiful event set-ups. So I'd like to say Mabruk Indonesia!

The gathering hosted by Habib Novel was casual and jovial, as always, as he's a humorous person. The crowd, both at the mosque and online, were clearly pleased to see the three special guests, namely Ustaz Abdul Somad [top pic: center], Habib Segaf Baharun [top pic: right] and Buya Yahya [below pic].  


Buya Yahya
(full name: Yahya Zainul Ma'arif, is leader of the Al-Bahjah pesantren headquartered in Cirebon)

Absolutely beautiful majlis, zahir & batin.

Habib Segaf Baharun
[son of a prominent Indonesian ulama who founded Pesantren Dalwa, Habib Hasan bin Ahmad Baharun;
 Habib Segaf who is also a student of many high caliber scholars including Sayyid Muhammad Al-Maliki & Habib Zain bin Smith, is a fiqh expert and author of several books on fiqh for women]



Ustaz Abdul Somad [center] is one entertaining Indonesian dai'e who holds a Ph.D. qualification from an Islamic university in Sudan, he now lectures at a university in Riau, Indonesia.  

When Habib Novel asked the three guest scholars how they felt about being in the same gathering, Ustaz Abdul Somad's reply in the Indonesian language was succinct and profound. He said: "Semua kata kalau dicerita dengan kata, kata pasti berdusta." Should one make an attempt to describe his feelings in words, his words would tantamount to a lie as it is impossible to accurately describe one's emotions.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Habib Novel reminded the audience to only fear Allah and not fear the Coronavirus or any illnesses. Yet one should not be arrogant towards it, instead one should always be vigilant. To seek medical remedy is a part of faith [iman] and one should also seek 'medication' by making plenty of du'a. One du'a that is highly recommended is Selawat Thibbil Qulub. It is said to be a cure for any kind of illness if one were to recite it 4000 times.

Habib Novel is one who regularly reminds his jemaah to have big intentions [niyyat]. In one of his previous lectures that I watched, he talked about his ambitions to expand Masjid ArRaudhah. Nothing is impossible, "I used to only own a motorbike, but I dare dream of building a mosque such as this."

During the lively session last night, Habib Segaf Baharun shared one unforgettable lesson his father taught him. His late father, a well-known dai'e, once told Habib Segaf: "Engkau Segaf, harus merasa kamu itu paling rendahnya orang. Dan harus berada di titik null." That he should feel as if he is the most insignificant person no matter where he goes, and that he is nothing.

Allahu a'lam.

**


p/s
Just a few takeaways there from the live streaming on Nabawi TV last night. Please pray for me as I've got tonnes of office and MBA assignments to do, it's terrifying. But still, I thought the majlis at Masjid ArRaudhah was too beautiful to let it slip from this blog. Alhamdulillah ala kulli hal.


Credit: https://www.facebook.com/Nabawitv/

Habib Novel's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTsr6hqd0OnmaPY5YPrhLQ




"Bersama-sama doakan orang yang sakit dan doakan yang takut sakit, kerana itu penyakit hati yang lebih parah. Kita doakan biar semuanya sembuh, dan yang sihat, tidak terkena penyakit apa-apa. Dengan Selawat Thibbil Qulub..."

- Habib Novel Alaydrus




Monday, February 3, 2020

Habib Muhammad bin Alwi Al-Haddad on the Leadership of Prophet Muhammad (salallah alaihi wasalam)

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

I watched the recording of Habib Muhammad's post-Subuh lecture at Masjid Namira, South Jakarta the other day. I've revisited it today and translated it cos it's absolutely worthy of sharing. It is not fully verbatim, but almost.

The recording was published on Nabawi TV Facebook on 1st Feb 2020.

Habib Muhammad bin Alwi Al-Haddad began by praising Allah and making salutations to the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam; and he recited this du'a among others:

Alhamdulillahil lazi hada na li haza
wama kunna linah tadiya lau laaa an hada nallah.
[Praise be to Allah for guiding us,
had He not guided us, we will never be guided.]

**




Dear all,

We gather here this morning to reminisce, to remember, to discuss the one and only leader; Allah has not created a leader greater than him; a leader of zahir and batin, not just a leader in dunya but also a leader in akhirah, a leader who is not only concerned about his family and cronies but a leader for the entire humanity who will eventually witness his leadership on the Day of Qiyamah. Such a great position he holds, our honorable Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam. His position is extremely lofty that it is difficult for us to deliberate. It is a complex subject. 

There is a line from Qasidah Burdah by Imam Busiri:
'Verily, the eminence and holiness of  Prophet Muhammad's rank is unbounded.'

If it was bounded, anyone would be able to articulate it. His position is amazingly eminent that it is hard for us to discuss the Prophet's position comprehensively.

Habib Ali Al-Habsyi in his narration in Simtud Duror says: "Our tongues cannot explain, except for a tiny speck of the Prophet's characteristics." Nevertheless, let us try to look into his leadership qualities based on what we have read from historical records as related by the sahabah.

A leader is expected to possess several criteria. A leader must be one who is bighearted. Do you not think the Prophet is one who is beneficent?

Prophet Musa made a request to Allah, as in the oft-quoted du'a: Rabbish rahli sadri... (O my Lord, expand my heart.). Prophet Musa pleaded to Allah, whereas Prophet Muhammad did not ask for it, yet he was given: Alam nashroh laka sadrak... "Did We not expand for you [O Muhammad] your heart...?"

Imagine the vastness of the Prophet's heart. He is a leader of dunya and akhirah. How expansive is his heart?! I cannot fathom discussing the expansiveness of the Prophet's heart.

There is a story about one student who approached his guru. The student was confused and complaining to his guru about his problems, this and that. 'Come let's do this', said the guru. 'Take a handful of salt. Use your hand. Put it in a glass of water.' The student did as told. 'What do you think of the water now?' asked the guru. 'It must be very salty' the student replied. 'Now take a handful of salt and follow me'. The guru then took the student to a lake and made him throw the salt into the lake. 'Now taste the water, let's see if it has become salty.' The salinity of the water at the lake did not change obviously. 'Do you understand me now?' asked the guru.

If you were glass and you have a handful of problems, you'd feel it. But if you were a lake and you had to face the same amount of problems, you wouldn't be affected at all. Therefore, have a big heart. Your heart should be upgraded. Upgrade your heart as requested by Prophet Musa: Rabbish rahli sadri.
   
A leader is surely confronted with all kinds of problems and complaints channeled to him. If his heart is small, he would surely find it difficult, he would feel chaotic. But if his heart was as large as a lake, he would not be disturbed. The challenges are the same, but he won't feel it.

Now imagine the Prophet's heart?

We are a normal human being with common physical attributes. The tallest among us is maybe 2-meter in height. How much does our body weigh? Our physique is limited. But our batin is capable of an upgrade just like the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam.

We are all leaders. Kullukum ra'in. You may be a leader for your family, you may be a leader for yourself, a business, or a community. Therefore we should be asking from Allah as did Prophet Musa, and as granted by Allah to Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam so that He expands our hearts.

In a hadith qudsi, Allah describes the earth and the heavens as being relatively small by His measure. The earth by our measure is indeed huge. How many hectares do you reckon? The skies are even bigger if we were to measure. It is extremely vast, but to Allah, it is not. So 'What is big then to You O Allah?'  'The heart of my servant, the heart of a Mukmin is huge. I can pour anything I wish onto the heart of my servant that even the earth and the heavens cannot contain.'

So, we can only marvel at the capacity of the Prophet's heart.

There is a verse in the Quran where Allah says: Lau anzalna hazal Quran... 'Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it breaking asunder...' The mountains will be crushed. Yet Allah revealed the Quran to the Prophet's heart.

As a leader, no matter how small our circle of influence, we need to have what the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam has -- a heart that is wide and far-reaching. May Allah expand our hearts InshaAllah. Aamiin.

A leader is usually judged by the service or facilities that he could offer. But the Prophet did not have much to offer in this aspect. There was a time when he had to pawn his armored-shirt to buy some food for his family. Why did the Prophet do that? Why didn't the Prophet ask for a loan from the sahabah? Imagine if he were to do that? The sahabah would have gladly given the Prophet what he needed for free. They would have competed to do the Prophet a favor. But Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam did not wish to take advantage of his followers. Imagine how much the Prophet was revered and loved by the sahabah who were ever willing to give up their wealth, even their lives for the sake of Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Yet Rasulullah chose to transact with his Jew neighbor instead. Surely the armored shirt was highly valuable and could fetch a big sum of money, so much more than the value that he had pawned. He did not seek the money to renovate his home or buy a car. It was for his family's provision. It was clear that the Prophet was not willing to take advantage of his position.

Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam was a tawadhu' (humble) leader. He was very humble that he would carry his own stuff. Imagine if we were to see our guru carrying his groceries. We would quickly walk up to him to offer a hand. Prophet insisted on carrying his own bags. He refused help, saying: La. Sohibu syai ahakubi syai ihi. Sohibu syai ahakubi hamlih. One should carry one's own things.

Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam was a leader who was very appreciative of his followers. Robi'ah bin Kaab was one of 60 ashabul suffah at Masjid Nabawi. The ashabul suffah did not have a home so they lived at the compound of Masjid Nabawi and would only eat if there was any food available at the mosque, otherwise, they would just fast. They were fuqara who lived a meager life. Saidina Abu Hurairah was their leader.

Robi'ah bin Kaab of Bani Aslam was among them. Robi'ah was one who often voluntarily prepared ablution water for the Prophet, for his night prayers, for anything at all, he was quick to volunteer. So one day, Rasulullah asked him, 'Tell me, what is it that you wish for, O Robi'ah?'

Imagine the Prophet making such an offer. Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam was one who never said no to people. He never said 'La' [No], for any requests made to him. Even his great-grandson Saidina Ali Zainal Abidin ibni Hussain would not say no to anyone. A poet by the name of Farazdah said: Imam Ali never said la except during tashyahud - Ash haduan la ilaha illallah....If not for tasyahud, all he would say is na'am [yes].  

So when the Prophet asked Robi'ah if he had any request; according to some riwayat, he responded immediately, and some said, he asked for a few days to think about it. The offer from Prophet Muhammad was certainly a golden opportunity, it would not come again. So he said he would come back after three days. 

When he met the Prophet after three days, Robi'ah mentioned his one and only request: As aluka mura faqotaka fil jannah. 'I want to be with you in Heaven.' 

Now, what about us? Imagine if we were to meet Prophet Khidir, let alone Prophet Muhammad. Imagine Khidir saying: 'Tell me what you want?' We would surely ask for worldly matters. Oh Khidir, I want to go to Hajj. I want to be this...I want that. But Robi'ah asked for something so great. He did not only want to go to Heaven, but he also wanted to be with the Prophet in Heaven! 

What about us? What chances do you think you have about going to Heaven? Some might say, yes it's easy, some would say no, it's not easy. Robi'ah did not hesitate to ask for such a big favor.

Well, we too ask for a big favor during mawlid. We say Rabbi balighna bijahi fi jiwari khayra maq'ad. We ask for the best Heaven, close to the Prophet. Did you realize what you were asking for? That's a big request. But that's all right because the Prophet told us to never ask for small things and to ask for Syurga Firdaus [the Highest Heaven]. If we were to rely on our ibadah to get to Heaven, we would surely fail because of the poor quality of our worship. 

Imagine how a dashboard product can get rejected due to a small defect. That's a Japanese standard. What about the quality of our solat? Imagine the difference between Japanese standards and Allah's standards? Of course, the latter is far greater.

Habib Abdullah bin Hussain bin Tohir, a grand wali said; "O Lord, we have not much amal. Our amal is so flawed." Indeed our solat is full of flaws. At times, in our Zohor prayers, we lose count on the number of rakaat. Our ibadah is far from perfect.

The Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam did not say no to Robi'ah. He said: 'Your request is a big one. Help me help you. Make plenty of sujud.' So make plenty of sujud.      

I wish to conclude my talk with a hadith. If we were to practice as told, we would surely be safe in Qiyamah. The Prophet's leadership would be clear for all to see during Qiyamah. As a leader, he would be ready to help us. When our deeds get measured on the mizan, that is where we will need shafaat from the Prophet. At that point, if you could see the Prophet there, you know you'll do fine.

There is a hadith, I have just read from a kitab by Abuya Sayyid Muhammad Al-Maliki. Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam said: 'Whoever helps fulfill the wishes of his family or neighbors...' For example, your neighbor needs to go to the hospital but he does not have transport. So you offer your car. Or whatever else that people might wish for, you fulfill.

If you do this, the Prophet said: I would intercede and help you at the mizan. If you have a lot of good deeds, then good for you. Should you lack good deeds and you have a lot of sins, that's where I will help you. I will grant shafaah. That is if you are one who is quick to help others.

Let us practice what we have learned from this hadith. May we get to gather with Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam in akhirah. 

Forgive me for any mistakes in my speech, as it is entirely my fault. 
Wasalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.


***

Allahu a'lam. May I be forgiven for any omissions and errors in the translation. If you can understand the Indonesian language, I encourage you to check out the recording at:
https://www.facebook.com/Nabawitv/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU_SXlL_rAo

Do highlight to me should you find any mistakes. Jazakumullahu khairan kasira for your moral support towards this blog, wal afuw minkum.

***


Sunday, February 2, 2020

The value of 'La ilaha illallah' - Habib Alwy bin Abdrurrahman Al-Habsyi

Bismillah.

Assalamualaikum,
Hi Guys,

It's strange but suddenly I've become a little more attached to this blog, again. Well...that's because I've been checking old entries to tidy them up, as in making necessary corrections and relabelling them. Occasionally, I'd also check what people read in real-time and what they've been reading in the past 24 hours. It's kinda fun as I too would read what people have just read and I found some old 'Personal Ramblings' of mine quite entertaining LOL. Oh yeah, we have a proverb in Malay to describe such self-praise, we say 'masuk bakul angkat sendiri'. LOL.

But you know we have to be our own number one supporter, our own number one fan, cos hey, we have got only one life to live and 'no one can do you better than you'. Right?

Anyway, on a serious note, I've been watching on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day, the live streamings on Nabawi TV YouTube channel. I wish I could make a proper entry about the lessons I learned in each of the majlis taalim or majlis mawlid that I watched. But I can't. Already, I have slacked a bit on my MBA research work. Haih!

So just quickly, one takeaway from the majlis taalim I watched on Nabawi TV this beautiful Sunday morning. A Sunday with a unique date: 2.2.2020. I am not sure I'll live long enough until 2.3.2030 but one thing for sure, I understand a bit better the value of La ilaha illallah and hope to fill whatever remaining years of my life, living it. Let's.



  • We all know that we should quickly follow our bad deeds with good deeds (hasanat). Habib Alwy bin Abdurrahman Al-Habsyi [pic] said the easiest and the most weighty of good deeds to follow a transgression is by reciting La ilaha illallah. This was taught by Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam to Imam Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari, a sahabi who was famous among the angels because of the amount of La ilaha illallah he recited all his life. Imam Abu Dharr asked for a wasiat from the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam. The Prophet told him to always have taqwa. 'What else O Rasulullah,' he asked. "Recite as much as you can La ilaha illallah." So he did as told and became well-known among the angels for that. That even Jibril sent his salam to Abu Dharr. 
  • Imam Abu Dharr was also advised by the Prophet to cover up a bad deed with a good deed (hasanat) should he slip and make a mistake. Imam Abu Dharr asked the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam for reassurance if La ilaha illallah is considered a hasanat that could replace one's wrongdoings. The Prophet replied: "It is afdhalul hasanat to wipe off one's sin". It is! It is the most afdhal. The most effective sins-eraser if you will.  
  • I realized now, it is a gamechanger. Because all this while whenever I fall into error, I thought OK let's plan aside a time, say tonight, pray extra and make extra istighfar. So there is a delay of perhaps 8 hours and my idea of a good deed that could replace my bad deed, was quite a task. Today I know, it's not as effective as reciting La ilaha illallah repeatedly and wholeheartedly. Simple. Easy!
  • Habib Alwy also said, as recommended by one wali qutub Al-Imam Habib Abdullah bin Abu Bakar Al-Aydrus, we should close our eyes when reciting La ilaha illallah as it would penetrate our cells right to the core of our hearts and souls. 
  • We should also lengthen the recitation as in Laaaaaa ilaaaaa haaaaa illaaaaalllllaaaaaaah because as said Habib Alwy, there is a hadith that says when a person does this, the Arash will shake and thereby Allah would grant pardon to the person until he/she completes the phrase. So the Prophet and sahabah would lengthen their recitals to prolong the state of afuw (forgiveness) from the Lord. 
  • There is also a hadith about the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam pointing his index finger (forefinger) upwards signifying tawhid whenever he says La ilaha illallah. This was to emphasize the fact that there is no one on earth that is worthy to be worshipped except Allah. Ma min ilaahin fil wujudi bil haqqi illallah!
I hope I heard him right, that Arabic phrase. We all love learning new Arabic words, don't we? So, don't forget afdhalul hasanat = La ilaha illallah. 

Wish you all a productive week ahead.  

As ever,
E. Ismail

Contents are in the Indonesian language though.


Tuesday, January 28, 2020

"Don't be sad. We have Prophet Muhammad as our leader!" - Habib Syech As-Seggaf at Masjid At-Taqwa, Kuching, Sarawak - 26 Jan 2020

Bismillah.

Habib Syech As-Seggaf at Masjid At-Taqwa, Kuching, Sarawak
26 Jan 2020


Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

To be frank, Solo has been on my mind for months. My love for the place and our devout brothers and sisters in Indonesia has grown significantly ever since I started following the live streams on  Nabawi TV YouTube channel. One major highlight from the many (many!) majlis taalim organized in Indonesia (particularly on Java island) was the event commemorating the life and death of Habib Ali bin Muhammad Al-Habshi (1259 - 1333 Hijri). He was a prominent Yemeni scholar who authored the famous Mawlid Simtud Duror. The annual event attracts thousands of people and is customarily held at Masjid Riyadh in Solo.

So, Solo has occupied a special place in my heart so that it gave me great pleasure to know that a contemporary gem of Solo, namely Habib Syech bin Abdul Qadir As-Seggaf was in Sarawak last weekend. Thanks to Brother Rudzaimer, an old friend of mine who shared recordings of the tausiyah on his Facebook.

OK let's hear it from Habib Syech As-Seggaf who is famous for his beautiful rendition of qasidah. It's no surprise that his tausiyah at Masjid At-Taqwa in Kuching Sarawak on 26 Jan 2020 was interspersed with stanzas of popular qasidah such as Ya Imam Ar Rusli and Bushra Lana. By the way, Habib Syech is widely and affectionately known in Malaysia as 'Habib Ya Hanana'.

***
Ya imamar rusli ya sanadi
anta baqdallah hi muktamadi 
fabi dunya ya wa akhirati 
Allah Allah 
Ya Rasulullah hi khudz biyadi

"Anta baqdallah...there is no one on this earth who is close to Allah except Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Whoever wishes to be loved by Allah, he/she ought to follow Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. It is compulsory for him/her to love Prophet Muhammad."

"Qul in kuntum tuhibbu nallah, fat tabi 'uni yuhbib kumullah. Let it be known until the day of Qiyamah for those who wish to be loved by Allah...if you want to know who has won the love of Allah, look at his/her attitude towards Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. If the person does not offer selawat, does not follow the sunnah of the Prophet, and is not happy at the mention of the Prophet's name, the person shall not win the love of Allah! Verily, that's the key to love. The tariqah or path that is most rewarding is the path of love. Servitude that is devoid of love will not make one taste bliss."

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have come to this place with love. Last night on arrival at this city, I was amazed. I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome. I was tired from my journey but when I saw the love people showed, it evoked love in me. We tend to follow those who have much love in them."

"Let's consider the happenings around us ...al hubbu... [Habib Syech went on to recite a line from a qasidah by Imam Al Busiri]. Love tastes better when it is tested. How is it tested? Yes, it can be difficult and complicated at times. But it adds to the blissfulness. Some people come here and get caught in the rain, but they still come because of love. If you were to perform your ibadah with love, you would feel the enjoyment as did the scholars and the prophets. They performed solah with love. They were attentive in their solah. Delightful, even to those who witnessed it."

"Therefore, worship with love. Work, out of love. Life would not be as complete if love was absent from it. Love would give the feeling of gladness. Alhamdulillah."

"Why did you come? You probably woke up at 4 a.m or 2 a.m. to make tahajud. Because you love Allah. If you didn't have a love for Allah, you wouldn't have woken up. If you didn't have a love for Prophet Muhammad, you wouldn't have come to this event. Have a love for Prophet Muhammad so that Allah would love us. Follow Prophet Muhammad so that Allah might grant us more bounties."

"There are two types of love: minal muhibbin and minal muqarrabin meaning one who is near. There are people who may be close to us but they are not loved. For example, I have an acquaintance who travels every day in the same car as me, but I don't love him. He is close to me, we are in the same car but I might not share my food with him. Nor will I offer my money to him because I don't love him. He sends me a message every day. He is considered a muqarrabin, very close to me in the car."

"There might be someone outside of the car. He is not close to me but he is loved. Therefore, be grateful if you are one who is both near and loved. You are not only close to Allah, but you are also loved by Allah. That's amazing!"

"If you are beloved, even if you make small mistakes, Allah would cover it up. Bifadhlil, says Habib Ali. Fadhlil. You would receive a preference from Allah. Like a mother who carries her son. She carries him to a gathering and suddenly the boy wets his pants. Do you think the mother would abandon her baby boy? Or would she clean him instead? She would certainly wash her baby, smiling. Why? Because of love."

"The ummah of Prophet Muhammad might make mistakes. We are not referring to major sins here but we do make mistakes all the time. Between the Zohor and Asar prayers, there is kafarah. Between one Friday to the next Friday, there is kafarah. Between one day of fasting to the next, we are given a pardon by Allah. Why? Because of love. Because He loves the ummah of Prophet Muhammad. Therefore, be grateful, Alhamdulillah that we are his ummah."
  
[Habib Syech then sang a qasidah]

Bushra lana
nilnal muna
zalal 'ana wa fal hana
wad dahru anjaza wa'dahu
wal bishru adha mu'lana

"Bushra lana. Glad tidings! We are of the ummah of Prophet Muhammad, rejoice! We should be happy. None of you should feel sad. The followers of  Prophet Muhammad should not feel sad. Why? Because we have Prophet Muhammad as our leader. The ummah of the Prophet should not be sorrowful because in the akhirah we'll have Prophet Muhammad to lead us before Allah. All the other Prophets will not be able to act as our leader, they will all surrender, except Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam.

"The Prophet would say Ha ana laha...[as per one line in a qasidah]. All other Prophets would give up. Prophet Muhammad would be calling his people from Kuching, "come follow me", stand behind the banner behind Rasulullah. Imagine that!"

"How do we achieve that? By helping him Rasulullah. By making lots of sujud. By multiplying our ibadah. InshaAllah, we try. We are not perfect. Who is perfect among us? None! Who is able to make ibadah as much as Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani? Who can perform ibadah like Imam Al-Attas the Sahibul Ratib? Who is able to match the ibadah made by Habib Abdullah bin Alawi Al-Haddad? Who can top the ibadah performed by Habib Ali of Batu Pahat, we just had an event honoring him yesterday."

"No, we can't. But there is one key that could make us belong with them. What is it? It's love! Mahhabah as we have described it."

 Al mar'uu ma'a man ahhaba.

"Man is defined by what he loves. If he/she loves the scholars, he/she would follow the scholars. If he/she loves Prophet Muhammad, he/she would end up being there at the banner of Prophet Muhammad where Rasulullah would say 'ha ana laha..."

"Only Prophet Muhammad could say that. The first to enter the Heavens would be his ummah. Rasulullah will not enter the Heavens until all of his ummah have entered the Heavens. That's how great the Prophet is. Therefore, O people, don't you be stingy in offering selawat to the Prophet. You should make at least 100 selawat daily.

"I received ijazah from Habib Abdullah bin Hamid Al-Attas Al-Habshi from Makkah who said: 'O son, recite this as did my father, as did my father's father, up to Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam. Recite selawat dhomir:

'Innallaha wamala ikatahu yusallu na alan nabi, 
ya aiyuhal lazi na amanu 
sollu alaihi wa sallimu taslima'

Read it once and then recite for 100 times:
Allahuma solli alaih....Allahuma solli alaih....Allahumma solli alaih...

"Practice this after Subuh and after Maghrib. It's light, easy and quick. The reward is huge. I hereby grant all of you the same ijazah. Recite at the minimum 100 times. It would be better to recite 1000 a day. Increase it to 10,000 on Fridays. Make it a habit to recite selawat continually."

"The analogy is like me receiving WhatsApp messages from some of you in Kuching. Let's say there is a woman who would send me 100 messages, and there is another person who would send me 1000 messages daily. Who do you reckon would get my attention? The one who sent me 1000 messages, of course."

"Likewise Prophet Muhammad. Every single day we send him selawat. If we were to deliver 1000 messages, he would remember us. There is an angel who would update him salallah alaihi wasalam: "Fulan bin Fulan or Fulanah binti Fulan sends selawat to you O Prophet." So the Prophet would in Qiyamah, remember the names that got mentioned the most. "Come on in!" he would say.

"Don't be sad, O people. We will surely leave this world. Do not quarrel, don't argue about worldly issues. This world is small. This world as described by Prophet Muhammad is like wings of a mosquito. Mosquitos are insignificant. I am not saying we should abandon the world. We may use the world as an instrument to make us reach the akhirah in a good manner. Look for abundance. Give away plenty. Look for abundance. Relieve the burdens of people at large." 



***
Allahu a'lam. May I be forgiven for any omissions/errors.

Pray Allah would be kind to let me be present at Habib Ali bin Muhammad Al-Habshi's '109th Haul' in Solo, scheduled at the end of 2020. And anybody else who might be wishing to attend. Aamin.

Until then, Solo on my mind.


***
Pic credit: Bro. Rudzaimer Roza - one student of knowledge I respect.



Tausiyah oleh Habib Syech Abdul Qadir As Seggaf di Masjid At-Taqwa, Kuching, Sarawak - 26 Jan 2020

Bismillah.

Image may contain: 3 people, crowd and indoor


Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah, kita berkesempatan mengikuti tausiyah oleh Habib Syech Abdul Qadir As Seggaf, seorang ulama dari Solo, Indonesia yan sangat terkenal dengan alunan qasidah yang indah. Terimakasih kepada sahabat lama saya Saudara Rudzaimer yang berkongsi rakaman majlis tersebut di Facebook beliau dan berikut adalah transkrip yang diusahakan untuk manfaat kita bersama bi-iznillah.

Tausiyah ini sangat bermakna kerana Habib Syech telah mengijazahklan amalan selawat bersanad hingga kepada baginda Nabi Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam.

*******

Ya imamar rusli ya sanadi
anta baqdallah hi muktamadi 
fabi dunya ya wa akhirati 
Allah Allah 
Ya Rasulullah hi khudz biyadi

"Anta baqdallah...Tidak ada satu pun di muka bumi ini yang lebih dekat pada Allah kecuali Nabi Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Siapa yang ingin mendapatkan kecintaan Allah, dia wajib mengikuti Nabi Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Dia wajib cinta kepada Nabi Muhammad."

"Qul in kuntum tuhibbu nallah, fat tabi 'uni yuhbib kumullah. Sampaikan kepada sesiapa pun. Sampai ke yaumul qiyamah, orang yang ingin dicintai Allah...kalau kita ingin melihat siapa orang yang dicintai Allah, lihat bagaimana dia dengan Nabi Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Kalau dia dengan Nabi Muhammad dia tidak suka berselawat, dia tidak ikut sunah-sunnah Nabi Muhammad, dia tidak gembira dengan disebutnya nama Nabi Muhammad, bererti dia tidak mendapatkan cinta Allah! Itu kunci cinta. Dan tarikah atau jalan yang paling nikmat itu adalah jalan cinta. Tidak ada ibadah, kalau tidak dengan cinta, dia tidak merasakan kenikmatan tersebut."

"Saya minta maaf, bapa-bapa dan ibu-ibu datang ke tempat ini dengan cinta. Tadi malam saya lihat di perbatasan [lapangan terbang] luar biasa. Saya tidak menyangka. Perjalanan saya capek [meletihkan] tetapi saya melihat orang-orang yang mempunyai rasa cinta, timbul pula rasa cinta. Orang kalau melihat orang yang bercinta, dia pasti akan ingin ikut seperti mereka."

"Cuba kita kalau lihat cinta ini...al hubbu....[beliau memetik bait qasidah karangan Imam Al Busiri]. Cinta itu akan lebih nikmat kalau diuji. Diuji dengan apa? Ya, kadang susah, sulit. Ini tambah nikmat. Seperti orang yang datang kena hujan tetapi dia tetap datang kerana cinta. Ibadah kalau dilakukan dengan cinta, dia akan merasakan nikmat seperti nikmatnya para ulama, nikmat para auliya. Mereka solat dengan cinta. Solat mereka khusyuk, nikmat. Dipandang pun nikmat."

"Makanya ibadahlah dengan cinta. Bekerjalah dengan cinta. Semua kehidupan ini kalau tidak diikuti dengan cinta, dia tidak akan terbekali [lengkap]. Dia akan merasa nikmat senang. Alhamdulillah."

"Kenapa kamu datang? Bangun jam 4 pagi atau bangun jam 2 pagi, solat tahajud. Kerana aku cinta Allah. Kalau tidak cinta Allah, tidak mungkin bangun. Kalau tidak cinta Nabi Muhammad tidak mungkin datang ke majlis ini. Cintai Nabi Muhammad supaya Allah mencintai kita. Ikuti Nabi Muhammad supaya Allah memberi semuanya lebih."

"Cinta ada dua: minal muhibbin dan minal muqarabin yakni orang yang dekat. Ada orang dekat tapi tidak dicintai. Saya ada teman dekat dengan saya, setiap hari naik satu mobil [kereta], tapi saya tidak cinta dengannya, tapi dia dekat, ikut satu mobil. Tapi belum tentu yang saya makan akan saya beri kepada dia, sebab saya tidak cinta. Belum tentu duit yang ada di kantong [kocek] ini saya beri kepada dia. Kerana saya tidak cinta. Tapi setiap saat dia mengirim mesej. Dia termasuk dalam golongan muqarabin, dekat dengan saya di dalam mobil."

"Tapi mungkin ada orang di luar mobil. Dia tidak terlalu dekat, tapi dia dicintai. Makanya syukur kalau kita ini menjadi orang yang dekat dan dicintai. Sudah muqarabin, orang yang dekat dengan Allah, dicintai Allah. Luar biasa!"

"Orang kalau sudah dicintai, jika ada kesalahan sedikit pun dengan Allah ditutup. Bifadhlil, kata Habib Ali. Fadhlil. Mendapat keutamaan daripada Allah."

"Seperti seorang ibu yang mempunyai anak. Ibu mengendong anaknya. Ibu mahu pergi ke sebuah majlis, tiba-tiba anak yang dikendong itu kebetulan kencing. Kira-kira ibu itu akan membuang anaknya? Atau ibu itu akan membersihkannya? Dibersihkan oleh ibu. Tetapi ibu itu hanya tersenyum. Kerana apa? Kerana cinta."

"Begitu pula kalau umat Nabi Muhammad ini mempunyai kesalahan-kesalahan. Bukan kita mengatakan kesalahan besar. Tapi di setiap saat kita ini ada kesalahan. Antara solat Zohor dan Asar ini, kafarah. Antara Jumaat dengan Jumaat, kafarah. Antara puasa dengan puasa, ampunan dari Allah. Kerana apa? Kerana cinta. Cintanya Allah dengan umat Nabi Muhammad. Makanya kita bersyukur, Alhamdulillah kita menjadi umat Nabi Muhammad sallallah alaihi wasalam."

[Habib Syech kemudian menyampaikan qasidah]

Bushra lana
nilnal muna
zalal 'ana wa fal hana
wad dahru anjaza wa'dahu
wal bishru adha mu'lana

"Bushra lana. Khabar gembira! Bagi kita sebagai umat Nabi Muhammad, gembira semua. Harus gembira! Jangan ada yang sedih. Umat Nabi Muhammad tidak perlu sedih. Kerana apa? Kerana kita punya pemimpin Nabi Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. Umat Nabi Muhammad tidak perlu sedih, kerana kita nanti di hari akhirat Rasul Muhammad yang akan mengganding [memimpin] kita mengadap kepada Allah. Semua para anbiya mengangkat tangan, tidak mampu kecuali Nabi Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam."

"Rasul mengatakan: Ha ana laha...[seperti dalam satu qasidah]. Semua para anbiya angkat tangan tidak mampu. Nabi Muhammad memanggil umatnya yang di Kuching, masuk...masuk ikut saya, berada di bendera di belakang Rasulullah. Kita bayangkan itu!"

"Dengan apa? Dengan kita membantu Rasulullah. Dengan banyaknya sujud. Banyaknya ibadah. InShaAllah kurang lebih. Kita tidak ada yang sempurna. Siapa yang sempurna dari kita? Tidak ada! Siapa yang mampu beramal seperti amal Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani? Siapa yang mampu beramal seperti Imam Al-Attas Sahibul Ratib? Siapa yang mampu beramal seperti Habib Abdullah bin Alawi Al-Haddad? Siapa yang mampu beramal seperti Habib Ali Batu Pahat yang kelmarin baru [diadakan sambutan] hol?"

"Kita tidak mampu. Tetapi kita masih mempunyai satu kunci untuk menjadi seperti mereka. Apa? Cinta. Mahabbah yang [disebutkan] tadi.

Al mar'uu ma'a man ahhaba.
Manusia ini tergantung siapa yang dia cintai. Kalau dia cinta kepada para ulama, dia akan ikut bersama ulama. Kalau dia cinta kepada Nabi Muhammad, dia berada di bendera Nabi Muhammad di situ. Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam mengatakan 'ha ana laha...'

"Nanti yang boleh menyatakan ucapan ini hanya Nabi Muhammad. Yang pertama masuk ke dalam syurga adalah umat Nabi Muhammad. Rasulullah tidak akan masuk ke dalam Syurga dahulu sebelum semua umatnya masuk ke dalam Syurga. Ini hebatnya Nabi Muhammad. Maka wahai umat, jangan anda ini bakhil [kedekut] dalam berselawat. Minimal setiap hari 100 kali berselawat."

"Saya dapat ijazah daripada Habib Abdullah bin Hamid Al-Attas Al-Habshi dari Mekah. [Katanya] 'wahai anak ku, kamu bacalah ini sebagaimana ayahku. Ayahku sebagaimana ayahnya, terus sampai ke Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam.' Beliau mengatakan baca selawat dhomir:
'Innallaha wamala ikatahu yusallu na alan nabi, 
ya aiyuhal lazi na amanu 
sollu alaihi wa sallimu taslima'

Baca sekali selepas Maghrib dan selepas Subuh.
Dan diikuti dengan:
'Allahuma solli alaih....Allahuma solli alaih....Allahumma solli alaih...'
sebanyak 100 kali.

"Ringan, mudah dan cepat. Itu pahalanya besar. Saya ijazahkan juga untuk kamu semua. Baca minimal [sekurang-kurangnya] 100 kali. Shukur kalau sehari boleh 1000 kali. Kalau Jumaat, baca 10,000 kali. Lisan ini terus berselawat."

"Seperti saya ini sering mendapat berita WhatsApp daripada orang Kuching sebagai contoh. Ada wanita dari Kuching mengirim mesej sehari 100 kali, ada yang 1000 kali. Kira-kira saya akan ingat yang mana? Yang seribu kerana dia setiap hari kirim 1000 mesej."

"Begitu juga dengan Nabi Muhammad. Setiap hari kita kirim berita kapada Nabi Muhammad. Kalau kita kirim 1000, bererti kita adalah orang yang akan sering diingati oleh Nabi Muhammad kerana malaikat setiap saat menyampaikan kepada Nabi Muhammad, Fulan bin Fulan atau Fulanah binti Fulan berselawat kepadamu. Nama yang sering disebut di depan Nabi Muhammad dialah nama yang akan diingat oleh Nabi Muhammad di hari kiamat. 'Ayuh, masuk!' kata Nabi Muhammad.

"Jangan sedih wahai umat Nabi Muhammad. Dunia ini pasti akan kita tinggalkan. Jangan ribut [kecoh], jangan pertikai masalah dunia. Dunia ini kecil. Dunia itu seperti kata Nabi Muhammad, seperti sayap nyamuk. Nyamuk tidak ada ertinya. Bukan maksudnya dunia kita tinggalkan. Dunia boleh kita cari sebagai talian yang sampaikan kita kepada akhirat. Cari yang banyak. Sedekah yang banyak. Cari yang banyak. Ringankan beban orang yang banyak."

***

Habib Syech As Seggaf tiba di lapangan terbang Kuching Sarawak
25 Januari 2020
[Foto ehsan: Rudzaimer Roza]

Allahu a'lam.
Mohon maaf dan teguran atas apa-apa kesalahan.


[An English translation of Habib Syech's lecture will be prepared shortly, InshaAllah.]

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

"Be ambitious, aim high!" - Habib Faishol Al Kaff at Masjid Raya Bandung, Indonesia - 24 Sept 2019

Bismillah.

Below is my translation of Habib Faishol's tausiyah at Masjid Raya Bandung, as interpreted by Sayyid Mujtaba.

Habib Faishol AlKaff (right)
Sayyid Mujtaba bin Shahab (translator - left)

Praise be to Allah for allowing us to gather at this sacred place. Greetings and salutations are for Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam the Messenger who was sent as a mercy to the universe.

It is common nowadays to see two kinds of large gatherings. One group gathers to watch a singer performs, the other group gathers in order to mention Allah, to make salawat and to watch the faces of Allah's Beloveds. They differ greatly.

Who brought us here? It is Allah.

There are people who take pride in meeting their favourite artiste or VIPs. But the real honor is to be at this kind of gathering.

In the hereafter, the former group will wish to be sent back to this dunya so that they could attend this gathering. 

We are here as a result of the tawfik from Allah. That we are able to partake the sweet scent of love for Allah, love for Rasulullah, and love for the solehin. This love is one that is deep-seated in the hearts. Alhamdulillah that Allah has given you such a major blessing.

You have love [for Allah, Rasulullah, and the solehin] and to your knowledge, the love that you have is one that is on the right path.

I wish to ask all of you men and women. Every one of us has a target in our lives. What is your objective for sitting here? What are your life goals?

Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam encourages us to be ambitious and set a big goal. For anything that you wish to ask from Allah, ask Him for great things, ask Him to grant you the highest Heaven - Syurga Firdaus.

A poet once said: if you have a target, a vision, or a desire, then do not settle for anything that is below the stars.

Speaking of ambitions, we are reminded of a sahabi (a companion of the Prophet). He is Sayidina Amar bin Jamuh. He is old and limping. So that makes him ineligible to participate in a battle. For that reason, his children prevented him from joining the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam to go to war. Sayidina Amar was not happy about this. He was a highly ambitious man. So he went to see Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam complaining about his children. He badly wanted to be involved in jihad.  

"O Rasulullah, my children are not letting me join you in jihad fi sabillillah."
The Prophet responded: "What is it that you want from jihad, O Amar?"
"I wish to set my limping foot in Heaven!"

At seeing Amar's bold ambition, the Prophet relented. Amar was enlisted in the army. He fought and died as a syahid. His dream came true. He made it to Heaven, limping.

I ask from Allah, so that we will not leave this place unless He grants us a strong determination, a high aspiration to earn His redha. Such a character is natural for real men, like Sayidina Umar Abdul Aziz who said: 'I do not achieve something good, only to want something that is much better than that.'

***
Habib Faishol ended his tausiyah with a lengthy and meaningful du'a. One du'a is for Allah to make us pleasing to the hearts of our guru.

Walhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin.



Habib Umar bin Hafiz
at Masjid Raya Bandung
24 Sept 2019


Video source:
Credit: Nabawi TV and Nahdatul Ulama Indonesia

***

"Jika kau mempunyai keinginan, 
maka janganlah engkau rela 
dengan keinginan yang di bawah bintang."
- Penyair Arab


Sunday, November 24, 2019

Qasidah Qul Ya'Adzim | Habib Kadzim's counsel in conjunction with Rabiul Awwal 1441 Hijri

Bismillah.

This has to be here, a beautiful rendition of one of my favorite qasidah - Qul Ya Adzim. The video is three days old. Take it as a sweet Rabiul Awwal gift.

As a matter of fact, Nabawi TV has been gifting its followers and supporters with amazing live streaming of Habib Kadzim's tausiyah in Indonesia since 9 Nov 2019. The channel was launched by the venerable Habib Umar bin Hafiz in 2015 if I am not mistaken.

Below is a brief summary of recommended practice and advice (mauidhatul hasanah) from Habib Kadzim, given on several occasions in Indonesia in this blessed month of Rabiul Awwal:

  • "From the bottom of my heart, please use siwak and quit smoking. Siwak is a sunnah from the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam. Smoking is not an act of any sahabah or anbiya." "Siwak is from Rasul. Cigarettes are from Shaytan." From East Kalimantan to Surabaya to Jakarta, Habib Kadzim kept encouraging people to use siwak. "Replace cigarettes with siwak." When a person uses siwak prior to performing solah, Allah will have redha upon him/her and would grant 70 times reward for each solah made. So that in the akhirah we will be amazed at the number of rewards that we are given just because of a small act of using siwak. Someone who makes it a habit to use siwak, his/her last words upon death would be la ilaha illallah. For that reason, shaytan truly hates siwak.
  • That you should make a strong intention to perform hajj so that Allah would facilitate and make it happen. And should you die before going for hajj, Allah would regard you as one who has fulfilled the hajj.
  • At the minimum, you should recite 10 salawat in the morning (after Subuh) and 10 in the evening (after Maghrib). If you are too busy and forgot about it, then you should recite 20 salawat before you sleep. One who does this will be guaranteed of shafaat from Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam. If you could recite 100 times that would be better as Allah would grant your wishes for both dunya and akhirah, and protect you from anything that you dislike. It would be even better to recite 100 salawat after each of the five solah, so that you will have made 500 salawat in a day. There are pious people who make 25,000 salawat in a day and the guru to my guru, to his guru, customarily recites 25,000 salawat, 25,000 Ya Allah and 25,000 la ilaha illallah. On Fridays, make 80 salawat after Asar. According to a hadith Allah would pardon 80 years of your sins. Do so with an intention to enliven the sunnah of Rasulullah. The time nearing Maghrib, before sunset is the time of Saidatina Fatimah who is also known as Al Batul, one who performed plenty of ibadah continuously.
  • Recite Jazallahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan mahuwa ahluh. Imam Sha'rani recites this 100 times every night. If you can't, then at least recite it 3 times. One who makes this salawat would keep 70 angels occupied with recording the rewards for 1000 days.
  • Recite Astaghfirullah lil mukmina wal mukminat 27 times after each of the five solah. And for Subuh, do also recite 27 times before. If you can't then just recite 27 times after.     
  • Take a bath on Friday morning and make niyyat so that Allah would purify your heart and soul. It is important to purify our heart because Allah looks at our hearts, whereas people look at our outer appearance. If you make such an intention, Allah would look at your heart with a special attention. 
  • Recite Surah Al Kahf on Fridays. If you can't read the entire surah, then you should recite the first 10 verses so that you would be protected from Al Masih ad-Dajjal.
  • Be early for Friday prayers, turn up before the khatib goes on the mimbar, so that you will be rewarded as if you had given one camel for charity.
  • After solah Jummah and after any majalis that you attend, recite Zikir Azim: Subhanakallah humma la ila ha illa anta wa astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaik so that Allah would seal what you have learned until Qiyamah.
  • After taking wudhu, recite Ashhadu an lailaha illallah wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa Rasuluh. Many people already memorize this. Be sure to internalize it and not just say it because that would unlock the doors to all eight Heavens.
  • Wear a white outfit on Fridays because it is sunnah and leave your colorful outfits for other days.
  • Cut your nails on Fridays. Based on a sound hadith, you would be cured of 70 illnesses and given 70 medications (cure).
  • Fulfill all five obligatory prayers (solah), ideally in a congregation, so that your rizq will be blessed with lots of barakah.
  • Read the Al Quran at least one page every day. If you can't, then at least recite Surah Al Ikhlas.    
  • Recite Subhanallah 100 times, so that you would be rewarded as if you had performed hajj a hundred times. If you recite subhanallah wa bihamdih, you will have a date tree made of nur, planted for you in Heaven.
  • Show your gratitude that Allah has given you good health and eased your affairs, by attending majlis taalim and mawlid.
  • Serve your parents. Be good to them.
  • Cover your head with a skullcap (kopiah)
  • Wear a ring.
  • Make one rakaat of witir.
  • Get up slightly early before Subuh to perform Qiyamulail.

In conclusion, try to do as many of the sunnah as you can. Ty adding bit by bit until more and more light would seep into your heart so that your yearning for Rasulullah would increase and your longing to meet Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam would also increase. So that we belong with the people, or rather the relatives of the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam, whom he longs to meet, as related in a hadith.

 
Habib Musa Kadzim at Cidodol, Jakarta on 23 Nov 2019
Credit: Majelis Rasulullah SAW and Nabawi TV Indonesia






Alhamdulillah wa shukru lillah.
: )

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Merciful | Hadith Ar-Rahmah ijazah from Habib Kadzim As-Seggaf, delivered at Masjid Nurur Rahmah, Surabaya Indonesia on 11 Nov 2019

Bismillah.




Alhamdulillah wa shukrulillah.

Allah The Most Merciful has shown His generous mercy upon us again and again. Glory be to Him, Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Kareem, Ya Wali, Ya Wadud.

Alhamdulillah that Allah has blessed this region with the presence of the venerable Habib Kadzim As-Seggaf in conjunction with Mawlid Ar-Rasul 1441 Hijri. 

By the grace of Allah I was able to listen to his tausiyah on 12 Rabiul Awwal at Monas in Jakarta, and then in Malang, then Gresik and last night was a special one, held in Surabaya. A heap of thanks goes to the Indonesian-based Nabawi TV YouTube channel, for organizing all the wonderful live streamings.

The tausiyah held at Masjid Nur Rahmah in Surabaya was special because Habib Kadzim had granted ijazah for Hadith Ar Rahmah bil Awaliah [Hadith of Mercy]. He did so upon request from Habib Idrus Al-Aydrus who wanted it to be a blessing so that the jamaah would have a stronger connection to the mashaikh.

According to Habib Kadzim, he had received the ijazah for Hadith Ar-Rahmah from his guru Habib Zain bin Ibrahim bin Samait on the compound of Masjid Nabawi in Madinah. Habib Zain had received the same ijazah from his guru Habib Abdul Kadir bin Ahmad As-Saggaf who had received it from the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam.

Habib Kadzim made the audience recite after him the said hadith as follows:
Ar Rahimu yarhamu humur Rahman
tabaraka wa taala
ir hamu man fil ardhi
yar hamukum man fis samaa'

In short, it means, Allah Ar-Rahman, the Merciful will show mercy to those who are merciful. Therefore, show mercy towards those on earth, so that the angels in Heaven would also be merciful towards us.

This Hadith Ar-Rahmah is usually given by a shaykh to his mureed as the first hadith which the shaykh had heard from his teacher and it traced all the way back through a chain of transmission right to the Prophet salallah alaihi wasalam.

I was reminded of the first time I heard it from Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ya'qoubi of Damascus when he visited KL in December 2009. In fact, when I reviewed some of the old postings of 2009, I came across the first posting I ever made about Habib Kadzim, it was dated 13 April 2009, just a few days after this blog came into being, MaShaAllah!

So I regard this visit by Habib Kadzim in 2019 as a merciful reminder from Allah for this faqir to look back 10 years ago, and refresh, and strengthen her resolve. Indeed 2009 seemed like a great year.

Let's have the links here: 

It gave me great joy in reading the wonderful comments left by the visitors at that time. Revisiting these two postings had truly rejuvenated my tired spirit. We have come a long way. Ten years have passed just like that.

I am motivated now, to increase my himmah in following the advice and awrad given by Habib Kadzim this time around. The key messages/practices are the same as what he had recommended ten years ago. We cannot afford to wait another 10 years for another so-called "second chance"!

Yesterday at a majlis in Gresik, Habib Kadzim, yet again urged the audience to recite:

Astaghfirullah lil 
mukmina 
wal mukminat

To recite 27 times after each solah, but for Subuh, one should also recite it 27 times before the prayer, if possible, otherwise, just recite 27 times after.



Habib Kadzim As-Seggaf at Masjid Nurur Rahmah, Surabaya
11 Nov 2019

May by the blessings of Rasulullah salallah alaihi wasalam in this blessed month of Rabiul Awwal, may Allah grant us tawfiq to do as told.
Aamiiin.

***
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of the visitors who had left such kind words in both the old (2009) postings shared above. You have revived my spirits, that once upon a time as early as 2009 this blog had such lovely vibes. May Allah bless you abundantly.
Aaamiiin.

2009 --- 2019

***

Reference:
Recording of Habib Kadzim's tausiyah and ijazah ceremony held at Masjid Nurur Rahmah, Surabaya on 11 Nov 2019 was provided by Nabawi TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8plppsia2jM


Sunday, November 10, 2019

12 Rabi'ul Awal 1441 Hijri | Habib Kadzim As-Segaf at MONAS, Jakarta, 9 Nov 2019



Bismillah.

It was a delight following the live streaming by Nabawi TV on the Mawlid celebration held in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday, 9th of Nov 2019. It was a delight seeing the beautiful crowd gathering at MONAS. It was indeed a beautiful and special assembly on the occasion of Mawlid An-Nabi. 

Below is my humble attempt at translating into English the translation of Habib Kadzim's speech made by Habib Ja'far Al-Attas. It is almost verbatim though some parts have been abridged, slightly. And some parts might have been omitted inadvertently. Do highlight to me any mistakes that you may find and pardon me for that. For those of you who understand the Indonesian language or Malay, it would be better that you listen to Habib Kadzim's speech on Nabawi TV YouTube channel at this link.
With due respect to the other speakers at the event, Habib Kadzim spoke from 1:42:36 to 2:45:59.

One other notable speaker at the event was Habib Muhammad bin Umar bin Hafiz, the son of the eminent Habib Umar bin Hafiz. You will notice the praiseworthy adab showed by Habib Muhammad who kept his speech very brief and rushed back to his seat. He appeared to have quickly ended his talk after admitting that he had only spoken because it was an instruction from his guide Habib Kadzim. MaShaAllah Tabarakallah.

Habib Kadzim bin Ja'far As-Segaf is a senior murid of Habib Umar bin Hafiz of Yemen. He was also the guide for the late Habib Munzir Al-Musawa, a prominent and much-loved da'ie of Indonesia who passed away in 2013.

***

Translation of Habib Kadzim's speech:

Praise be to Allah who is generous, who honored us with His grace, that we are gathered here at this place. That Allah honors us with the light of Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. The light, as narrated in the Quran: "Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad) from your Lord, and We sent down to you a manifest light (the Quran)."

The Prophetic lights that we received would open up our chests, illuminate our hearts and minds with such brilliant lights. When Allah expands our chests, we are able to comprehend our life here in this world and in the hereafter. We become aware of these worldly bounties leading to the eternal bounties in the hereafter. When the heart is pleased with Allah, the person would turn to Him truthfully. Just as the sahabah and the tabi'in (companions) who faced Allah and the Prophet with much longing. They performed ibadah towards Allah with great affection and yearning, for He has blessed them with iman and Islam.

When the intellect is illuminated with the Prophetic light, we would understand how best to perform ibadah for Allah. When the intellect is illuminated with the Prophetic light, we would have knowledge of the most appropriate form of ibadah that could bring us closer to Allah and Rasulallah.

We would understand the lessons and examples from the Prophet, lessons that were all beautiful and graceful that originated from Allah, and not from himself. As Allah has said [in the Quran]: the Prophet did not speak from his nafs, but it is all a revelation from Allah.

We should be grateful that Allah loves this ummah by virtue of His beloved Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. A majority of this ummah will occupy the Heavens. The ummah of Prophet Muhammad does not live very long and yet the rewards for their ibadah are multiplied by the blessings of Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam.

As related in a hadith by Imam Tirmidhi related by Abdullah bin Mas'ud: the lifespan of the ummah of Prophet Muhammad is between the age of 60 and 70. And very rarely they exceed that age.

Even though their life is short, there is plenty of ibadah that they could do. There is Friday that is loaded with blessings. As narrated in a sound hadith by Imam Abi Dawud: every step taken to the masjid for Friday prayers will be rewarded as if he had spent a year of fasting and qiyamulail.

Imagine the number of steps that we had taken from our house to the masjid on Fridays, imagine the huge rewards that Allah would grant us. And then, there is the reward of Laylatul Qadar which is better than 83 years 1000 months. Muslims who perform Isha and Subuh in the congregation during Ramadhan, would only take them about 10 minutes, yet they would receive the merits as if they had performed ibadah for 1000 months. Rejoice in this great barakah attributed to Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam.   
  
Similarly for those who perform the Hajj. Spending three days in Masjidil Haram is equivalent to 1000 years of worship, and that is the age of Prophet Nuh alaihisalam. There is a hadith by Imam Bazzak, the Prophet said: performing one rakaat of solah at Masjid Nabawi is the same as 1000 rakaat. And the rewards for praying one rakaat at Masjidil Haram is equivalent to 100,000 rakaat.   

We should be grateful that Islam is our religion, a sacred one. It is a religion that is easy. It is the final religion that encapsulates all other religions. It is a religion that gives the right to the physical and spiritual aspects of men. It gives the right to the leaders and ulama (scholars). And it gives full rights to women. There are four surah in the Quran that mentions the rights of women. These are very clear compared to others: Surah An-Nisa, Surah Maryam, Surah At-Talaq, and Surah At-Tahrim.

These surah describe in detail all matters that relate to women. Maryam is the only woman who gets mentioned by Allah, she has a surah named after her. Saidatina Khadijah Al-Kubra (the wife of Prophet Muhammad) held an honorable position but she was not mentioned in the Quran. Saidatina Asiah, the wife of Firaun was not directly mentioned in the Quran. Saidatina Fatimah Az-Zahrah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad was not mentioned either. Saidatina Maryam was mentioned in the Quran because she gave birth to Prophet Isa alaihisalam. It was incredible that Prophet Isa was given birth by Maryam without a father. This amazing story of the Quran will be cited until Qiyamah. 

This religion honors the rights of women on matters of inheritance, wealth and sainthood. There are many stories of women who are loved by Allah; wives of the prophets, sahabah, and ulama. Allah gives them rights as Muslims.

Islam even gives rights to animals. We are not allowed to kill animals cruelly. We are not allowed to overfeed them. Islam forbids us from mistreating the animals, nor starving them to death. This is how Islam treats animals, so you can imagine how Islam protects the rights of men and women.  

Alhamdulillah that we are Muslims, that we have iman and Islam. Let's be patient with this short life for we shall be rewarded with great favors eternally. Hold strong onto this pure religion. Be grateful that we are ummah of Prophet Muhammad, that we are Muslims. Be grateful for this religion that came through Prophet Muhammad. That the sahabah had strived hard for the sake of this religion. So did Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam.

Think about the sacrifices made by the Caliphate of Rasulallah, Sayyidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq; about Sayyidina Umar Al-Khatab who prepared the armies for Rasulallah who paved the way for a lot of victories for Islam. We heard about Sayyidina Uthman ibn Affan who gave away all of his wealth for Rasulallah salallah alaihiwasalam; think about the struggles of Sayyidina Ali bin Abi Talib and his brother Jaafar bin Abi Talib; Sayyidina Talhah and Zubair radhiallahuanhu; Sayyidina Saad bin Muadz and Saad bin Ubadah; Sayyidina Said bin Zaid and Khalid Al-Walid. They were all like stars surrounding Rasulullah salallah alaihiwasalam; they were our salaf, they were pious, they were in front of Prophet Muhammad, they followed his footsteps. We love them even though we are yet to see them. We heard about their noble characters that were loved by Allah. There was not much knowledge during the time of Prophet Muhammad, there was not major amal at that time. There was only love for Allah and makrifatullah (gnosis of Allah) and sacrifices for Rasulallah salallah alaihiwasalam.  

Alhamdulillah, we are like the companions who made sacrifices. We read the Quran, just like them. We tawaf (circumambulate) the Kaabah just like the companions. And we visit Prophet Muhammad just as sahabah and tabi'in did. May Allah make perfect His favors for us, that we will convene with Prophet Muhammad and his companions in Heaven. 

May Allah protect and keep this country peaceful. This gathering is just a small indication of our love for Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam. It does not do justice to the joy and happiness that we have for Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam. We do not doubt the great blessings that Allah would grant to this gathering. 

As ordered by Allah: O you believers, make sujud (prostrate), rukuk (bow), perform ibadah and do good deeds on this earth. And we do as ordered. When Prophet Muhammad is satisfied, happy and proud of us, the companions and awliya would be pleased with us too. As said in the Quran: the awliya are not overcome by sadness nor worry. Nor do they have fear in their hearts.

The awliya have attained ehsan. They performed ibadah as if they could see Allah. This was the state experienced by Talhah and other sahabah. They performed ibadah as if they were seeing Allah. Sayyidina Talhah bin Ubaidillah when he performed ibadah in his garden, he stood in solah as if he was a statue, that the birds would fly to him and perch on him. Such was the degree of his khusyuq (focus) towards Allah. 

Let's be grateful to Allah for this blessing of Islam and iman. This is the greatest blessing from Allah. There are many learned professors, philosophers, and scholars who have yet to be granted hidayah to embrace Islam. Yet those who are present here are Muslims and we glorify Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam. However, our praises for Rasulallah is insignificant compared to the honor that Allah and His angels afford to Rasulallah. The proof that Allah honors Prophet Muhammad is evident in the Quran, He addressed the Prophet with praiseworthy and noble names: Ya ayyuhan Nabi, Ya ayyuhan Rasul. 

The Prophet is mentioned in most surah in the Quran. There are nine surah that do not mention Prophet Muhammad such as Surah Nuh and Li ila fi Quraish. There is wisdom in this as kept hidden by Allah. 

Allah has blessed us with iman and Islam, so strengthen it in our hearts until we die in the kalimah La ilaha illallah Muhammad Rasulallah. Let's strengthen our iman by reading the Quran and by showing a good behavior towards both Muslims and non-Muslims, emulating the way Prophet Muhammad behaved, even towards the Jews in Madinah, and mushrikin and munafiqin in Makkah. Let's follow Prophet Muhammad in our life entirely, in our dealings (mu'amalah) in society.

Let's make salawat for Prophet Muhammad 20 times before we sleep, or 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening, as narrated by Imam Tabrani and Bukhari, until we attain syafaah from Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam. 

And we make salawat to Rasulallah salallah alaihiwasalam 100 times every day after Subuh in the morning and in the evening after Maghrib. So that Allah fulfills our wishes in this dunya and akhirah. As narrated in a hadith by Prophet Muhammad: whoever makes salawat to me in the morning and in the evening for 100 times, Allah will fulfill 100 of his/her wishes; 70 for akhirah and 30 for dunya. Therefore, make salawat, as it would guarantee us of success and happiness; and it would save us from hellfire. 

And we offer our thanks to Prophet Muhammad: may you receive the best rewards from Allah. Thank you O Rasulallah, may you be rewarded by Allah for you have delivered the risalah, you fulfilled the amanah and fought the best jihad.

And he makes istighfar for us while he is in the grave. May Allah reward him with the best favors in dunya and akhirah.

As narrated in a sound hadith, the Prophet said: whoever recites these six phrases: Jaza Allah anna Muhammadan mahuwa ahluh, he would tire the angels in reciting favors for him.

And we add 'Sayyidina' in those six words, before 'Muhammadan' to honor the Prophet. Seventy angels would write the rewards meant for you for 1000 days. One thousand days seem like a big number for us but it is little by His generosity and knowledge. 

This world was discovered 13,000 years ago, so compare that with 1000 days. One day by Allah's measure is equivalent to 1000 years in dunya.

This salawat is traceable to a sound (hassan) hadith not known by those who claimed it to be a weak (dhaif) hadith. So recite Jazallahu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan mahuwa ahluh until our heart becomes beautiful with love for Rasulallah. When we have a love for Rasulallah, he would love us too and he would miss us.

As narrated in a hadith, the Prophet expressed his longing for his relatives to which Sayyidina Umar remarked: "Are we not your relatives, O Rasulallah?" The Prophet replied, "You are my sahabah. My families are those who come after me, they believe in me and they wish to see me. They long to see my face even if they have to sacrifice themselves and their wealth." 

So, keep nurturing the love and yearning for Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam. We have the mawlid every year to remind us of our love and to increase our affection for Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam.  

In every reminder we make, we explain and clarify the religion, that it is a mercy to all creations, for us and all other creatures. The religion forbids us from polluting the sea and river. It teaches us about the need to keep it clean. The religion teaches us about preserving and protecting the forest, that we cannot simply cut the trees and burn them. This is what we understood about the reality of religion. That this religion brings mercy to men and jinn. Therefore, we strive hard for this deen so that we could enter the Heavens with rivers flowing underneath. 

Allah created eight Heavens in the highest realm. Prophet Muhammad entered the Heavens during Israk Mikraj. There were eight doors. The keys to which are in the hands of all Muslim and Muslimah. Are those keys made of silver or gold? The keys to the Heavens are not made of gold or silver but syahadah: La ilaha illallah Muhammad Rasulallah.   

As narrated by Imam Bukhari from Abi Hurairah radhiallahu anhu: one who takes wudhu and makes perfect his wudhu, raises his hands and recites Ash hadu an la ilaha illallah wa ash hadu anna Muhammad Rasulallah the doors will be opened, and he/she can enter through any of the eight doors.

Therefore, we should keep renewing the meaning of La ilahaillallah Muhammad Rasulallah in our hearts. And let's prepare for our meeting with Allah. We should be happy about our meeting with Allah, as we think about death that is approaching us. Our life in this world is for a limited time. We are created from the earth and we shall return as dust. We shall then eat from the food that is buried in the earth. We shall eat insects and plants from the ground.

But, we have ruh (spirit) that does not feed on food in the ground. The ruh is not buried in the ground. The ruh feeds on zikrullah and it shall return to Allah the Most-High. Therefore, feed our ruh with plenty of zikrullah especially when we are about to sleep and upon waking up. And be grateful to Allah for nikmat Islam. There is no problem in this world except that the solution may be found in Islam, if we follow it properly.

Therefore, hold strong to this religion, purify our hearts from its illness, from pride and hasad. Improve our mannerisms until we could emulate the akhlak of Rasulallah salallah alaihi wasalam, so that people would be attracted to Islam. There will come a time when all the unbelievers would embrace Islam by batches including the Yahud and Nasra. Prophet Isa will descend and emerge as a fair leader. All ahlul kitab would accept Islam. Everyone would embrace Islam. This will come to be true. As mentioned in the Quran, Allah promised to the believers that Allah would give them a just leader (khalifah) like the people before them. This is from Surah Al-Kahf. This is for certain as mentioned by Rasulallah.

This religion will flourish. It is one that is built on love and compassion, devoid of violence. It does not propagate reproach nor hatred. It does not acknowledge coercion. This religion encompasses a wide scope. It has made clear the right path from misguidance. This is a true and clear religion that originates from sanad (chain of transmission) from ulama to ulama from yesteryears; from a teacher to the teachers of the past; to the lineage of saints, right to all the prophets and to Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam.

This is a genuine religion that will spread to each corner of the earth and it will be triumphant. And all who are granted tawfik will embrace it, except for some who will be left behind, those who ignore Allah, they are devilish in nature and will be hellbound. They shall face a dreadful torment. That is the reward for those who do not believe, that is the place of shaytan and iblis. They are the source of mischief and destruction on this earth and the source of cruelty, that people abuse one another. They do not receive guidance, they are not within the mercy of Allah. They don't bring good to this world, they don't intend peace in the society or harmony among communities. If they do not repent and try to understand the reality of Islam they will be grouped with the devils and dajjal, the greatest liar.

We are asked to make istighfar in our solah during the last tasyahud to seek protection from fitnah in this life, in the grave and from Massih Ad-Dajjal. May we be protected so that we don't belong with those who will be punished by Allah, those who refuse to abide by the orders of Allah. They are deceived by the glories of this world, making them forgetful. 

Let's disperse from this blessed Mawlid with good intentions, with pure determinations. Let us try to emulate the behaviors of Rasulallah, at home, in our actions, in our journeys, no matter where we are we exhibit the examples set by Rasulallah until it becomes visible the virtues of this religion.

May Allah grant the best reward for Prophet Muhammad, and that Allah will reward the awliya and ulama especially the Wali Songo (the nine saints of Java) and all the awliya and the companions who helped to spread and propagate this great religion in the east and in the west.

May Allah grant a big reward for Syed Munzir Al-Musawa in the hereafter. He passed away and returned to the mercy of Allah after having completed a task for the deen. May Allah bless his grave with the biggest mercy and may Allah give him much good until the Day of Judgment. That all good which you do here will get to the grave of Habib Munzir Al-Musawa.

As narrated in a hadith: he/she will earn the reward of those to whom he/she has guided to good. And those who carry out a good sunnah, the merits shall be for him until Qiyamah. May Allah bless Habib Munzir Al-Musawa and that Allah would make the coming generation pious. May Allah look after his family. May Allah grant them sihah wal afiah.

May Allah bless Habib Muhsin Al-Hamid, may Allah grant good health to him and all the habaib who help in spreading this deen, and those who support the religion will be rewarded directly from Allah and Prophet Muhammad salallah alaihi wasalam. 

Praise Allah for this great blessing. We ask from Allah, the Essence Al-Awal, none came before Him, the last Essence and there is no ending for Him. Az-Zahir, nothing is above Him. Al-Batin, there is nothing beneath Him, the Creator of all.

There is not a country, kingdom or government as recorded in history, that has the power to claim to be the creator of mountains and the animals. So how can they have access to the skies? There are countless planets in the Milkyway, all are a creation of Allah. There is no one government that can claim to be the creator of the creatures on earth, what more those creations in the skies?

Praise be to Allah, the Most-Noble, the Creator of all things. He sent us Prophet Muhammad. At this place, today we commemorate the Mawlid. We make salawat and we praise Prophet Muhammad. We send salutations to Prophet Muhammad, we say Assalamualaika Ya Rasulullah, Assalamualaika Ya Habibullah, Assalamualaika Ya Nabi Allah. Assalamualaika Ya Habibullah, Assalamualaika Ya Safwatallah! This gathering is here to honor you O Rasulallah, the hearts wish to honor you O Rasulallah. Increase the glorification, adoration, and love in our hearts for you.

Magnify our love for Rasulallah. Let us praise our great Prophet who brings us out from darkness to light. And may Allah guide us.



O Allah, grant light in our hearts, improve our characters, remove our veils. Fill our hearts with love and longing for Rasulallah until we are able to look upon his noble face in this dunya and in the hereafter; in this world when we die and in the akhirah; in this world, at the well, and in the heaven until we could see his face; in our sleep and in person, as did your elite lovers and your honorable saints and the honorable ulama. They love Nabi. They look upon Nabi and other prophets and their families and companions; and those who follow them in a good way.

O Allah, accept us, shine Your light in our hearts, improve our akhlak. Fill our hearts with love, grant us makrifah, grant us maqam Musyahadah, grant us perfect iman so that we pray to you as if we are seeing you. Grant us maqam Muraqabah so that we are able to feel Your presence at all times that we are able to feel Your presence at all the places we go. Grant us useful knowledge, and a bright light. Make us all who are present as qurrata ain to Prophet Muhammad.

Keep us away from wrongdoings and sins. Grant us aafiyah in this world and the hereafter. Grant us Your pardon in this world and in the hereafter. Grant us safety in this world, for our religion and dunya and in the hereafter. Elevate our ranks to a high station that You are proud of.

Make our face radiant at gazing upon Your Essence. Make our grave a garden of Your Heavens. Make our hearts face You always, and that we are always serving Your Nabi, the Quran, the sunnah of the Prophet and his dakwah, and the awliya Allah.

Make us among those whom You love; who love You and whom You love in return; one who loves You and whom You love; who loves You and loved by You. Protect us from all other attachments except to You.

Make this country safe and peaceful, full of light, knowledge, goodness, and mercy from Allah, and hidayah. Make alive anything that is lost from us, and from the path of solehin. Grant mercy to Your saints in the east and west, Sayyidina Shaykh Abdul Kadir Al-Jailani, Shaykh Abul Hassan As-Shadhili, Sayyidina Fakeh Al-Muqaddam, all who toiled in spreading this religion, all who propagated the teachings, who enlivened the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.

Elevate their stations in Heaven. Grant them plenty of favors. Bless all their students. Make us among those who love for Your sake and do everything that is pleasing to You. Lift all calamities that are afflicting the Islamic countries; all hardships; all dangers; war; diseases and all the troubles; and all that is causing sufferings.

Make us the cause for good, who prevent evils. Bless those who gather and practice sunnah. Do not punish us for our sins and ugliness. Help us pay off all our debts. Remove our troubles and afflictions. Cure our illnesses. Cure the sickness of all Muslims in the east and west, those who are hospitalized and at homes. Descend upon them shifa, cure from Your shifa. None can remove anything except You.

Increase our knowledge. Grant us tawfiq. Make our limbs obedient to You. Make our hearts love You. Make our spirits attain makrifah towards You. Illuminate our intellects. And brighten our hearts. Purify our deeds. Beautify our manners. Give us perfect health and aafiyah. Give us good in this world, and all the rewards in the hereafter.

Allow us to gaze at Your Majestic Essence. Allow us to gaze at Your Majestic Essence. Give us the joy of looking at Your Great Essence, without having to go through punishment and interrogation, without reckoning; with Your Most Compassionate Essence, the Most-Holy.

O Allah, Most-Sacred, Al-Awal, Al-Akhir, Ya Qawiyal Matin, the One who loves all who are poor. We are all Your servants sitting before You, we are faqir waiting at Your door. We are poor and faqir kneeling before You. Honor us with obedience towards You. Migrate us from wrongdoings to obedience; from heedlessness to zikir; from illness to good health; from hardships to prosperity; from turning our backs to You, to facing You. Grant us all good from You. Increase our iman and yaqin; give us good health, knowledge, and all the favors; and all the blessings that You give to your honorable servants.

WaSalamualaikum warahmatullah.

***