Music of the Sufis

Bismillah.

Pardon me O soul
for my heart is still beating the rhythm
of that isle in the south
that abode of a saint
on a tranquil knoll he rests

Habib Nuh bin Muhammad Al-Habshi
I should have known
O habibi
I have fallen
love song strums my inner chords
music of the sufis
make me long to return

You have engraved in me
lyrics so happy
you have put a smile on my face
I know you'll always be there waiting
till I come climbing for your grace

Al Fatihah
Habib Nuh al-Habshi
1788 - 1866

a maestro of

music of the Sufis

______________________________________

p/s Something strange had happened to me. Right before visiting Habib Nuh's maqam for the second time in the morning after the haul event, I had gone to the bank to withdraw SGD $200 with an intention to spend some at the maqam and on whatever else I might need before leaving Singapore. I had in fact spent at least $150. But when I got back in KL and checked my purse, I discovered that I still had SGD $200! Subhanallah! Wallahu'alam!

Intercession of the grand saint of Singapore

Bismillah.

A supplication by Tok Mat the Carriage Driver
as quoted in the above book which may be purchased
at the maqam of Habib Noh.
***
"Tok Mat worked as a horse carriage driver,
ferrying passengers to and fro.
His was a dangerous occupation:
19th-century was rife with robberies and murders,
especially at night.
Tok Mat knew Habib Nuh and regularly transported him around,
free of charge, only hoping for the blessing of his saintly grace.
One night, Tok Mat had to ride alone across an area,
which he knew to be very unsafe.
He was gripped with fear.
He made a silent prayer to Allah that his journey be eased
by somehow meeting him with Habib Nuh along the way
so that Habib Nuh could intercede for his safety.
As soon as this prayer crossed his heart,
he looked up and saw Habib Nuh in the passenger cabin,
smiling at him.
He knew that he had nothing to fear,
and rode home safely."

The maqam is open daily. Visiting hours: 9 am - 9 pm
Closed for 10 minutes before and after prayer times.

We all hope to stand in the saintly rays of barakah
bi-iznillah

Haul Habib Noh - 2 April 2011

Bismillah.



Heading for Maqam Habib Noh
which was a short walk away from our hotel.
Alhamdulillah.

Boys took the opportunity to greet a Habib
who later waved joyfully at the ladies
seated in the tents outside the maqam's compound. 

My niece handing out cookies to little children.
Alhamdulillah for the inspiration and opportunity
to make the children feel welcomed -
a small gesture in honor of Habib Noh who loved kids.

The event started at 3pm. Mawlid began after Maghrib.

After Isha' the habaib went up to the maqam complex
for a heartfelt ziarah and du'a recitals.

Concluding the majlis was dinner
served in a large tray for 4 people to share.
Absolutely delicious. Alhamdulillah.

After dinner, the rest of the guests
including ladies were given a chance to visit the maqam.
Shukran lillah!
I got to take two red roses from the beautiful maqam
- with permission of course.
Alhamdulillah!

*********
Wala zikrullahi Akbar
And your zikir (remembrance) of Allah is great.
It's greater than your big car or your big house.
Your zikir of Him is bigger than anything you own.
And know that you will not be able to remember Him
unless He makes you or give you the strength (tawfik) to do so.
That is why we must make du'a as taught by the Prophet s.a.w:
Allahumma a'inni 'ala zikrika
"O Allah, help me in remembering You."
- Said one habib in one of the tausiyah.

That lesson was my most important takeaway
from the blissful event,
apart from the unseen but much felt barakah
of the honorable Habib Noh, InshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah for everything.

Sacred sighting

Bismillah.

MashaAllah, we are grateful for the pleasant surprise. Allah has answered our prayers for a good accomodation while we are here in Singapore since we have traveled to honor the much revered Allahyarham Sayyid Habib Noh.

We are grateful to discover that the view from our hotel room is the blessed site - the maqam. Alhamdulillah shukran lillah!

Maqam Habib Noh as seen from M Hotel
The last time my mother visited this holy site,
 the maqam was situated on a hill top/cliff right next to the sea.
As you can see from the picture,
a big plot of reclaimed land encircled the maqam.
It was said that the authority had tried but failed
to relocate the maqam
in their attempt to develop
this part of Tanjong Pagar, Singapore.


Habib Noh was said to have spent plenty of his time in seclusion on the hill.
May Allah make us benefit from his karamah and barakah.
Amin.
Al-Fatihah.

For the love of children

Bismillah.

Alhamdulillah, we are excited about the prospect of attending the Haul of Habib Noh for the first time this Saturday, 2 April 2011 InshaAllah. Thanks to our dear brother Mas Taj who has become our 'spiritual bridge' of sort, through whom we have begun to connect with the island's much revered saint.

Stories of his karamah aplenty but we are particularly touched to learn that Habib Noh loved children a lot. Most of us love children too, no doubt, but Habib Noh's relationship with them was said to be special. Children were always seen hanging out with him. People found it strange that an old man like him would spend time with kids. Habib Noh and his little 'gang' would swing by some shops and the children would freely take whatever sweets and candies they fancied. The shopkeepers welcomed them gladly as their presence would usually bring plenty of business afterwards. Habib Noh believed that children were ahlul jannah and should be treated special.

Therefore, in honor of Habib Noh and his love for children, Lisan al-Din would like to offer a treat to 200 little angels at the upcoming haul event InshaAllah. May our small sweet gesture be appreciated. Bi-iznillah.



'Cookies at Heart'



HAUL & MAWLID AGENDA:

Saturday, 2 April 2011 

Habib Noh Maqam Complex/Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh
37 Palmer Road, Singapore

3.00 pm    Mau'izhah Hasanah, Qasidah & Tausiyah/Lecture
4.16 pm    Asar prayer
5.00 pm    Opening with recitation of Al Quran
5.30 pm    Tausiyah/Lecture
7.13 pm    Maghrib prayer
7.30 pm    Mawlid & Haul Ceremony
8.22 pm    Isya' prayer
9.00 pm    Refreshments
Reference: www.hjmuhdsalleh.org.sg

p/s
Thanks N & N from 'cookies at heart'
http://www.cookiesatheart.blogspot/
for baking and wrapping those lovely cookies with love!

Habib Noh, may I be welcomed.

Bismillah.

O Habib

I am coming as a beggar for barakah

I am coming as one engulfed by ignorance and sins

I am coming in honor of your piety
you
the one

who was regular in tahajud

one who often secluded with his Lord

one who cared for the poor

one who loved the children

one who was generous in sadaqah

May you welcome this lost soul

May you engrave some words of advice

in her hopeless heart, plant courage

console her restlessness

grant her strength to stick to righteousness

help her escape from evil, unscathed

clear her cluttered mind, make her brave

Oh her wish list is endless

O Habib

I have been sending my salams to you

soon by the grace of Allah

I may be present to bow my head

for the first time

to one who was blessed with karamah

one who was istiqamah in his ibadah

one whom Allah honors

one highly respected by those whom I respect

the habaib and ulama

one visited by the Sufis

all who regarded you as holy

May I be welcomed at your sacred ground

May Allah give the strength to climb to your station

1788-1866

One soul who lived a wondrous life then

and beyond his time

O Sayyid

O Habib

Please...may I be welcomed...

InshaAllah

Bi-iznillah

Beautiful in His eyes

Bismillah.

We all know this one cliche pretty well: 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. Still there are eyes that behold ugliness. One who sees ugliness sees it in his perspective and not His.

We quote this succintly beautiful line of qasida by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani (quoting from 'The Meaning of Man' by Sidi Ali al-Jamal of Fez):

"If you relate every ugly thing to its beauty,

the meanings of beauty in it

will come to you swiftly."

And Sidi Ali's remark in relation to this was that 'the imperfection of the ugly has its beauty completed, so there is no imperfection, and there is no ugly.'

'Allah the blessed, the great is beautiful. Whatever the Beautiful creates, it is only beautiful.'

Allahu Jameelu Yu hibbul Jamal

May Allah grant us ain basirah so that we are able to see through His eyes so that the beauty of what is seen is perceived by the real Seer so there is no ilah (god) but Allah. May we become more steadfast in our ibadah (supererogatory worship/nawafil) so that He would love us, so that when He loves us, He becomes the ear with which we hear, and the eyes with which we see, and the hands with which we grasp, and the foot with which we walk.