Surat Rabi'ul Awal 1432

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

The following is taken from Sayyidi Habib `Umar bin Hafiz’s Monthly Word for this month, Rabi` al-Awwal 1432., as translated by Ustadh Amin Buxton (Allah preserve and increase him and his teachers). It has been shortened and edited. You can read the full Arabic text at www.alhabibomar.com

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

All praise be to Allah. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His slave Muhammad, the Chosen One, whose birth he decreed to be in Rabi` al-Awwal, and thus his brilliant light came forth. O Allah send peace and blessings upon Your slave by whom You illuminated people’s hearts and purified them from sins and faults and by whom You brought us out from the darkness of disbelief to the light of Islam and Iman. Send peace and blessings also upon his pure family and noble Companions and all those that love him and us along with them.

We send greetings of peace to our beloved brethren and all those reading these words from the people of la ilaha ill’Allah Muhammad Rasul Allah.

In this month let us focus on the submission our hearts, such that we attain absolute following of the Messenger of Allah. We must analyse very closely the degree to which we have surrendered the reins to the one our Creator chose for us as an Imam, as a guide and as an example (peace and blessings be upon him). In this is complete protection for us from doing anything which leads to evil or from falling prey to our enemies and complete protection from causing harm to ourselves in this life or the next. Man by his very nature does not know the reality of things. As Allah says: Allah knows and you do not know. Time and time again we see people of this Ummah acting hoping to bring about benefit and rectification when in fact they bring about harm and corruption.

We are in a time in which the Muslims are witnessing rapid changes in many places. This may surprise us, but it is really a feature of this time, in which one event leads rapidly to another. This is all part of the wisdom of Allah Exalted.

We can only fulfil our duty in this time through this submission that we have mentioned and by referring back to those who are connected to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Often these popular movements end up benefiting or strengthening those who plot to deflect people from the straight path. We hear, for example, that some people have been exerting efforts to remove those in power in their country. Do they have someone to replace those they wish to remove who is able to govern in a manner which is pleasing to Allah? If not this movement may then be the cause of the replacement of one tyrant or one corrupt person with another, thus serving the interests of the enemies of Islam.

At the same time amongst all these changes we have seen great good taking place: people respecting the rights of others and protecting the property of others. This is clearly good and does not benefit the enemy or anyone seeking power over the slaves of Allah.

Let us only direct our efforts to that which does not lead to harm to ourselves or to anyone else. In doing so we seek refuge in the One Who is in complete control of all our affairs. The failure to return to Allah is the cause of the harm which we see. Someone who seeks refuge with a created being, with a party or a group is like someone who seeks safety from the heat of the earth by throwing himself in the fire. Where is the search for refuge in Allah? Where is the return to the One Who is in complete control of all our affairs that He may rectify them? That return is expressed in our direction, in our intention, in our acting according to the Sacred Law and in our taking the means with clarity in following the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

O Allah with the coming of this noble month we ask You to ennoble us and make clear to all the Straight Path. Increase the hearts of the Ummah in attachment to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), such that we follow him in our speech, actions, aims and intentions. O Allah save the Ummah from tribulations that are manifest and hidden. To You belongs all praise at the beginning and at the end. You are in complete control of every affair and from You we seek assistance and upon You we rely and there is no strength or power save in Allah the Sublime the Formidable. All praise is due to Allah Lord of the Worlds.

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Was-salam,
Wayfarers Coordinators.