[A continuation of the Habib Umar retreat.  it's sad that I haven't completed writing these up yet, as everytime I read them I find immense benefit.  The wisdom he imparted was gold.  May Allah give us the capacity to understand them.  Ameen.]

In the previous session the concept of intellect and reason was introduced, stating how this faculty is what differentiates humans from animals.

If our foot is inflicted with some injury, we would travel to have it healed, so the question is, why is it when our hearts are so ill, so corrupt and disease ridden, that we allow them to remain sick or even let them die.   All this despite having the best doctor, Muhammad(SAW), who showed us clearly how to nourish the heart and give it life.  The shaykh stated something very important after this that has remained with me; if someone is sick and seeks earnestly to heal oneself, then they will find help in the form of those who have knowledge at their very doorsteps.  [This really brings to light the reality, that although we may attend prestigious universities or have jobs associated with those who are "intelligent", it does not mean we have true intellect, as "someone with intellect will not let their heart remain corrupt or die, living for empty bestial desires".]

The beleivers and the corrupt are not equal, do we think that we will have the same life and death as those who beleive!?

“Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember” [Az-Zumar, 39:9]

Signs of a pious heart

1) Being happy with guidance and good, while loving the people of piety and righteousness.

2) Disliking sin and misguidance, all those things that Allah(swt) does not like for us.

3) Pleased going to gatherings of Allah and those that mention Him sincerely and abundently.

4) Happy with an hour of dhikr and experience a sense of peace and longing to sit in His rememberence.

And know that among you is Allah’s Prophetic Messenger.  Were he to follow your wishes in many a matter, you would surely fall into trouble, but Allah has endeared the faith to you and has adorned it in your hearts, and he has made hateful to you unbeleif and transgression and disobedience, such are those are rightly guided. [49:7]

One of the companions Zayd al-Kheir one day had a question and set out as quick as possible to go to the Prophet(SAW), he ended up travelling the distance that would have normally taken 3 days in just 1!  He was worried either he would die or the Prophet(SAW) might die and he would never know the answer.  He asked, Who does Allah want and does Allah not want?  The Prophet(SAW) asked “How are you today Zayd?”.  He responed, “I love piety, I love the people of piety and I love doing pious works”.  [And in what he said was a sign of who Allah wants.  So this being the state of mind and soul that we must aim to acheive.]

“How good is the person whose nourishment is good works” [Line from a Poem]

One must take control of life before it expires.  One must do plentiful dhikr untill it overcomes the heart and the secrets of the unseen become seen.  In dhikr there is healing and within every house there MUST be a circle of Qur’an and a circle of Dhikr.

Narrated from Sulman al-Farsi “We were once in a group remembering Allah(Swt), the Prophet(saw) joined us and said “I saw mercy descending and wanted to partake”  [Ahmed bin Hanbal]

When a person becomes attached to dhikr, then the doors to the next stage open, the door of Ihsaan!  Someone who is attached to pious deeds is like the one knocking on the door, eventually it will open.

There was once a famous highway robber called Abu Bakr Ibn al-Huwara, he would steal and do many bad deeds.  However one day he heard a man telling his wife to wake him up extra early so he could set out and avoid Al-Huwara, upon hearing this Al-Huwara became extremely sad and felt grieved for the trouble he is causing to people.  So he told the mans wife to not wake her husband in the morning.  He found a masjid, performed ghusl and joined a gathering of pious people.  He listened for 3 days.  On day 4 Allah(swt) gave him light.  So when they discussed he also joined in and they asked “who is this man?” , “Al-Huwara!  Him?  The highway robber?!”  He said “Allah has accepted my repentance”.  So the one who remains at Allah(swt)’s door will surely see it open for him.

We must have passionate love for dhikr, with broken and humbled hearts and seeing the favours of Allah.

[N.b  Any mistakes in these notes or previous notes are from me and all goodness from Allah]