Live Transmission of The Dowra Programme, Tarim

Please forgive this student for the late posting but we only found out today…

The Dowra Programme in Tarim, Yemen, is being transmitted live on the www.alhabibomar.com site. For those, like myself, who couldn’t attend the Dowra in Tarim this year, the opportunity to at least sit in the class and gain teachings from the Habaib will no doubt be most welcomed.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Lesson	Book	Days	Time	Shaykh
Tazkiya/Sulook	Aadab an-Nufoos	All days of the week	1:45pm	Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Fiqh of Fasting	Kitab Tanbeeh	Saturday and Sunday evening	4:40pm	Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Fiqh of Purity	Kitab Tanbeeh	Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings	4:40pm	Shaykh Umar al-Khatib
Seerah	جولان الروح في سيرة رسول الله باب الفتوح	Tuesday and Wednesday Evenings	6:00pm	Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Understanding of Dawah	Series of lessons on Dawah	Friday, Saturday and Sunday Evenings	6:00pm	Habib Ali al-Jifri
Guidance in Sulook	A series of weekly lectures	Thursday night	5:30pm	Habib Umar bin Hafiz

The above schedule is in British Standard Time (GMT+1) and was sent to me by a  dear brother, so please keep him, his family, and his friends in your duas… especially for the generosity he has sent to us. Allahumma Ameen.

Take care, keep smiling, and please keep us in your much required duas.

 

The Trodden Path - Sacred Retreat

Subhan’Allah we’re fortunate enough to have the Habaib visit us again this year. There’s so much to learn from our teachers and this is one of those opportunities every person should strive to attend, unless Allah pulls them back for another reason.

Insha’Allah clicking on the poster will direct you to more details about the retreat and the registration form…

There’s a possibility that this student may not be able to go to this excellent retreat of knowledge but we hope that others can benefit and will think of this pauper in their duas. Please spread the word and take up the opportunity to learn, if you can do so.

 

The Call of Yemen…

The first time I heard of Yemen was on an American sitcom where one of the characters books a ticket to go to Yemen in order to escape from his nagging partner. Didn’t really understand where Yemen was at the time but thought it must be an awesome place filled with serenity if that’s where the character was going to “escape” and also because people who say “yeah man” are pretty chilled out and take life easy. For those thinking “sister, you’ve truly lost the plot” - in my defence, I was very little at that age and for sure wasn’t aware of the need to be an “Arif”.

Possibly about 8 years on from that episode and I’m becoming more aware of this beautiful country called Yemen and the blessings of it. In particular the strange pull I have towards it - more than likely down to the fact that when you learn from such beautiful Habaib and Shayukh you’re naturally drawn to what they’re drawn to. May Allah encapsulate them in His Tawfeeq and Mahabba such that The Goodness our teachers receive from Him is transpired to all of us and only aids in elevating our states in the hereafter. Allahumma Ameen.

Every year there’s a programme called The Dowra, a 40 day intensive Learning Programme with the Habaib and Shayukh of Tarim, Hadramaut, teaching all parts of the Islamic curriculum from Hadith, Da’wah Methodology, Seerah, Shamail and Fiqh just to name a few.

Two years ago we had a yearning to go but knew it wasn’t possible due to our dear father falling severely ill and so instead we went to Pakistan to look after him (keep him in your much needed duas please), and then a year ago we were fortunate enough to be ill our-self but by His Grace were able to listen to some of the lessons being broad-casted online. This year I’ve been made aware of the subtleties of my situation which require me to stay in the UK before I can set out but Insha’Allah I hope to go when Tarim calls me to come. I’m sure that one day, if it’s not doing so already, it will call for me and this student will humbly take up the offer and sit with those we’ve dreamt of learning from. Insha’Allah when the invite comes.

So what’s the point of this thread then - even though this student can’t attend we’d still like to urge any of you who can make it, to go and bring back the light from your studies in Tarim … of course, first with the ijazat from the Habaib & Shayukh. There’s much benefit in the doors of Tarim being open and so when you enter please enter with salaam and good etiquette cos that’s the first basis of being a guest.

Information is as follows:

The Dowra Summer 2008
40 Day Intensive Course
1st July 2008 - 10th August 2008

• Teachers
• Activities
• Application Form (deadline is the 20th May 2008 or until all the seats for the Dowra Programme have been filled up)

If anyone would like to share their experiences of your time in previous Dowra Programmes then this student would love to hear from you.

Take care, keep smiling, and wasalaam alaykum wa rahmatullah

 

Dear Beloved Son… “contemplation”

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When Allah loves a nation He puts them to the test.” [as narrated by Ahmad]

Sitting in front of ones desk with the “things to do list” piling up with “things to do”, she decided to stop and listen to the fact that ones heart was feeling quite “blank” and quite honestly… spiritually inept. So reaching out to the first book that came to her sight, she made a little dua for something that will remove the dark cloud of insecurities within her, and opened the book to read the following:

TWENTY-THIRD COUNSEL

contemplation

My dear son…

Hear one more thing from me and contemplate about it until you find salvation. If you were informed that the sultan was going to select you for appointment as a minister, know that in the course of this period you would not engage in anything but improving your garments or body, your house or its furnishing - anything you thought the sultan’s eye would be cast upon. Now think about what I have indicated to you, for you are quick-witted and a few words are sufficient for you. Did not the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Verily, Allah looks not to your outward appearances, nor to your actions, but He looks to your heart and your intentions.”

If you wanted to know the [different] states of the heart then look in the Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din and my other works. This science is fard ‘ayn [obligatory upon every individual] and other disciplines are fard kifaya [obligatory for some individuals in the community] except to the extent that it facilitates performance of the obligatory duties enjoined by Allah the Exalted, and He will give you success in achieving that knowledge.

[counsel from "Dear Beloved Son" by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali]

Shukar’Allah for making this servant reach out to that book out of the many books on ones shelf, for allowing my hands to open up to that page in particular, and for shaking this heart, enough for it to cry, out of recognising the sign that verily You are closer to me than my own jugular vein.

Ya Allah, please don’t leave me for a second with my affairs as I am incapable of dealing with them without Your Guidance, Your Tawfeeq, and Your Sustainance. Ya Allah, please remove the veils from our eyes and heart such that we may reflect on Your Signs in order to strive to please You Only. Ya Allah. Ya Rahman. Ya Rahim. Ya Malik. Ya Quddus. Please accept us to see Your Final Unveiling. Allahumma Ameen.