What: Majelis Rasulallah Singapura

Where: Masjid Al Abdul Razak

Who: Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah Alaydrus

When: 5th February 2012

By: Majelis Rasulallah Singapura

Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Alawi Alaydrus, a teacher from Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Hadramaut in Yemen, recently had his first visit to Singapore. Majelis Rasulallah (SAW) Singapura hosted Habib Muhammad Alyadrus,  a scholar descended from the Prophet through the noted scholar Habib Abdullah Alaydrus bin Abu Bakr As-Sakran, at a gathering at Masjid Al Abdul Razak, along Jalan Ismail.

After an introduction by Ustaz Hasan Saifuridzal, the Habib began his brief talk, translated into Malay by Ustaz Anwar Hussain. Other scholars such as Ustaz Sofyan Yadi were also in attendance.

The Habib began by talking about such gatherings in honour of Rasulallah, would receive the mercy of Allah and that they were also visited by the malaikat of Allah, who searched for such majlis of ilm and dhikr. When such majlis were found they would rush to them and gather other angels to sit in such gatherings, so many that they would reach up to the Arsh of Allah.

Although angels have no  obligation to gather in such gatherings, nevertheless they enjoy doing so. They too hope for the mercy of Allah and they ask for the mercy of Allah to fall upon those in such gatherings. Quoting the below hadith, Habib Muhammad stated that all who attend such gatherings are granted forgiveness by Allah.

“Allah also has angels who travel about seeking out gatherings of dhikr. When they find a gathering in which there is dhikr, they sit with them and cover one another with their wings until they fill up the space between them and the lowest heaven. When they separate, they rise and ascend to the heaven. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic – and He knows best – asks them, ‘Where did you come from?’ They say, ‘We came from some of Your slaves in the earth who were glorifying You, proclaiming Your greatness, saying, ‘There is no god but Allah,’ praising You and supplicating You.’

He said, ‘What are they asking Me for?’ They say, ‘They are asking You for Your Garden.’ He said, ‘Have they seen My Garden?’ They say, ‘No, O Lord.’ He says, ‘How would it be if they were to see My Garden?’ They say, ‘They are seeking Your protection.’ They say, ‘From Your Fire, O Lord.’ He says, ‘Have they seen My Fire?’ They say, ‘No.’ He says, ‘How would it be if they were to see My Fire?’ They say, ‘And they are asking Your forgiveness.’

He says, ‘I have forgiven them and given them what they ask and I have granted them protection from what they seek protection from.‘ They say, ‘O Lord, a certain slave is among them who just happened to be passing and sat down with them.’ He says, ‘I have forgiven him. They are such people that the one who sits with them will not be disappointed.'”

Quoting verse 97 of Surah An-Nahl, “Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life,” the Habib asked how we can achieve this “good life”, as some people would understand a good life to be one of wealth, or having many children, or being in positions of power. Habib Muhammad explained that a good life was one in which our hearts are tied to God, in which we loved the Prophet (SAWS), and where we performed the obligations laid out by God and His Messenger (SAWS).

He went on to say the best of lives were those lived during the time of the Prophet(SAWS), and the salaf were the best of people after the Prophets, peace be upon them. This was because they understood the haqiqah of the worldly life and were concerned with the hereafter, and lived on the face of earth for Allah and loved nobody more than the Prophet (SAWS).

This could be seen in how the companions, after the passing of the Prophet (SAWS), wanted deeply to be with him after death. The Habib gave the example of Rasulallah’s (SAWS) daughter, Sayyidatina Fatimah Az Zahra, who first felt sadness when told that her father was going to die, but expressed great joy when told that she would be first to meet with the Prophet (SAWS) in the hereafter. Similarly, Sayyidina Bilal expressed happiness to his wife on his deathbed because he would once again be reunited with the Prophet (SAWS).

When Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib was assassinated, as he lay dying he refused water given to him because he had dreamt of Rasulallah (SAWS) the night before. In the dream, the Prophet (SAWS) had told Sayyidina Ali that they would break the fast together the next day, and thus he wanted to meet the Prophet (SAWS) in a state of fasting.

To the companions, paradise was meeting with the Prophet (SAWS) and the greatest joy after seeing  Allah would be being in the presence of the Prophet  (SAWS). As stated by Habib Ali Al Habshi, the delights of paradise could not compare with the joy of meeting the Prophet (SAWS). Thus, we should resolve to meet with the Prophet (SAWS), by following his sunnah, performing good deeds,  performing obligations and leaving sin.

We should resolve to sit in gatherings of ilm and dhikr with the intention of purifying our hearts. Our hearts would be illuminated from such gatherings, and our homes too would be illuminated upon our return. For some, this illumination can be seen upon their faces, clothing and limbs.

The Habib spoke of two companions of the Prophet (SAWS), Usaid  and Abar, who in a sahih hadith, who were returning from meeting the Prophet (SAWS) and had no torches on them on a pitch black night. Long after they left, the light from the gathering emanated from the walking stick one of them was using, guiding their way home, and when they parted ways they transferred the light from one walking stick to another.

The Habib described the Prophet (SAWS) as Siraj al Munir, a light that illuminated. Citing verse 15 of Surah Al Ma’idah “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.” he stated that certain ulama have identified the light as the Prophet (SAWS). He emphasised that the light from gatherings of ilm and dhikr will eliminate the darkness of kufr and zulm, and unbelievers embrace Islam because of the light of the scholars.  He cited the example of Habib Muhammad al-Mihdar, who lived in Surabaya, Indonesia during colonial times, saying the Dutch settlers would rise upon seeing the Habib  because they saw upon him the nur of the Prophet (SAWS).

The Habib stated the importance of this nur, as Ahlul Jannah would have this nur upon their limbs, and he quoted the following du’a made by the Prophet (SAWS)

“O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light behind me, light in front of me, light on my right, light on my left, light above me and light below me; place light in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my hair and in my skin; place light in my soul and make light abundant for me; make me light and grant me light.”

Habib Muhammad said that the Malaikat would look down upon the earth and see light from the homes of those who recited the Qur’an, and made abundant dhikr and salawat, performed tahajud and stayed away from sin, like how we view the stars in the night sky.

Habib Muhammad closed his speech by making du’a, asking that Allah make our homes such homes, to look upon our gathering with mercy. He asked that we be able to see the Prophet (SAWS) in our dreams and not leave this world without having sight of him, and for our names to be mentioned with the Prophet (SAWS) in the hereafter.

He asked for all our graves to be illuminated with light of the Prophet (SAWS), that our iman to that of the Prophet (SAWS), our scales be heavy with the baraka of the Prophet (SAWS), and that the shafa’a of the Prophet (SAWS) grant us entry to paradise. The Habib asked for our families and friends be able to view the Prophet (SAWS), and for all of us to be granted protection from the hellfire and be placed in the highest stations of paradise.

He made du’a that just as we sat in the majlis of the Prophet (SAWS) in this life, we would sit in majlis with him (SAWS) in paradise. The Habib asked that Allah illuminate our hearts with la illa ha illah, and that this illumination be the last words we utter, and we be gathered with the others of the shahadah.

Though it was short, I gained much insight from this brief lesson of Habib Muhammad bin Abdullah Alaydrus. Insha Allah in the future our shores will once again be graced with the presence of this scholar in the future.

Ahmad Zhaki Abdullah
Ahmad Zhaki holds a degree in English Literature from the University of London. He is a full-time executive at a local research institute and a part-time writer.