In his early years, Habib Hasan spent time in the pursuit of knowledge at the hands of the great scholars of his time. He studied in the Ribat of Tarim.

He was raised by his father, Habib Ahmad, a great man of Allah. Habib Alawi bin Shihab described Habib Ahmad as someone utterly devoted to his Lord. As a man of influence in Hadramawt, Habib Ahmad was a target for the Communist militias that instigated a reign of terror in the area. He was once abducted by them but managed to escape, evading a hail of bullets and lying low until the situation improved. Habib Hasan experienced these hardships alongside his father.

When Habib Ahmad passed away around 1414 (1994), Habib Hasan took on the responsibilities of the Mansib. For the next 33 years, he excelled in his leadership role, resolving disputes, serving the people of Hadramawt and fulfilling their needs. He made regular visits to Indonesia and other parts of the world to maintain his ancestral connections. He led the annual visit to the Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) and presided over many other important gatherings. He was a man of few words, and he would round off gatherings with a short dua and Fatihah. It was more about his presence and what he represented than what he said. His spiritual and symbolic leadership will be sorely missed.

He passed away in Jordan on 24^th Sha’ban 1447 / 12^th February 2026. His body was returned to ‘Inat for his janazah and burial alongside his ancestors the following day. Large crowds assembled on that Friday from all around Hadramawt and further afield to bid farewell to him. On the same day, Habib Hasan’s eldest son, Habib Ali, was made the new Mansib in a ceremony presided over by Habib Umar bin Hafiz and other senior Habaib.

May Allah raise his rank, reward him for his service and unite him with Allah’s Beloved ﷺ and all his great predecessors.

He was born on Eid al-Fitr, 1^st Shawwal 1365 (1946) in the town of al-Khuraybah deep in the Daw’an Valley. The Valley lies to the South West of the Hadramawt Valley. The Valley is famous for its beautiful scenery and for the many great scholars who lived there who were both masters of the Sacred Law, and particularly the Shafi school, and knowers of Allah. They include figures like Shaykh Sa’id al-Amudi, Shaykh Abdullah Ba Sawdan and Habib Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Mihdar.

Habib Umar’s father, Habib Hamid, was a great scholar and leader whose advice and knowledge were highly sought after. His mother was a pious woman from the tribe of Ba Ras, who are known as people of knowledge and piety.

Habib Hamid oversaw his son’s education and recognised his potential. Habib Umar spent his early years tirelessly gaining a deep knowledge of the sacred sciences. He was blessed to learn from some of the great Imams of Hadramawt at that time, who included Habib Muhammad bin Hadi al-Saqqaf and Habib Alawi bin Shihab. He began teaching at a young age and when he was barely seventeen years old, his father told him to take over his classes while he went for hajj.

The Communist government that ruled South Yemen from 1967 onwards made life very difficult for scholars, and Habib Umar decided to move to Makkah. He continued his studies there with the scholars of the Haramayn, including Shaykh Hasan Mashat, Sayyid Alawi al-Maliki and Shaykh Ya Sin al-Fadani. He began teaching in Makkah with only a few students. Over the next 30 years, his classes continued to grow and became a feature of the religious life of Makkah. He was recognised as being the Mufti of the Shafi school in Makkah.

He authored a number of small works on topics such as the necessary conditions of giving fatwa, the etiquettes of students of the Islamic sciences, the contribution of Hadrami scholars to the Shafi School and a historic study of the attempts of the Portuguese to attack the Yemeni coastline.

Habib Umar travelled extensively, taking part in conferences, delivering lectures and teaching courses in different parts of the world. Everywhere he went, he won people’s hearts with his noble character. He spoke gently but firmly, calling people to Allah with the utmost care and compassion. He carried himself with such dignity and beauty that all could see he was truly one of the heirs of the Prophet and of the great Imams of the Prophetic Household.

Habib Umar lecturing on a visit to Germany and Austria, November 2014

Towards the end of his life, due to political reasons, he was no longer able to reside in Makkah. He took up residence in Istanbul while continuing to travel. He would regularly visit Hadramawt and South East Asia. In December 2025/Rajab 1447 he visited Tarim and delivered a series of lectures in Dar al-Mustafa. He also visited his hometown al-Khuraybah and other parts of Hadramawt before travelling to Oman, where he attended more gatherings. He then flew to Jakarta but passed away while on the flight. He left this life on a Friday, 4^th Sha’ban 1447 / 23^rd January 2026. He left this life as he had lived it, in the path of Allah, calling people to Allah and connecting them to Allah and His Beloved ﷺ

The people of Jakarta are known for their love of the Ahl al-Bayt and they turned out in great numbers to bid farewell to this noble scholar. Habib Umar was interred in the burial complex of Habib Ahmad bin Alawi al-Haddad, popularly known as Habib Kuncung in Kalibata, South Jakarta.

May Allah give Habib Umar the greatest of rewards for his service to Islam and Ahl al-Sunnah, raise his rank and allow his legacy to live on in his children and students.

She took after her father, Habib Mashhur, the late Mufti of Tarim, in what she taught and how she taught it. She was, like him, a person of great fiqh and she taught even the driest subjects with love and humour. Like her grandfather, the great shahid, Habib Muhammad bin Salim, she would travel regularly to outlying villages to educate people. Her home and her madrasah were in the heart of Tarim, Dar al-Faqih, the original house of the great Imam, al-Faqih al-Muqaddam.

Hababah Maryam passed away on 20th Jumada al-Akhirah / 11th December 2025. It is no coincidence that she passed away on the day that Fatimah al-Zahra was born, as she spent her whole life emulating her. She came from a long line of female scholars in Tarim and Hadramawt who prefer not to be known and celebrated but whose service speaks for itself. The janazah took place the following day, after Asr on Friday and she was laid to rest in the Zanbal Cemetery at a time beloved to Sayyidah Fatimah.

She will be sorely missed in Tarim and beyond by the countless people who loved her and benefited from her. Our condolences go especially to her uncle, Habib Umar bin Hafiz, her children, her relatives and her many students. May Allah raise her rank and continue to benefit the Ummah with her knowledge.

Image: Hababah Maryam’s coffin is carried from her father’s house to the Jabbanah, where the funeral prayer was held

What great mothers they are! The stronger your iman is, the stronger you feel that the Prophet’s wives are your mothers. Khadijah, Aishah, Hafsah, Sawdah, the two Zaynabs, Safiyyah, Umm Habibah, Umm Salamah, Maymunah, Juwayriyyah – they are all our mothers.

Even when Sayyidatuna Aishah showed her human side and smashed the pot containing food sent by one of her co-wives, all the Prophet ﷺ said was: “Your mother’s jealousy has got the better of her.” He described her as their mother, even though the men he was speaking to were older than her. May Allah allow us to love them for the sake of Allah and honour them for the sake of the Messenger of Allah.

On another occasion, they asked him: “We know how to give greetings of salam to you. But how do we bestow salawat (blessings) upon you?”

He told them to say (in one narration): “O Allah, bestow salawat upon Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger the Unlettered Prophet and upon his Family, his wives and his descendants.” They were asking to send salawat upon him, but he taught them to include his family, his wives and his descendants. We are taught to do this right in the middle of the salat, in order to strengthen our connection to them. These are the secrets of true love. Allah loves no one like He loves Muhammad ﷺ. There is no way to attain the love of Allah except through the love of Muhammad ﷺ . We must also love all those that he loves: his family, wives, companions and descendants, his fellow Prophets and everyone who will be under his banner.

Reflections from Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)

(taken from a class in Ihya Ulum al-Din)

He lived a long life and received inward and outward knowledge from many great men, including the Qadi Sayyid Muhsin bin Ja’far Bu Numay in Ghayl Ba Wazir, Habib Muhammad bin Ali al-Habashi in Seiyun, Habib Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Shaykh Abu Bakr in Shihr and Habib Haddar bin Muhammad al-Haddar in Shihr and al-Madinah. He would often mention the time he spent with Habib Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, Habib Umar’s father.

Towards the end of his life he moved to Tarim and was always present in the gatherings in Dar al-Mustafa. Habib Umar would often defer to him out of respect for his age and seniority and he would oblige with heartfelt duas.

He was loved for his gentleness and humility. He dressed as an ordinary person, not as one of the senior Habaib. He never sat or prayed on a chair in spite of his age. His presence will be sorely missed. May Allah have mercy on him and raise his rank. He passed away in Tarim on Saturday, 24^th Jumada al-Ula 1447 AH / 15th November 2025 CE.

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Habib Ahmad bin Muhsin al-Haddar (died 1357) was one of the shaykhs through whom Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad received openings. See here

If someone is considering taking the path, must they have dreams or see other signs about the shaykh before doing so?

No this is not necessary. The seeker must have a true desire and a sincere intention to turn completely to Allah. Then when they find a shaykh they need to feel in their heart that it is the right decision. The shaykh must of course be qualified to assist people in travelling the path. When these things are there, the seeker must take the path without any hesitation as this is an opportunity which must not be wasted. It is an opportunity to connect to the chain of connection back to the Prophet ﷺ. This will elevate your worship and allow you to get closer to Allah.

Combining brokenness and joy is like combining fear and hope. If one is devoid of the other, it can be harmful. A combination of the two leads to balance and perfection. Brokenness helps to overcome the tyranny of the lower self and helps stop the Devil from drawing the believer into arrogance and delusion. It also helps the believer to show veneration to Allah as He is worthy of being shown veneration. Joy comes from witnessing Allah’s favour and generosity. It increases love for Allah and raises the believer’s aspirations in seeking Allah. Our Lord says:

He has lavished His blessings on you both outwardly and inwardly (31:20)

If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them (16:18)

Say, “In Allah’s grace and mercy let them rejoice..” (10:58)

O servants of mine who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Allah forgives all sins. (39:53)

Habib Abd al-Qadir completed his memorisation of the Quran at the age of 12 in Tarim’s famous Quran school, Qubbah Abu Murayyam, where hundreds of great men have memorised the Book of Allah. He studied in the Ribat of Tarim and became a student of the great scholars of that time, at their forefront Habib Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz and Habib Alawi bin Shihab. He then moved to the Hijaz in 1376/1956, where he worked as an editor and journalist for several newspapers. He took knowledge from the great scholars of the Hijaz, such as Sayyid Alawi bin Abbas al-Maliki, Sayyid Muhammad Amin Kutbi and Shaykh Yasin Fadani. His two main shaykhs were Habib Attas al-Habashi and Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf, who were for him like the two wings of a bird. Habib Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf instructed him to start a circle of knowledge in his own house, which continued for many years.

He was known for his financial support for students of the Sacred Law. He also distributed generators to provide electricity to people in Tarim during frequent power cuts.

He authored several works and helped to reprint others. His ancestor, Imam Muhammad bin Ali Kharid, left behind two important works: al-Ghurar, which contains biographies of the great Ba Alawi Imams, and al-Wasa’il al-Shafiah, a collection of supplications, both of which Habib Abd al-Qadir helped to reprint and wrote forewords for.

It is in the realm of poetry, however, that he is most celebrated. He edited and republished the great Diwan of Imam al-Haddad, which has benefited untold numbers of people. He composed four poems in honour of “the Mothers”: Sayyidah Aminah, Sayyidah Khadijah, Sayyidah Fatimah and Sayyidah Aishah.

We will quote a few lines from each poem.

The first poem is composed in praise of Sayyidah Aminah. In it, he addresses those who hold the awful opinion that the Prophet’s parents will not be allowed to enter Paradise. He says:

فاختاركِ المولى لِحَمْلِ أَمانةٍ

فَخُلِقْتِ آمِنَةً وَضَعْتِ أَمِينا

The Lord chose you to bear a weighty trust (amanah)

You were created Aminah (a person of safety) and you gave birth to Amin (the Trustworthy One)

جَهِلوا مَقَامَكِ حين قالوا قَوْلةً

و لَقَدْ أَسَاؤوا في النبيِّ ظُنونا

They were ignorant of your greatness when they said what they said

And they held a bad opinion of the Prophet

تَرْجُوهُ أُمَّتُهُ و تَيْأَسُ أُمُهُ

حاشاه و هو بِبِرِّها يُوصِينا

Is it possible that his nation hopes for his intercession while his mother despairs of it?

It is inconceivable since he is the one who teaches us to honour her

و لَسَوْفَ يُرْضِيهِ الإِلهُ فَهَلْ تَرَى

يَرْضى لِآمِنَةٍ تَذوقُ الهُونا؟

Allah will make sure he is content

So do you think he will be content that Aminah is disgraced?

إن كان أشرفَ بُقْعَةٍ تلك التي

أَضْحى بها خَيْرُ الأَنام ِدَفينا

If the greatest place on earth is the place

Where the best of creation is buried

فَلِكَوْنِها ضَمَّتْ عِظامَ المصطفى

لكنْ بِبَطْنِكِ كُوِّنَتْ تَكْوِينا

That is because it holds the body of the Chosen One

But it was in your womb that his body was perfectly formed

He says in praise of Sayyidah Khadijah al-Kubra:

عَلَوْتِ فَلَمْ تُدْرَكْ مَقَاماتُكِ الكُبْرى
فَغَيْرُكِ لا تُدْعى وإِنْ عَظُمَتْ كُبْرى

You are so elevated that no one can reach your great station

However great others are, only you are named “Kubra” (the great one)

وكَمْ في نِسَاءِ العَالمين عظيمةٌ
ولكنَّها إِنْ قُورِنَتْ بِكِ فالصُّغْرى

Many are the women who attained greatness

But in comparison to you, all are “Sughra” (beneath you)

He says in praise of Sayyidah Fatimah al-Zahra:

لا وربّـي، وحـقِّ طـه أبـيـكِ لا يَـطـيبُ الـمَديـحُ إلاّ فيـكِ

I swear by my Lord and by the rank of Ta Ha, your father, nothing could be sweeter than praising you

بَضْعَةُ المصطفى، وللجُزءِ حُكْمُ الكُـلِّ، يُرْضِيهِ كُـلُّ ما يُرْضِـيكِ

You are part of the Chosen One, and what applies to the part applies to the whole: what pleases you pleases him

Finally, he says in praise of Sayyidah Aishah:

و كَمْ آيَةٍ في النُّورِ تُتْلى صريحةً

بِأَنَّكِ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَالِيَةُ القَدْرِ

Many are the clear verses recited in the Chapter of Light (Surat al-Nur)

That show how great you are in Allah’s sight

مُبَرَّأةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ إِفْكٍ كَأَنَّما

غدا الإِفْكُ تَاجاً فَوْقَ رَأَسَكِ مِنْ دُرِّ

You are innocent of every accusation

And the “Ifk” is like a crown of pearls on your head

Habib Abd al-Qadir lived out his days in the Hijaz, making occasional visits to Tarim. He passed away in Jeddah on 1^st Rabi al-Thani 1447/23^rd September 2025. May Allah raise his rank and continue to benefit us by him.

He was known for his passion and energy in reminding people of Allah. In every gathering, he would remind those present of the immense blessings that were being received. He had a great love for the poetry of the Ba Alawi masters that we would often sing in gatherings.  He passed away in his hometown, Seiyun, on Monday 23rd Safar 1447 AH / 18th August 2025 CE.

May Allah raise him to the highest of ranks, unite him with his pious predecessors and with Allah’s Beloved ﷺ

Allah says: Their hearts have been stained by all ˹the evil˺ they used to commit! No indeed! On that Day they will be veiled from their Lord (83:14-5).

Why is their punishment that they are veiled from their Lord? Because the wrong they did was associated with their hearts, and the heart is the focus of Allah’s gaze. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah does not look at your appearance or your bodies, but rather He looks at your hearts and your actions.”

If a person lives their whole life with no concern for the state of their heart, which is the focus of Allah’s gaze, it is only fitting that they be denied the vision of their Lord in the next life.

Habib Ali al-Jifri (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)