Writings of Imam 'Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad

Al-Wasaya al-Nafi'a- The Good Counsel

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate and Merciful

The Fifth Counsel
Whoever has taqwa of Allah, He will create a way out for him, and will Provide for him from whence he did not expect. Whoever relies on Allah, He will be enough for him. Assuredly, Allah brings His command to pass. He has set a measure for all things. [65:2-3]

Praised be Allah, Who made obedience and taqwa the means and path of His slaves to all goodness and honour in the Afterlife and in the present world, and made disobedience and rebellion against His commandments a road to disgrace and the Fire both in this world and in the Abode Everlasting.

May Allah bless and grant peace to the Chosen Prophet, our master Muhammad, and to his Family and Companions, who I are the lords of goodness.

To proceed. I counsel you, may Allah bless and protect you, and look upon you with His protective and caring gaze, and be with you as He is with His righteous slaves, both in secret and in public, to have taqwa of Allah, Who has made you and all things, by observing carefully the five Prayers. Beware of losing them, or doing any of them late.

Carry out well the necessary bowings, and prostrations, and meditate on the passages from the Quran, which are recited in it. Be reverent and undistracted, and never move, any part of your body while you pray. Know that the hearts of those who do not take care of, their Prayers die, and their provision becomes a difficulty, and the Lord grows wrathful against them.

Recite the Quran abundantly it all times, and beware of going too fast and of interrupting it with my other speech. Do dhikr of Allah abundantly in all of your circumstances, for it is an invincible stronghold against Satan and all evil.

Avert all sins, and do not come near any of them, whether minor or mortal, for in them lies the whole of wickedness and shame in this world and the Afterlife. Those who commit them are far removed from Allah and from all that is good. You should be dignified and serene, and know the reality of all a your affairs, never entering upon anything without consulting someone who understands it better than you.

Accept advice when it is offered you, and avoid superfluous speech, and excessive laughter and merriment, and beware of mocking any Muslim, however despicable he may appear to be.

Do not delve into that which does not concern you. Avoid all disputes or arguments with other people. Preserve your tongue, your ears, your eyes, your private parts, your belly, and all your other parts from everything which Allah has forbidden you.

Beware of listening or looking at something unlawfully. Strive to avoid sexual misconduct.

Know that Allah perpetually sees you; therefore try never to let Him see you in a forbidden situation, or not find you in a place where He has commanded you to be.

Beware of keeping the company of base and depraved people. Associate only with people of goodness. If you are ever afflicted with the trial of dealing with evildoers at certain times, strive to safeguard your religion and honour.

Be on your guard against lying, even if only a little, for it is shameful both in this world and the next. Beware likewise of backbiting and maligning other Muslims, and of seeking to discover their secrets, for this provokes the wrath of Allah.

Follow the example only of your predecessors, and imitate only the people of religion and righteousness in all your affairs and circumstances.

Do not go to excess in eating, and in obtaining and wearing clothes, or in any thing, for Allah loves not the Prodigal-Wasteful [6:141]

Know that goodness, honour, rank, and nobility in the sight of Allah lie in adhering to acts of obedience and avoiding acts of rebellion. Therefore hold fast to this, and may Allah bless you.

Recite Sura Ya-Sin morning and night, and on all important occasions, and whenever you hope for some particular good, or fear some particular evil, for its status in the Quran is like that of a sultan among his subjects. Never is it read by a sincere person wishing to obtain any good or avert any evil, but that his aim is realised.

Similarly, you should recite Sura Quraysh, for it contains a great secret which guards one against poverty and fear.

Every morning, every evening, and whenever you go to bed, you should recite the Fatiha, the Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses of Sura al-Baqara, and Sura al-Ikhlas, together with the last two Suras three times.

Then recite A'udhu bi-kalimati'Llahi 't-tam matt min sham ma khalaq (three times)

bismi 'Llahi 'lladhila yad-hurru ma'asmihi shay'un fi'l-ardh wa-la fi'samai wa-huwa 's-sami'u 'l-'alim
three times)

a'udhu bi'Llahi mina 'sh-shaytani 'r-rajim (ten times)

bismi'Lldhi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Rahimi wa-la khawla wa-la quwwata ilia bi'Llahi 'l- 'Aliyyi 'l-'Adhim(ten times)

Allahuma salli 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin wa'ala ali sayyid- ina Muhammad wa-sallim (ten times)

Hasbiya 'Llahu la ildha ilia huwa 'alayhi tawakkaitu wa-huwa rabbu'l'Arsh al-'Adhim (seven times)

Subhdna 'Llahi wa-bihamdihi 'adada khalqihi wa-ridhd nafsihi wa-zinata 'arshihi wa-middda kalimatih (three times),

Ya Allah ya Hafiz ya Latif ya Rahim ya Hadi ya Razzaq ihfadhni wa'ltuf bi wa'rhamni wa'hdini wa'rzuqni (three times).

Hold fast to this counsel, and act in accordance with it. Be sincere to Allah, praise Him and be grateful to Him, be attached to Him, reliant upon Him, and repent to Him; find your sufficiency, help and confidence in Him alone. Do not become attached to or dependent upon His creatures, for they cannot benefit or harm you (if Allah will not), neither have they any power to give or withhold.

When one of them treats you well, thank Allah and then thank him, and when someone treats you badly you should leave him to Allah and not reciprocate.

Say, hear; and see nothing but good. Have a clear heart towards all Muslims; do not harbour rancour, envy, deceit or hatred for any of them. When one of them acts well or badly towards you, he is only acting well or badly towards himself.

Allah the Exalted has said. Whoever does good, it is for his own soul, and whoever does evil, it is against it; and afterwards you will be brought back to your Lord.[45:15]

He has also said, Those who do an atom's weight of good will see it, and those who do an atom's weight of evil will see it. [100:7-8] And He has said, Do what you will; He sees what you do. [41:40]

Such then, is my counsel to you. Allah is your Patron, and He takes care of the righteous. [7:196] Be righteous [salih], so that He may thus take care of you, for when He does so you will no longer stand in need of any creature. May Allah perpetuate your success, give you the provisions of taqwa, make goodness easy for you wherever you go, and be on your side, and on ours, and of our loved ones, and all the believers and Muslims, for He is the Most Merciful of all that show mercy.

The above was dictated on Sunday the eleventh of Muharram 1075, by the slave in need of Allah, 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Hadddd, may Allah pardon him and his ancestors. It was written in response to the request of one of his brethren, the sayyid 'Umar ibn ' Alawi al-Hadddd Ba 'Alawi, may Allah aid him, and grant all men success in attaining to His pleasure.