A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said, in a swuhbah , Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was a famous shaykh .   One of his students was Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ).   He was not an Arab.   He was a Persian from Bukhara.   Shaykh Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) was illiterate.   Once Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) saw Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) praying maghrib .   When Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) heard that he was unable to say “ al-Hamdu ”, but pronounced it “ Elhemdu ”, he thought his recitation was not correct and did not pray behind him; he prayed alone.   That night, Allah ( s.w.t. ) Said to Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ), “Apart from that prayer which you did not pray behind Habib al-’Ajami, I Accept all your prayers.”   Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was still looking at the words, not at the heart of the imam .   Allah ( s.w.t. ) does not l...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Once, when Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was sitting in front of his khanaqah , his takkiyah , Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) came running.  Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) said, “O Habib, hide me, because Hajjaj, the Caliph’s governor, has sent his soldiers to catch me.  Hide me!”   Shaykh Habib ( q.s. ) said. “Go in and hide yourself.”   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) went in and found himself a hiding place.  The soldiers came running and asked Habib ( q.s. ), “Have you seen Hasan al-Baswri?”   “Yes, I saw him inside.  He is hiding.”   They went in and looked around.  They looked everywhere, even looked directly at Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ).  It is said they searched the khanaqah three times after Shaykh Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) insisted that Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) was inside.  Finally, the soldiers scolded Shaykh Habib ( q.s. ), “How could a man like you ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Once, Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) visited Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ).   He brought two loaves of bread, putting them in front of him as a courtesy to his guest.   Just as he was beginning to eat, someone who was hungry came and asked for something for the sake of Allah ( s.w.t. ).   Shaykh Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) took back the loaves from Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ) and gave them to that person.   Shaykh Hasan al-Baswri ( q.s. ), said, “O Habib, you are a good person, but if you had some more knowledge of the shari’ah it would have been better for you.”   He meant to say it would have been better if Habib ( q.s. ) left one loaf for them, and one for that person, instead of taking both and giving them away.   Habib ( q.s. ) said nothing.   After a while, someone came to the door and brought a tray full of plates for them to eat.   “Yo...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ) said that once, Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) was sitting at the Tigris River in Baghdad, waiting for the ferry to come so as to cross over to the other side.   His student, Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ) came along.   He said, “My master, what are you waiting here for?”   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) said, “I am waiting for the ferry boat, to cross to the other side.”   “You are the shaykh .   Why are you sitting here waiting for that raft?   Come and say ‘ Bismillah ’ and walk”.   Then Shaykh Habib ( q.s. ) recited, “ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim ,” and walked on the Tigris to the other side.   It was then that Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) cried, “This ‘ajami is crossing the Tigris and I am sitting here!”   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) knew the power of Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim , but his student had certa...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Farid ad-Din ‘Aththar Abu Hamid ibn Abu Bakr Ibrahim ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Tadzkirat al-Awliya’ , that Shaykh Abu Sa ’ id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ) arrived at Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri’s ( q.s. ) meditation cell at the time for ‘isha’ .   Shaykh Habib al-‘Ajami ( q.s. ) continued praying.   He pronounced “praise” as “phrase”.   Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) thought to himself, “It is not right to pray behind him," and he performed his prayers by himself.” That night, Shaykh Hasan ( q.s. ) saw the Most Glorious Lord in a dream.   “My God, what is Your Pleasure?” he asked. “You had found what Pleases Me, but you did not recognise its worth.” “O Lord!   What was that?” “Praying behind Habib.   That prayer was to be the seal on your lifetime of prayers, but correct expression held you back from sound intention.” Shaykh ‘Aththar ( q.s. ) concluded by saying, “There is...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is adapted from a swuhbah from Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani ( q.s. ).   It is impossible for a person to leave evil and to take the right path unless his Lord Helps him.  Therefore, we seek Divine Help, for everything.  We cannot take ourselves away from evil if we do not ask our Lord for Help, and we cannot put our step on a good way without asking help from your Lord.  Therefore, when we are in need of leaving evil, we must seek Divine Help by saying, “ A’udzu bi Allah min ash-Shaythan ar-Rajim .”  That creates a protection, a fortress.  Any time we feel Shaythan approaching, you recite this.   When we ask to be Put on the right path, we say “ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim .”  In our time, if a person seeks to walk on the right path, one hundred Shayathin rush at him to catch his feet so that he cannot move forward.  When we say “ Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim ,” it takes t...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ It is written, in Tadzkirat al-Awliya’ , by Imam Abu Nu’aym Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Aswbahani ( r.a. ), of Shaykh Habib ibn Muhammad al-‘Ajami al-Baswri ( q.s. ), who was a Persian who settled at Basra.   He was a noted muhadits , who transmitted from Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abi al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri ( q.s. ), Imam Muhammad ibn as-Sirin ( q.s. ), and other authorities.   His conversion from a life of ease and self-indulgence was brought about by Shaykh Hasan’s ( q.s. ) eloquence.   He was a frequent attendant at Shaykh Hasan’s ( q.s. ) lectures and became one of his closest associates. Shaykh Habib ( q.s. ) was a man of property, and an usurer.   He dwelt in Basra, and every day he made the rounds to collect from his clients.   If he got no money, he would demand payment for his shoe leather.   In this manner he covered his daily expenditure.   One day, he had gone to look for a certain debtor.   The ma...