Imam al Haddad

Imam Abdullah b. Alawi b. Muhammad al Haddad radiAllahu anhu, more commonly known al Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu was born in Subayr near the city of Tarim, Yemen in the year 1044AH to the family of spiritual masters who are all the descendants of the final Prophet and Messenger of Allah, Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ.

Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu was a Lordly Scholar who memorised the entire Qur’an at an early age, and mastered the inward and outward sciences until he became well known as the Mujaddid or reviver of Islam in his time.

His spiritual station was such that his contemporaries were dwarfed in comparison and his blessings, knowledge and light reached every corner of the world, and his books, litanies and blessings are benefitting millions all across the world even today. At even a very young age he would recite hundreds of Rakahs daily. He has a special connection to Surah Yasin and eventually received the spiritual secret and opening from it, he was a spiritual mountain who worshipped Allah Ta’ala in the best of manners, never wavering even an inch from the Sunnah of his Beloved Grandfather, The Noble Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu wrote numerous books which has been translated into English and other languages, most well known of which is ‘The Book of Assistance’ which is a unmatched manual for the novice and master alike, for the novice will be given what is essential for his spiritual journey and the master will take from the spiritual haal (state) of the Imam that is hidden within the pages of his books. 

Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu not only called people to Allah Ta’ala and His Beloved Prophet ﷺ through books, litanies and Qasaid (poetry) but he pulled them to Allah Ta’ala with a spiritual iron gaze and melted the hearts of the masses with his immense blessings. He was eventually known al the Qutb (Spiritual Pole) of Dawah and Irshad and his rank in terms of spirituality cannot be fathomed, he was a complete reflection of the Muhamamdan ﷺ Sunnah and the perfect guide to Allah.

Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu had written many poems, amongst them the famous Qad Kafani ilmu Rabbi is recited regulary and is known to be a means of acceptance of duas; his poem Ya Rabbi Ya A’limal Haal is such a poem that Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu has said ‘Had it not been our reliance upon Allah, we would have advised for this to be buried with me’. 

His Tawakkul (reliance) upon Allah was such that he once said: ‘If the sky were to call out, ‘I will not send forth a drop of rain’, and the earth were to call out ‘I will not send forth a single shoot’ and I was responsible for feeding the people of Tarim, I would not be in the least concerned after my Lord has said: ‘There is no creature on the earth, but that Allah has guaranteed to provide for it’

His acceptance in the court of Allah Ta’ala was such that people flocked to him from all over the world, they would eat from his food to receive cure and blessings by the permission of Allah, for they knew he was a Gnostic who enjoys the proximity of Allah Ta’ala. He radiAllahu anhu once said: ‘If they do not benefit from our speech, them we will place our blessings in the food’ and at another time, he radiAllahu anhu said: ‘Our food is like Zamzam’.

Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu left this temporal world on the 7th of Dhul Qa’dah 1132AH.

We beseech Allah Ta’ala, through he immense rank of His Noble Prophet ﷺ, to benefit us from Imam al Haddad radiAllahu anhu in this world and the next, and may we always remain under his gazes and rise in his company on the Day of Judgement. Ameen al Fatiha