The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

01 Sha’baan 1446/31 January 2025

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

In last week’s article we discussed the journey and the experience. This week we will share some lessons and gems obtained as well as sharing some quotable quotations.

Lessons and Gems from this Journey  

• The people of Tarim honour the guest in a way beyond imagination. From the Habaaib to the Mashaaikh to the shopkeeper to the laymen on the street. 
• I would have never imagined seeing Habib Khadim driving around in a Toyota 4×4 and when he sees you, even from a distance, he looks at you, smiles and gives a wave as if he knows you for years and years. 
• Learn to show shukr (gratitude) and have patience. The food was not the greatest but there was good food. The hosts went out of their way to try and cater for us westerners. The sleeping arrangement was 5-6 people on a room with thin thin mattresses and hard bases. This allows you to appreciate the finer things in life. It teaches patience and gratitude. 
• One of the core principles or advices which people are advised to do is to write out your intentions for your visit to Tarim. As many as you possibly can. One of my maintains was to appreciate and be grateful for what was presented to me and to remove all signs and acts of ingratitude from my heart. Come what may I was not going to complain. It just so happens my apartment did not have hot water for 4 days. One would think that this is normal but the locals advised me that it is a necessity in Tarim and that I should get it sorted out so the people who stay there after me are not disadvantaged. So it’s more of honouring the person who stays there after you than it is about complaining. 
• Tawakkul- What is true reliance on Allah? I met a taxi driver who drivers 25 minutes every morning from his home to firstly pray fajr in Dar ul Mustafa and look for tourists and locals who need a taxi ride. When I met him it was just after asr and up until that moment he had made 3 000 yemeni riyals which is equivalent to about R30. It’s not enough to even buy your day to day groceries forget about a meal. His reaction and response was that he knows his rizq (sustenance) is from Allah so he’s not worried. When giving a price he looked and asked how much do I want to pay because I am his friend, I am a guest. Subhanallah small things like really shows what type of people are the people of Tarim. 

There is soo much that one can say about the people of Tarim but one would never be able to do it justice. 

To end of this reflection I would like to share a few quotable quotes from this journey:  

• We don’t ask where is Allah, we should ask where are we ? ~ Shaykh Munir 
• If we know Allah is with us we will never fear. ~ Shaykh Munir 
• Anyone can honour someone who gets honored (this is a transaction). Honour the one who cuts your honour, honour the one who hates you and acts if he loves you. People may say this is good and they want to honor everyone but they forget to honour their family. Don’t forget to your honour your family first. No one establishes a well while the family is dying of thirst ! ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• Why is there such a great fear for zina, alcohol and much of the fitna we face today ? These things existed in the time of the Prophet ﷺ ? There is a great fear of this as we are weak in our Imaan ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• All our affair and interactions require akhlaaq and Prophetic ﷺ methodology on interaction. ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• One who loves you is patient with you but there are different levels of patience and not everyone is on the same level. Be patient with everyone. We don’t have it but we demand it from others ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• Take control over your actions & speech. Everything you do has an affair with Allah ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• If you desire something, ask Allah to grant it to you. Everyone wants but no one asks from Allah. Ask Allah for high status in Jannah, Ask Allah to grant you presence of heart and mind in your Salah.  Allah will never disappoint one who asks him. Be constant and consistent ~ Shaykh Fahmi 
• Be happy with others in a time where people find happiness when others are in pain ~ Habib Umar bin Hafiz
• Your blessing is with your elders. “Good opinion comes before courage and bravery”. Show respect as a young age and you will receive glad tidings of long life and someone younger than you will respect you. The youth of Tarim used to stop playing when someone elder passed by and always asked their elders for dua ~ Habib Umar bin Hafiz
• Show compassion to the youth. If a child experiences harshness they will inturn become harsh. ~ Habib Umar bin Hafiz
• Have good character for our deen is spread through our character ~ Habib Abdul Rahman bin Hafiz
• A person connected to the Masjid is a sign of faith ~ Habib Abdul Rahman bin Hafiz 
• Don’t wait for reciprocation or a response or as we say quid pro quo. The ego is filthy, it expects excellence but is unable to produce excellence. ~ Habib Ali Abu Bakr
• Reciprocate any good done to you, this is gratitude ~ Habib Haamid

Alhamdulilah, without a doubt, the people who accompanied us on this journey were truly remarkable. Their kindness, support, and companionship added an extra layer of meaning to every moment, making the experience even more memorable. Whether it was through their uplifting conversations, shared laughter, or simply their presence during moments of reflection, each person played a unique role in shaping this journey into something extraordinary.

May Allah ﷻ accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah.