In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

What follows is a transcription of the translation of al-Habib Umar’s (Allah preserve him) first speech after he returned from Hajj this year. It was transcribed from a simultaneous translation, so please forgive grammatical errors.

Those who came to the pilgrimage, they were people that believed in Allah and His Messenger on the surface of this earth amongst others who rejected faith, or those who were prevented from the light of Islam. So these groups of those who believed in Allah and His Messenger came to these places to receive Allah’s Generosity and Munificence. And they came to the sacred house of Allah, Subhanah wa taa’la, in Mecca and Allah’s mercy returned to them. And He gave mercy to the dead hearts by giving them life. And they did not stand at any place except that they found that someone had previously opened a door of divine grace for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for his nation when he came to Mecca, he prayed for them at Arafat and on the night of Muzdelifah, he prayed for them at al-Mash’ar al-Haram. He smiled when he was at al-Mash’ar al-Haram, and they asked why did you smile? And he said Allah has answered my prayer for my nation and Allah has responded for my intercession for them. And he saw the devil throwing earth on his own head (because this prayer was answered). So then they returned to Mina and they saw the effects of the prayers he had made for them, Allah bless him and send him peace as well as his folk and companions. And the multitudes were participating with their hearts, various types of humankind and jinnkind from the surface of the earth. And when Allah looked toward those who were attending, and to those who were connected to those who were attending, those who were absent were connected to those who were present. And the East was connected to the West. And the Heavens were connected to the Earth. And the Earth to the Heavens, with a meaning of a manifestation of the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, the one who will gather all creatures to the day of presentation before Him on the day of Resurrection. So this great event occurred and what descended from the heavens descended and the Lord gave His Grace as He gave.

The signs of this Grace, we can see them in our states when we bid this year farewell, a year of our lives. We will bid this year farewell and it will be a witness for some of us and a witness against others. We ask Allah to forgive our evil deeds and our sins, our minor sins and our major sins that occurred in this year, O Most Merciful. And deeds are judged by their endings. And a new year is coming, we ask Allah to open a door for increase. And that Allah builds the foundations of revival. And that Allah give life to what was lost. And He is the one that begins and causes things to return. He does whatever He wills and there is no God except Him. We relied upon Him and to Him we return in repentance and to Him we are journeying. So we should remember the winds of the Divine Grace that blow over the hearts that are turning to Him. Whenever these winds are remembered they cause the hearts to be softened and gifts from the Lord are renewed for these hearts and His Munificence is increased. All of us are slaves for this Lord. One’s felicity is in realizing his servitude to Allah, realizing that his honor is in lowering himself before God. And that his nobility is in humbling himself to the Magnificence of the Lord. And he should seek these high gifts and these high noble stations. The stations of etiquettes or manners (adab) with the Lord in following His beloved who was brought near, the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace as well as his folk and those who follow this way). And at that time veil after veil is removed from the heart. And then the slave finds sweetness before His Lord in adorning the garments of etiquettes, seeking to say what is true and do what is true and intend what is right. And he seeks an increase and is given an increase. And he seeks the Generosity of Allah, al Kareem, so He persistently gives to him. And that is the affair of those who deal well with Allah. And the one who neglects himself, who does not know how to deal properly with Allah, in his worship or in his mundane affairs, he loses great good and loses great opportunities. So if our aspirations are inspired to seek the Generosity of Allah then He brings near that which is distant. And that which is difficult, He makes easy. And we will feel the favor of Allah, Subhana wa Ta’ala. So we hope that Allah opens for us and you the doors of truly turning to Him and dealing with Him well and that the superabundance of His Generosity pour upon us and that He not prevent us from the blessing of anyone bowing or anyone prostrating or anyone that was beloved or anyone that received gifts and we ask Him to open the doors of piety to the hearts. And that He gather all the hearts on the meaning of La illaha ill Allah Muhammad Rasullullah and give us to live upon that and die upon that.