In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

As-salamu alaykum,

What follows is Habib Umar’s (Allah preserve him) talk from the mawlid last Thursday. It is quite time specific, but due to technical problems we were not able to get it transcribed immediately and there are also more omissions than usual. However the bulk of what he said comes through, in sha’ Allah, and the essence of the message, namely to finish this year in a good way, is still relevant. One of the omissions was that he exhorted us to beg Allah to change our evil deeds of this year into good deeds. Please pray that He, the Most Merciful, does so for us and we’ll pray that He does so for all of you.

Allah has gathered us in the final night of Jum’ah of this year. If we looked for the lights of any of the moments of the Jum’ahs of this year, we could not save this moment, this night and the day that is coming to us. They are from the last Jum’ah of this year. This year has had many Jum’ahs and what occurred in them occurred, and the one who was successful, was successful and received what he received. And how many Jum’ahs were you heedless in the time that prayers are responded to? How many times in which prayers were answered on Jum’ah came and you were not at the door of the One who would respond? How many Jum’ahs came and you were late to Jum’ah? How many Jum’ahs passed you by and you did not pay attention well to the sermon of the speaker at Jum’ah so you could receive one of the treasures of the treasures of Jum’ah by hearing the admonition and reflecting and remembering. And the likes of this passed by and all of this was counted and all of this was written and all of this was transcribed by the hands of noble scribes, meaning the angels that mark our deeds and all of this is . . . so you can be recompensed for it on the Day of Resurrection. However some of these scrolls, the Hand of Allah can change it to better, and whatever happened last year, you have this final Jum’ah of this year. How are you going to be tonight and how are you going to be today? If you lagged and you were late, in this Jum’ah then be early! If you feel that this is the last Jum’ah and this year will pass you by with its hours and its moments and days after this, you will not cause any of these moments to return and all of you will be standing before the Lord who created time and place, as a witness for this person or a witness against that one. Oh Allah, give us to end this year well. Make it a proof for us and not against us and a witness for us and not against us. O Most Merciful of the Merciful. And Allah caused us to come to this congregation at the end of this year, on the last Jum’ah of this year. And now, this year’s scrolls are being folded up, these days and these nights are coming to an end until we receive a new year. We do not know what Allah will cause to happen in this year. We do not know where this year will take us and what things will come to us and what intentions we will have….
O Allah, aid us to remember you and thank you and worship you well. How many people at the beginning of this year have been . . . turning themselves to Allah and they lost that during this year? So in these nights and these days their hearts are turning away and their intentions are . . . and their aims are falling. SO you consider, O people of insight, how did they go? How did they change? How do their circumstances change? O Changer of hearts and sights, make our hearts firm on Your remembrance!

Every time a period passes us, people see that time becomes more folded up and it becomes shorter and shorter and this is a sign of the final Hour, that time will become shortened. And the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) made an example saying such that one year is like a month, and a month like a week, and a week like a day, and a day is like an hour. Many people these days find that things they used to do in one hour will take all day. A person used to do it on one hour and now he cannot do it in a whole day. And similarly, the time becomes contracted. What Ar-Rahman has commanded has come and the Messenger was truthful. However with all of that, the People who were truthful with Allah have seen wonders in this year so catch up to them. And Allah’s Munificence is pouring on those who turn to Allah. Enter into their sphere. Along with everything that is happening in this world, Allah’s Munificence does not end for those who have a desire . . . He has gifts and He pardons and He shows His Grace. And the door remains open for us if we respond to the call, if we answer. Purify your heart. Purify what happens in your house. Purify the cassettes and the pictures and the other belongings that are in the home. Don’t let anything remain there that is used for sinning against the Lord of the house. And your particular house…the house that is in the midst of you, that is the heart. Indeed Allah has vessels on this earth [meaning human hearts that contain knowledge of Him] . . . these are the hearts. You have a vessel for your Lord that is in you. Purify it. Adorn it. Magnify it for the sake of this Lord, so that He will look at this vessel that is purified for Him and is magnified for His sake and He will put in this vessel, knowledge of Him, and the light of certitude. He will give you the secret of being brought near. He will give you the sweetness of intimate discourse with Him. He will give you the coolness of pardon and His pleasure. He will give you the sweetness of mercy. He will put these things in this vessel if you purify this vessel and end this year in a state of goodness. O Allah, give us a good ending! O Allah, give us a good ending! O Allah, give us a good ending!