Imam al-Haddad
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Imam Abd Allah ibn Alawi al-Haddad born in 1634 CE (1044 Hijri). He lived his entire life in the town of Tarim in Yemen’s Valley of Hadramawt and died there in 1720 CE (1132 Hijri). In Islamic history, he was considered one of the sages-- adherent to the Imam Asy'aari Sunni Creed of Faith (Aqeedah) while in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) he refers to the Shafii school.
In spite of being a source of reference among the Sunni Muslims, only recently have his books began to receive attention and publication in the English speaking world. Their appeal lies in the concise way in which the essential pillars of Islamic belief, practice, and spirituality have been streamlined and explained efficiently enough for the modern reader. Examples of such works are The Book of Assistance, The Lives of Man, and Knowledge and Wisdom.
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[edit] Life
Imam al-Haddad lived during Islam’s "Period of Decline", in which its forces of might and beauty seem to have become exhausted. During his life, the British were already accustomed to trade in Yemen, and the Portuguese had captured the island of Socotra, 350 km off the coast. Muslim expansion had virtually come to a hault. Furthermore, his region of Hadramawt witnessed a simply ruinous period during his life. When Imam al-Haddad was twenty-five, Hadramawt was conquered by the Qasimi Zaydis of Upper Yemen. The Hadramis regained their freedom in 1715 CE; the Imam was eighty-one years of age.
The Imam was tall and fair skinned. Smallpox caused him permanent blindness before the age of five. This does not seem to have affected his personality or scholarship, or even his look, as no scars remained on his face. “In my childhood,” he testifies, “I was never treated like one who didn’t see, neither in walking nor in playing.” From a young age he was trained as a religious scholar. He also chose the ascetic path, "In the beginning, I spent a long period subsisting on coarse food and wearing rough clothes.”
Earning his livelihood from the plantations he owned, his life was devoted to teaching and writing. Even the Sultans of his day received letters of admonition and counsel from him. He died in his home in al-Hawi, Tarim in 1720, where he is buried today. He had six children, all boys.
[edit] Works and Teachings
His works revolve around the attainment of certainty (yaqin), the degree of unshakeable faith in God and His Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). They are void of investigative or dogmatic debates and limit the mention of names to those famed Companions and early Muslims (salaf). Furthermore, he does not bring up legal rulings (ahkam fiqhiyya), which would necessitate that his readership be limited to the adherents of his school of law (Shafii). Thus, his works are very well suited, if not purposely designed, for mass readership. His writings are brief because he judged that coming generations would not have time to read large volumes.
'Yaqin' is attained by proper practice of the 'Sunna' in fulfilling obligatory worships and avoiding prohibitions along with sincerity and truthfulness to God. There should be no barriers between the outward forms, the inward essence, and practical applicability of the Islamic teachings. Thus, whoever has knowledge, according to Imam al-Haddad, must teach it to those who need it.
[edit] List of English Titles
- Mutual Reminding (Chicago: 2002)
- The Book of Assistance (Buckinghamshire: 1989)
- Good Manners (Chicago: 2002)
- The Lives of Man (Buckinghamshire: 1991)
- Knowledge and Wisdom (Chicago: 2001)
- Gifts for the Seeker (Kentucky: 2003)
[edit] External links
- The Pure and Saintly Ancestry
- Ratib al-Haddad; The Litany of al-Haddad
- Sincere Religious Advices from An-Nasa-ih Din-niyyah
- Love of the Holy Prophet from AD-DA'WA-TUT-TAAMMAH
- The Beginning of the Spritual Path Risalatu Aadabi Suluk-il-Mourid; The Book of The Mourid
- Imam al-Haddad Fons Vitae translation series
- Online Halaqa teaching Imam al-Haddad books including: The Book of Assistance and Nasaih al-Diniyya
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