In Remembrance: Habib Salim al Shatiri

Allah, Exalted and Most High, chose Habib Salim al Shatiri, Allah’s mercy be upon him; the Shaykh of shaykhs and the Imam and the son of Imams.

Upon hearing of his passing today, Friday, we say nothing other than “Truly we are for Allah, and truly to Him we return.”

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

Subhanallah! His Father Sayyid Abdullah al Shatiri, Allah’s mercy be upon him, passed away on the same day (Friday Evening) at the end of Jumada al Ula seventy-seven years ago!

From the greatest of remembrance is that of the Righteous and that of the scholars.

When we visited Tarim, Allah, Exalted and Most High, blessed us to visit the Ribat Tarim, where he and his father before him taught. This is the very same Ribat where our great teacher Shaykh Umar al Haddad, Allah’s mercy be upon him, also taught. We had the opportunity to visit Habib Salim in his house and we benefited from his baraka and ilm (knowledge).

May Allah, Exalted and Most High, bless Habib Salim, Allah’s mercy be upon him, with the highest station in Jannah, and may Allah, Exalted and Most High, grant patience (sabr) for the Umma.

In a Hadith, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said that ilm will disappear and jahiliyya (ignorance) will spread. The Companions asked how that would happen, to which the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, replied that this would happen by the death of the scholars.

Habib Salim, Allah’s mercy be upon him, was a very unique scholar, and on this very day we remember one of his sayings:

Benefit and success are in striving, so strive towards hidayah (guidance), as those that will want to distract you are greater (in number) than those who want to guide you!

May Allah, Exalted and Most High, benefit us with his baraka. We beg Allah, Exalted and Most High, to unite our hearts with the Righteous of this path.

Allahumma salli alaa Nur.

Faid Mohammed Said