A Day in the Life of Shaykh Murabit al Hajj (may Allah swt preserve him)

[Tay_]

This is narrated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf:

During the blessed time that I was fortunate to have lived with him in his own tent, I observed his daily routine: He would usually awake at about 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning and begin the Tahajjud or night prayers. He would often recite for a few hours, and I heard him repeat verses over and over again and weep. Just before dawn, he would sit outside his tent and recite Qur’an, and then when the first light of dawn was discernible, he would walk to the open-air mosque and call the adhan. He would then pray his nafilah and wait for a short period and then call the iqamah. During that time, I never saw anyone else lead the prayer, and he would almost always recite from the last 60th of the Qur’an as is the Sunnah for a congressional Imam to do so according to Imam Malik.

After the sun rose and reached the level of a spear above the horizon, he would pray the sunrise rak’ahs and then return to his tent where he would have some milk brought fresh from a cow. He would then teach until about 11:00 in the morning and nap for a short while. After that, students would start coming again, and he would continue to teach until about 1:00pm at which time he would measure his shadow for the time of the midday prayer. He would then call the adhan at the time his shadow reached an arm’s length past the post meridian time as is the Maliki position on the midday prayer, if performed in congregation, to allow for others to come from their work after the heat dissipates. He would always pray four rakahs before and after the midday prayer and then return to his tent where he would teach until afternoon. He would usually have a small amount of rice and yogurt drink that is common in West Africa. Then, he would measure his shadow for the afternoon prayer, and when he ascertained its time, he would proceed to the mosque and call the adhan.

After Asr, Murabit al-Hajj would return to his tent and usually resume teaching and sometimes listen to students recite their Qur’an lessons from memory and he would correct their mistakes. During any lulls in his teaching, anyone in his presence could hear him say with almost every breath, “La ilaha illa Allah,” or he would recite Qur’an. At sunset, he would go and call the adhan, pray Maghrib, and then sit in the mihrab and recite his wird until the time of the night prayer. He would call the adhan, lead the pray and return to his tent. He would usually have some milk and a little couscous and then listen to students recite Qur’an or read Qur’an by himself. At around 9:00 pm whe would admonish himself with lines of poetry form Imam Shafi’s Diwan and other well-known poets. He would often remember death with certain line that he repeated over and over again, especially the following that I heard him many times:

O my Lord, when that which there is repelling alights upon me,

And I find myself leaving this adobe

And become Your guest in a dark and lonely place,

Then make the host’s meal for his guest the removal of my wrongs.

A guest is always honored at the hands of a generous host,

And You are the Generous, the Creator, the Originiator.

Surely kings, as a way of displaying their magnanimity

Free their servants who have grown old in their service.

And I have grown old in Your service,

So free my soul from the Fire

He often repeats these lines for what seems like an eternity, his voice penetrating the hearts of all those within earshot. He once admonished me with lines of poetry, one after another, until I wanted the earth to swallow me. He said to me, “And what is man other than a comet that flashes brilliant light for a moment only to be reduced to ashes.”

He told me several times, “Hamza, this world is an ocean, and those who drown in it are untold numbers. Don’t drown.”

I have never seen anyone like him before him or after him, and I don’t think that I ever will. May Allah reward him for his service to this din and his love and concern for the Muslims. He was never known to speak ill of anyone. Once when a student was studying Khalil with him and asked what a certain word meant in the text, he explained to him that it was a slow and clumsy horse. The student then said, “like so-and-so’s horse?” At this Murabit al-Hajj suddenly became upset and said, “I don’t spend much time with people because they backbite, so if you want to study with me, you must never speak ill of anyone in my presence.” It is not well known by Muslims that to speak ill of someone’s animals falls under the ruling of backbiting.

Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj is a master of the sciences of Islam, but perhaps more wondrous than that, he has mastered his own soul. His discipline is almost angelic, and his presence is so majestic and ethereal that the one in it experiences a palpable stillness in the soul. As the Arabs says, “the one who hears is not as the one who has seen.” I was told by many people from his family that had I seen him in his youth, I would have been even more astonished at his devotional practices

[Tay_]

Reading this brought tears to my eyes and penetrated my heart. I pray that one day I have the opportunity to see the Shaykh; even if it is for 1 day. May Allah swt preserve him and preserve the very few left on this earth that are like him, ameen!

[Tay_]

Assalamu Alaikum

A rare photo of the Shaykh, may Allah swt preserve him

[Faqeeratu ila Allah]

masha'allah. juzeeta kheiran for sharing

he would almost always recite from the last 60th of the Qur’an as is the Sunnah for a congressional Imam to do so according to Imam Malik.

the last 60th of the quran would be..? the end of juz' amma?

I know this regarding the sunnah, though not sure about the fardh:

Áishah reports that the Prophet would silently recite the following in the two rakat before saltul fajr "Say: O disbelievers"and "Say: He is Allah, the One." This is related by Ahmad and at-tahawi.

ps. Alikhlas and alkafirun will also be from the last 60th (if '60th' is indeed juz amma)

[Abdraheim]

30th

[Tay_]

masha'allah. juzeeta kheiran for sharing

Wa iyyakom. Abdraheim answered your question for you

[abu_azzam]

masha'allah. juzeeta kheiran for sharing


the last 60th of the quran would be..? the end of juz' amma?

I know this regarding the sunnah, though not sure about the fardh:

Áishah reports that the Prophet would silently recite the following in the two rakat before saltul fajr "Say: O disbelievers"and "Say: He is Allah, the One." This is related by Ahmad and at-tahawi.

ps. Alikhlas and alkafirun will also be from the last 60th (if '60th' is indeed juz amma)

in north africa and in the recitation of warsh in general they usually divide the quran into sections called a hizb (plural, ahzaab). there are 60 hizbs in the quran. so what is meant by the last 1/60 is the hizb of sabbih (sura al-a'laa to the end of the quran).

salaam

[Tay_]

Shaykh Murabit al Hajj's birth name is Sidi Muhammad bin Salek bin Fahfu. He is from the Massumi clan who trace their lineage back to the Himyar clan of Yemen. He is a descendant of a long line of scholars and is renowned throughout Mauritania for his knowledge and piety.

After studying at the school of his father, he decided to perform the Hajj pilgrimage and at the age of nineteen, set out to Mecca from Mauritania for a trip that would total three years. He traveled by foot crossing Mali, Niger, Chad, and the Sudan and then by boat to Yemen where he then made his way to Mecca, spending time along the way teaching in many areas. He was offered a position of teaching in Mecca and although he had a great love to live in the city of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he did not think he could assume the right of being a neighbor to the Best of Creation (peace and blessings be upon him). Consequently, he made his return journey home. It was after his journey to Hajj that his mother gave him the title "al Hajj."after the great scholar and warrior, “Umar Tal of Senegal”.

Upon his return, he spent most of his time in solitude; worshiping through prayers, fasting, and reading the Book of Allah. Staying near the encampment, he rarely interacted with people and had his food and drink brought to him. It was only after students came to sit with him upon hearing about his knowledge that he left his solitary worship. Subsequently, he spent most of his time teaching with little time for family, sleep, and other basic needs. He would teach late into the night by the fire light and then get up in the last part of the night to pray. However, if a student came for a lesson, the Shaykh would quicken or give up this time for prayer, as well as all other types of extra devotional practices. He has continued this way of life up until the present day where he still teaches, and the only thing that has slowed him down, although not considerably, is old age as he is about 100 years old. May Allah give him a long life to continue benefiting the Community of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him).

Through his perseverance and sacrifice, Murabit al Hajj has produced many scholars, some of whom are his own children and relatives. At his present school, his cousin Shaykh Muhammad al Ameen, his son, Muhammad Tahir, and his grandson, Shaykh Abdullah bin Ahmadna lecture alongside him to provide a comprehensive system teaching the necessary sciences

[Tay_]

306320_2440675972454_2070165600_n.jpg

[Tay_]

masha'Allah!

Murabit al-Hajj, my own teacher, has lived a life of utter transparency. I slept in his tent for months. During that time, I saw him rise every night three hours before dawn and recite the Qur'an in night vigil. I never heard him say anything unkind or unflattering about anyone. A cousin of his who has known him for ...seventy years affirmed this as well. Murabit al-Hajj never complained or criticized the weather, the food, the company, or any of the hardships so evident in the lives of West African nomads. Once, a man from Geru, a nearby village, saw Murabit al-Hajj in a dream in which he was praying naked. Embarrassed, this man went to a well-known dream interpreter and told him the dream but not the identity of the naked man. The interpreter said, "That could only have been Murabit al-Hajj because I don't know anyone who prays in a completely pure-hearted state other than him" - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

[Tay_]

558701_3385830880736_1784398857_n.jpg

[Tay_]

196085_1833014901307_2348101_n.jpg

[Tay_]

During his youth, Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj authored a poetic didactic of self-reproach and encouragement for his spiritual travel. He titled his counsel "Ya Nafsu!" or, "O Self!" where he warns himself of the dangers of heedlessness, disobedience and wasting time and reminds himself of the bounties of Allah:

"Oh Self, Get up, abstain, restrain yourself and pay heed to sudden death. Abandon all worldly pleasures, in particular sleeping through the early dawn"

[Tay_]

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf spoke of Shaykh Murabit al Hajj yesterday to us. I was sitting there in awe, and I apologise for my inability to note down everything he said about him as I wasn't able to keep up with what he was saying. I did manage to note down that Shaykh Murabit al Hajj prays tahajjud for 3 hours a night, every night - subhanAllah.

[Tay_]

His school in Mauritania, where the now 100 year-old sage still teaches from to this day, has had some more than 30,000 Qadis and Muftis pass through it over the years - masha'Allah

[falah]

I did manage to note down that Shaykh Murabit al Hajj prays tahajjud for 3 hours a night, every night - subhanAllah.

How does he know this?

[Tay_]

How does he know this?

He is his student and spent time learning from the Shaykh. I mentioned in my first post that he was fortunate to have lived with him in his own tent, and observed his daily routine.

[Abdul-Mateen]

rarely interacted with people

little time for family

Isn't withdrawing from family and the community contrary to the sunnah?

[Tay_]

Isn't withdrawing from family and the community contrary to the sunnah?

He was in solitude at that time, but as mentioned after students came to sit with him upon hearing about his knowledge he left his solitary worship.

[Tay_]

Masha'Allah!

312637_2404796355486_1118447655_32775795_932069321_n.jpg