Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Encyclopedia
Habib Umar bin Hafiz is an Islamic scholar
, teacher
, and founder and dean of Dar al-Mustafa
Seminary
in Tarim
, Hadhramaut
, Yemen
.
Umar bin Hafiz was born in the town of Tarim in Hadhramaut, Yemen. His father is Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, a pious caller to Islam and a martyr of the communist uprising. He is a sayyid
, as his family lineage can be traced back to the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
through Hussein ibn Ali. The surname "Hafiz" comes from a clan of the family of "Shaikh Abubakr" which originated from the name of his great-grandfather.
He follows the Ba 'Alawiyya sufi
order, a tradition that has been based in Yemen for approximately 800 years and can be traced back to Muhammad.
, the Arabic language
, traditions of the prophet
and many other religious sciences under many traditional Islamic scholars in Yemen, as well as directly under his late father.
. His seminary accepts students from a variety of countries. Some of his prominent students in US are Shaikh Christopher Khalil Moore, Shaikh Abdul Karim Yahya, and Shaikh Yahya Rhodus, who are all staff at Zaytuna College in Silicon Valley
.
In 2006 Habib Umar met with Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri
; they exchanged knowledge on Islam, and he also received an Ijazah
of Ahadith
from Tahir-ul-Qadri.
In 2011 he toured some western countries (UK, Canada and US) for outreach purposes and da'wah
(calling to Islam). It was not uncommon during his visits that the congregation cried.
's The Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, and founder and dean of Dar al-Mustafa
Dar al-Mustafa
Dar al-Mustafa is a madrasah in Tarim, Hadhramaut, Yemen.-History:In 1993, the Islamic seminary was founded by Habib Umar bin Hafiz. The Dar al-Mustafa campus was officially opened in May 1997 and incorporated as a center for traditional Islamic scholarship....
Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Tarim
Tarim, Yemen
Tarim is a historic town situated in the Hadhramaut Valley of South Yemen, South Arabia. Tarim is widely acknowledged as the theological, juridical, and academic center of the Hadhramaut Valley. An important locus of Islamic learning, it is estimated to contain the highest concentration of...
, Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut
Hadhramaut, Hadhramout, Hadramawt or Ḥaḍramūt is the formerly independent Qu'aiti state and sultanate encompassing a historical region of the south Arabian Peninsula along the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea, extending eastwards from Yemen to the borders of the Dhofar region of Oman...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
Background
HabibHabib
Habib is an Arabic male name with the meaning "beloved", or "darling", it also appears as a surname. The name is popular in the Middle East, Africa, and France.-Given name:* Habib Beye , French-Senegalese footballer...
Umar bin Hafiz was born in the town of Tarim in Hadhramaut, Yemen. His father is Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, a pious caller to Islam and a martyr of the communist uprising. He is a sayyid
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
, as his family lineage can be traced back to the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
through Hussein ibn Ali. The surname "Hafiz" comes from a clan of the family of "Shaikh Abubakr" which originated from the name of his great-grandfather.
He follows the Ba 'Alawiyya sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
order, a tradition that has been based in Yemen for approximately 800 years and can be traced back to Muhammad.
Early life
Having memorized the Quran at very early age, Habib Umar also studied and memorized various core texts in Islamic jurisprudenceFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, traditions of the prophet
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
and many other religious sciences under many traditional Islamic scholars in Yemen, as well as directly under his late father.
Career
Habib Umar is founder and director of the Dar al-Mustafa Seminary in Tarim. His seminary was featured in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. His seminary accepts students from a variety of countries. Some of his prominent students in US are Shaikh Christopher Khalil Moore, Shaikh Abdul Karim Yahya, and Shaikh Yahya Rhodus, who are all staff at Zaytuna College in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
.
In 2006 Habib Umar met with Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri
Tahir-ul-Qadri
Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri is a Pakistani Sufi scholar and former professor of international constitutional law at the University of the Punjab....
; they exchanged knowledge on Islam, and he also received an Ijazah
Ijazah
An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...
of Ahadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
from Tahir-ul-Qadri.
In 2011 he toured some western countries (UK, Canada and US) for outreach purposes and da'wah
Dawah
Da‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
(calling to Islam). It was not uncommon during his visits that the congregation cried.
Awards and recognition
In 2009 Habib Umar was listed 33rd in the world's 500 most influential Muslims by Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
's The Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.