Solo, 7th November 2023
When this note was written, i was sitting in the noble assembly to take part in honoring a series of Haul Akbar Al-Habib Ali bin Muhammad Al-Habsyi. During the sermon ( khotmil ) and reading of Sohibul Haul’s manaqib at the dome of Imam Al-Habsyi’s grave, I heard a statement that one of Habib Ali Al-Habsy’s special features, was the reputation and virality of his name, which was even more widespread when he died, even though he was alive. has become waliyullah and his name is famous everywhere. His Haul is one clear proof, that even though he was born in Hadramaut, Yemen, and died in Seiwun City, he is one of the few saints of Allah whose Haul is not only commemorated at one point. His Haul in Seiwun could be one of the biggest and most festive Hauls in Hadramaut or even all of Yemen. How about his haul in Solo? Don’t ask anymore, even many people from outside Indonesia come to take Haul Habib Ali Al-Habsyi’s blessing every year which is held at the mosque left by his son, Habib Alwi bin Ali Al-Habsyi. Not to mention his works, especially Maulid Simtuddhuror which are read and sung in various corners of the world.
What we need to understand and think about is, what caused Habib Ali to achieve all that glory? What makes his name always be honored and mentioned, and never get old until this moment?
Of course, Allah knows the secret of glory better. I believe that the key to Habib Ali Al-Habsyi’s glory is the power of a mother’s prayers, plus his devotion to his mother which is very sincere and extraordinary.
One of his habits when he was little, every time he met a scholar, he would immediately go to his mother and say:
“Ummah… Pray for me to be like him”
The mother happily prayed for and agreed. Even when Habib Ali later became a great scholar with thousands of students and followers, every time he finished teaching in an assembly at his home, he always asked his mother to close the assembly with a prayer and Surah Al-Fatihah.
Habib Ali’s extraordinary devotion and love for his mother was once expressed in a statement:
“ما أحسب أن معي شيئ أوأملك شيئ وأمي في قيد الحياة… فما أملك كله حقه… ولوأدعت أمي رقي و خرجت وباعتنا في السوق ما بأنكر”
“I never felt like i had anything or considered myself to have anything as long as my mother was alive. For me, everything I have belongs to him. And if my mother said that i was a slave and then she took me to the market to be sold, i would never refuse and deny it.”
Habib Ali Al-Habsy always asked for his mother’s blessing in every step he took, and his mother always blessed him with whatever he did. Indeed, a deep relationship and bond with a mother is one of the main keys to success. Therefore, never underestimate a mother’s words and prayers. A mother’s sincere prayers can even penetrate the seven veils of heaven as explained by many scholars. Habib Ali Al-Habsyi, whose Haul i attended, and many other great figures, is part of the proof of the great power and sacredness of a mother’s prayer. Wallahu A’lam Bishawab .
Writer: Afifah Fitria Nugroho (Santri of Darul Falah Besongo Islamic Boarding School)
*Editor: Hana Salsabila
