Habib Umar bin Hafiz (حبيب عمر بن حفيظ) is an Islamic Scholar and a well-known Tasawwuf/Sufi master from Yemen.
During a gathering in Indonesia, without mentioning any name, he openly criticized a ‘big person‘ in Tablighi Jamaat, who was an ‘impressive speaker‘ but ‘disconnected himself from his teachers‘, and has now ‘deceived himself‘.
This strongly appears to be a reference to Maulana Saad. Reasons:
-
While giving this speech, Habib Umar specifically mentioned ‘Tablighi Jamaat’ and it was delivered at the height of the Ikhtilaf (Tablighi Jamaat Crisis). He was also sitting next to Habib Sholeh Al Jufri, who is an Indonesian (Shura) Tablighi Jamaat member
-
Habib Umar mentions a ‘very influential and good speaker’. In Tablighi Jamaat, this can be big names like Maulana Ibrahim Dewla, Haji Abdul Wahab Sahab, Maulana Saad, etc
-
Habib Umar mentions that the person disconnected himself from his teachers. This was the biggest hint as it was only Maulana Saad who totally disconnected himself from his direct teachers Maulana Ibrahim and Maulana Yaqub.
Audio excerpt [Arabic/Indonesian]
Translation:
Habib Umar: “The movements of Da’wah was very significant at that time. For example the Tablighi Jamaat had a considerable influence due to the Ikhlas of their struggle. It was founded by the noble Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas. There are also many other sincere and truthful Da’is of Allah who had a significant impact within the community. However, if in Da’wah there is no connection with a Sheikh who possesses spiritual purity, the soul of that da’wah will be lost and the Da’wa will never bring a positive impact.
It was said that several years ago, there appeared someone who was very influential within the community. Due to his Da’wah, many people wanted to be close to him because they felt a deep impression every time he spoke. However, this person, due to having a large number of followers in front of him, developed a sense of pride and self-importance. He decided to cut off his connection with his teacher and ultimately deceived himself.
As a result, his speeches lost their impact and soul, no longer stirring the hearts of those who listened. Even though he was the same person, delivering the same speeches with the same materials, he no longer had a connection with his teacher.”