Originally written in Classical Arabic, the aptly-named Book of Assistance offers a complete guide to Muslim devotions, prayers and practical ethics. The author Imam Abdallah Ibn-Alawi Al-Haddad (d. 1720), lived at Tarim in the Hadramaut valley between Yemen and Oman, and is widely held to have been the ‘renewer’ of the twelfth Islamic century. A direct descendant of the Prophet, his sanctity and direct experience of God are clearly reflected in his writings, which include several books, a collection of Sufi letters, and a volume of mystical poetry. The book helps one to get closer to God in an intimate way, and the author describes various impediments towards one's path to God.
While Imam Al-Haddad discusses the basic pillars of Islam like ritual prayer, zakat, fasting, pilgrimage, he also discusses matters of deep spirituality like certainty, intention, vigilance, acquiring knowledge, cleanliness, charity, kindness, repentance, hope, fear, and so on. The book is really useful for a Muslim to develop his or her devotions to be a God-mindful individual, treading his life in this world being God-conscious, and preparing his life for the Hereafter. The speaker will elucidate the contents of the book and share his own thoughts in regards to the topics as described above.
