Zanbal | Majlis Al-Muwasolah Singapura

: Poster for 2017 Hawl of Habib Esa Al-Haddad and others

Habib Esa bin Abdul Kader bin Ahmad Al-Haddad was born in 1870 and returned to the city of his pious forefathers, the blessed city of Tarim, in 1874 for studies. After completing his studies in Tarim, Habib Esa traveled to Indonesia to settle the affairs of his father before returning to Tarim yet again. Following the latter stint in Tarim, Habib Esa traveled to Singapore to set up an office at 13 Armenian Street; he represented his father in establishing a trust in Singapore for the Rubaat of Tarim, a prestigious institution of Islamic learning, with the As-Sree and Al-Juneid families. Because of his honesty and religious practices, the Arabs and non-Arab traders trusted him; they hand over their financial affairs and their properties to him for either wealth management or as endowments [wakaf] in the path of Allah [fisabilillah].

Habib Esa traveled frequently to Mekkah and Madinah, for ibadah and ziyarah. In one of his visits to Madinah, he met the young erudite scholar, Shaykh Umar bin Abdullah Al-Khatib, whose family he knew well. Shaykh Umar had left Tarim to avoid being appointed as a judge [qadhi]. Habib Esa invited Shaykh Umar to follow him to Singapore. Together with Habib Abdul Kader bin Abdul Rahman Al-Junied, they traveled to Jawa before arriving in Singapore.

Habib Esa was known to be meticulous in his dealings and this was evident in his will; he directed his trustees and his administrators to return investments entrusted to him back to their rightful owners. Habib Esa returned to Tarim in 1925 with his sons, Alwi (7), Muhammad (5), and Ali (3). He passed away in the district of Hawi on Sunday, 29th Rejab 1354 [27th October 1935]. He was buried the same day he passed on in Zanbal cemetery, behind his forefather, Imam Abdullah bin Alawi Al-Haddad.

Habib Esa’s devotion to Imam Al-Haddad was reflected in the intention [niyyat] of his wakaf; amongst them :

to provide the maintenance for the mosques of Imam Abdullah Al-Haddad at Hawi, Masjid Al Awabin, and Masjid Hajirah
to provide for the poor in Hawi, Tarim
to look after Imam Al-Haddad’s maqam at As-sageefah
to support Rubaat Tarim and its students

In the Salsila of the Habaib, Habib Esa is known as “Alalamah Dunia wa Din” meaning the learned of this life and the religion.

His brothers, Habib Ahmad and Habib Abdullah continued his good works.

They were all chancellors [munsibs] of the family of Imam Al-Haddad.

Zanbal Cemetary is the resting place of many great Ahl al-Bayt (descendants) of our Prophet Muhammad saw. But beyond being just a cemetery, Zanbal is a sanctuary for hearts seeking spiritual illumination to look to the awliya’ (saints) who are already in the hadrah (divine presence) of Allah swt. Anyone seeking calmness will find it as he walks through this blessed graveyard and it is no exaggeration that there is no other cemetery in the world, physically or spiritually, quite like Zanbal.

The Ahwal of Ahlu Zanbal

Every wali buried in Zanbal brings about a unique hal (spiritual state) in the visitor and every visitor, depending on his connection to the awliya’ resting therein, will be able to feel the change in his ahwal (spiritual states) from the moment he steps through the main gates of Zanbal and begins reciting the Prophetic supplications and Quranic verses whilst straddling towards the main saqifah (the roofed parts of the cemetery) of the key luminaries of the Ahl al-Bayt from Aal Ba’alawi (the family of Ba’alawi).

The Main Saqifah of Zanbal

It is from amongst the etiquettes of visiting Zanbal that the visitor first greets Sayyidina Al-Faqih Al-Muqaddam Muhammad bin Ali Ba’alawi in the main saqifah before moving on to visit other Ba’alawi notables. Thereafter, the visitor moves on to greet the other luminaries including Sayyidina al-Muqaddam ath-Thani al-Imam Abdul Rahman As-Seggaf, within the main saqifah, before moving to the other awliya’ elsewhere in Zanbal.

Admin’s Note: Majlis Al-Muwasolah Singapura will post on the visitation order in due course inshaAllah.

Main Saqifah wherein lies Sayyidana Al-Faqih

The Qubbah of Al-Aydarus

After concluding the greetings and salutations at the main saqifah, the visitor walks towards Qubbah Al-Aydarus (The Dome of the Family of Al-Aydarus). Henceforth, one begins to attain a sense of the famed generosity of the great Al-Aydarus luminaries oozing through one as one walks towards and then stands under Qubbah al-Aydarus. Sayyidina al-Imam Abdullah Al-Aydarus Al-Akbar (the first al-Aydarus) and Habib Ja’afar bin Ahmad Al-Aydarus, father of the late, great wali Habib Ali bin Ja’afar Al-Aydarus of Batu Pahat, Malaysia, are amongst those buried under the great dome.

Imam Abdullah Al-Aydarus Al-Akbar

Habib Jaafar Al-Aydarus

The Saqifah of Imam Al-Haddad

Upon concluding the customary greetings and salutations at Qubbah Al-Aydarus, as one starts peeking out through the western door of the dome, one can start to glimpse at the maqam of the great Imam, Qutbul-Irshad wa Ghawthul-Ibaad wal-Bilad, al-Habib Abdullah bin Alawi bin Muhammad Al-Haddad.

Admin’s Note: Majlis Al-Muwasolah Singapura will work towards a post on Imam Al-Haddad in due course insha Allah.

Saqifah of Imam al-Haddad

The Plateau of States

Words do not and cannot do justice in describing the feeling Zanbal visitors go through. For this faqeer, the Zanbal experience was a plateau of states building up as this faqeer walked through the main gates of Zanbal, through the walkways to greet Sayyidina al-Faqih al-Muqaddam then through the walkways to the Qubbah Al-Aydarus. It peaked at the burial grounds of the one through whom this faqeer first knew Tarim and Hadramawt, Qutbul-Irshad wa Ghawthul-Ibaad wal-Bilad, al-Habib Abdullah bin Alawi bin Muhammad Al-Haddad, the composer and arranger of the many oft recited litanies and poems in the Nusantara and author of a range of books.

THIS IS ZANBAL!

O Zanbal! The poise that beckons

The earth where liberated men hath trodden

O Zanbal! Your blessings aplenty

To your dust I am unworthy

O Zanbal! The return is sweet

This encounter, a retreat

O Zanbal! The athar of our Prophet

The salams of your Lord you are deserved

Your nobility remains, untainted, unscathed

Wa ila hadratin Nabi

Recite the Fatihah to hadrah of our Prophet Muhammad sallaAllahu alayhi wasallam.

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Category Archives: Zanbal

Biography: Habib Esa bin Abdul Kader bin Ahmad Al-Haddad

This is Zanbal