I had the pleasure of meeting Imam Zaid Shakir (may Allah preserve him and benefit him and others with his knowledge) again recently. I first met him about 13 years ago when he came to speak at Harvard. We have met several times, off and on, mostly at speaking events, since then. His website is a worth a visit.

A noteworthy translation of the answer that Shaykh Ibn `Abbad gave to Imam al-Shatibi about whether it is required for one to have a shaykh in the field of ihsan (spiritual excellence, also known as tasawwuf, tarbiya, yaqin, ikhlas, mu`amalah). May Allah reward Ustadh Abdullah for the efficient translation.

Al-hamdu li-llah. My teacher, the Servant of Knowledge in Bahrain, Shaykh Nizam Muhammad Salih Ya`qubi, visited Harvard University in order to participate in the recent symposium on Islamic micro-finance at the Harvard Law School. Shaykh Suheil Laher (May Allah preserve him and benefit him and others with his knowledge) and I were blessed by Allah with the opportunity to meet with Shaykh Nizam for an extended period in his hotel room Saturday evening, hear him transmit traditions (ahadith, sing. hadith) from our beloved Prophet (salla llahu `alayhi wa-sallam) and receive authorizations (ijazat) from him. May Allah bless Shaykh Nizam, benefit us with his knowledge and elevate his rank in paradise after granting him a long, beneficial life in this world! Amin.