Asceticism, or Zuhd,
is to abandon the desire for something for the sake of something which
is better, and to abandon the comfort of this world for the sake of that
of the Hereafter. It also means that the heart should not desire
anything that one does not possess. Knowing that this worldly life is
temporary and will eventually come to an end helps the slave of Allah to
be this way.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
{Know
that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children - like the example of rain whose [resulting] plant
growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow;
then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe
punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the
worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.} [Quran 57:20]
Allah The Almighty has called this life the “enjoyment of delusion” and
has forbidden us from being deceived by it. He has also informed us of
the evil end of those who are deceived by this worldly life, He warns us
of being considered with the same recompense that they deserved for
what they committed and has dispraised whoever is satisfied or feels
secure therein. He has dispraised such people because He knows that
after this worldly life is an abode which is greater and more honored:
the home of final settlement.
In
addition, the slave of Allah the Almighty knows that his asceticism in
this worldly life will not prevent him from receiving what was decreed
for him and his keenness on it does not bring him what was not decreed
for him. When the slave of Allah The Almighty is certain of this fact,
he will abandon the inclination to things that do not bring benefit in
the Hereafter. However, being ascetic towards things that bring benefit
in the Hereafter is not a religious act and its doer is addressed in the
verse in which Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
{O
you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things which Allah has
made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like
transgressors.} [Quran 5:87]
The Essence of Asceticism
Asceticism
in this worldly life does not mean that one should reject it, as
Sulayman (Solomon) and Dawood (David), may Allah exalt their mention,
were the most ascetic men of their time while they had considerable
wealth, kingship and a number of wives. The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
was the most ascetic person ever, yet he had nine wives. ‘Ali ibn Abi
Talib, ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Az-Zubayr and ‘Uthman, may Allah be
pleased with them, and many others were ascetic people while they were
wealthy. Imam Ahmad was asked, “Can a rich person be ascetic?” He answered, “Yes, if he does not rejoice with the increase of his wealth or grieve over its decrease.”
Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “Asceticism
does not mean wasting wealth or making what is lawful unlawful; rather,
it is to have confidence in what is in the Hand of Allah more than what
is in one’s own hand, and [it is also] that one’s condition at the time
of a calamity and that under normal circumstances is alike; and to have
the same attitude towards the one who praises you and the one who
dispraises you for the sake of the truth.” This is true asceticism,
therefore, a slave of Allah The Almighty might be the richest person,
yet he is of the most ascetic because his heart is not attached to this
worldly life. On the other hand, another slave of Allah The Almighty may
be the poorest of people, but he is not an ascetic at all because his
heart clings to this worldly life.
Kinds of Asceticism
Asceticismwith
regards to abstaining from what is unlawful is an individual
obligation, and abandoning suspicious matters is obligatory if it is a
strong suspicion; however, if it is weak, abandoning the suspicious
matter is merely recommended. There is asceticism with regards to
abandoning speech, looking, inquiring, meeting and other things that are
not required or called for. Also, there is asceticism regarding people
and asceticism regarding one's own self when one sacrifices himself in
the cause of Allah The Almighty. The comprehensive asceticism is being
ascetic in everything except in things that are with Allah The Almighty
and being ascetic in everything that keeps him away from Him. The best
kind of asceticism is one that is concealed, and the most difficult kind
is in things that are lawful.
Virtues of Asceticism
In
many verses, Allah The Almighty praises asceticism and dispraises any
inclination to worldly life, as He the Almighty Says (what means):
•
{And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not,
compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.} [Quran 13:26]
•
{The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent
down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from
which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its
adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have
capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day,
and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus
do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.}
[Quran 10:24]
•
{In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult
[in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone
self-deluded and boastful -} [Quran 57:23]
Also, Allah The Almighty relates the story of the believing man of the family of Fir‘awn (Pharaoh), where He Says (what means): {O
my people, this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed,
the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement.} [Quran 40:39]
Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “I
forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them as this would
make you ascetic towards this worldly life and remind you of the
Hereafter.”
Sahl ibn Sa‘d As-Saa‘idi, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “A man came to the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, guide me to an action which, if I do it, Allah will love me and the people will also love me.’ The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Be
ascetic in this worldly life and Allah would love you. Be ascetic
towards what is in the hands of others [meaning, do not desire what is
in their possession] and they would love you.’”
Sahl ibn Sa‘d As-Saa‘idi, may Allah be pleased with him, also said, “The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘Were
this worldly life worth even the wing of a mosquito in the sight of
Allah, He would not have given even a drink of water to a disbeliever in
this worldly life.’ ”
The Prophets Were the most Ascetic of People
The
Prophets and Messengers are examples for people in their asceticism in
this worldly life and inclination to the Hereafter, as Allah The
Almighty Says (what means): {They are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example.} [Quran 6:90]
Anyone who reads the biography of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would
know how he would patch up his own garment, mend his shoes and milk his
sheep. Also, he never quenched his hunger, even with barley bread, for
two consecutive days until he died, and would even pass whole days
without eating, not even finding degraded dates to eat. Also, in the
Battle of Al-Ahzaab, he became so hungry that he tied a rock on his
stomach, and three months would pass and he and his family would not
light a fire in their house in order to cook; their only sustenance
would be dates and water. He, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would say:
“O Allah, there is no true life except that of the Hereafter, so forgive the Ansaar and the Muhaajiroon.”
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The bedding of the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was a piece of tanned skin stuffed with palm fibers.” She once bought out a patched-up upper garment and a thick lower garment and said, “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, died wearing these two.”
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