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 Allaah to be this way.
Allaah 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 Allaah and approval. And what is the worldly life
except the enjoyment of delusion.{]Quran 57:20[ Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}O you who have believed, do not prohibit the good things
which Allaah has made lawful to you and do not transgress. Indeed,
Allaah 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 Sulaymaan )Solomon( and Daawood )David(, may Allaah exalt their
mention, were the most ascetic men of their time while they had
considerable wealth, kingship and a number of wives. The Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was the most ascetic person ever, yet
he had nine wives. 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf,
Az-Zubayr and 'Uthmaan, may Allaah be pleased with them, and many
others were ascetic people while they were wealthy. Imaam 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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 Allaah 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
Asceticism with 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 Allaah The Almighty. The
comprehensive asceticism is being ascetic in everything except in
things that are with Allaah 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, Allaah 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 Allaah does not like
everyone self-deluded and boastful -{]Quran 57:23[
Also, Allaah 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 Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the
Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu '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 Allaah be pleased with him,
said, "A man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and
said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, guide me to an action which, if I do it,
Allaah will love me and the people will also love me.' The Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:'Be ascetic in this worldly life
and Allaah 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 Allaah be pleased with
him, also said, "The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said:'Were this worldly life worth even the wing of a mosquito in the
sight of Allaah, 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
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}They are the ones whom Allaah
has guided, so from their guidance take an example.{]Quran 6:90[
Anyone who reads the biography of the Prophet, sallallaahu '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, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, would say:"O Allaah, there is no true life except that of the
Hereafter, so forgive the Ansaar and the Muhaajiroon."'Aa'ishah, may
Allaah be pleased with her, said, "The bedding of the Messenger of
Allaah, sallallaahu '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 Allaah,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, died wearing these two."
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