Chapter: On Asceticism and Renouncing the World

باب فی الزہد وترک الدعۃ — کنارہ کشی اور ترک آسائش

بَابٌ فِي الزُّهْدِ وَتَرْكِ الدَّعَةِ — On Asceticism and Renouncing Ease

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

"Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children — as the likeness of vegetation after rain: its growth pleases the disbelievers, but then it withers away and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is a severe punishment, and forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." (Al-Hadid, 57:20)

The author explains: Zuhd (asceticism) does not mean abandoning all material means, nor is it monasticism. Rather, zuhd means placing the world in one's hand and not in one's heart — that is, using the world without being enslaved to it, and not allowing love of wealth, status, or comfort to dominate one's heart over love of Allah and the Hereafter.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ

Narrated by Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the disbeliever.' (Muslim)

وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا تَعْدِلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ لَمَا سَقَى الْكَافِرَ مِنْهَا شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: 'If this world were worth a mosquito's wing in the sight of Allah, He would not have given a disbeliever even a sip of water from it.' (Tirmidhi)