Chapter 54: About Abstention from Worldly Delights

Translation: [ Imam Al-Ghazali elaborated on this subject in his book entitled Ihya'a Ulum Al-Din (Revival of the Religious Sciences) '

Translation: Below is a quotation from this work hoping that it will benefit the reader on this topic.

Translation: The Fourth Article: Asceticism

Signs of Asceticism

Although it may be thought that he who does not covet money is an ascetic, this is not true, because disliking money and showing austerity (in food or clothes) is easy for those who long for praise.

How many monks used to eat little food and lived in an opened monastery with the aim that people would know about him and praise him. This is not the decisive depiction of asceticism,, as asceticism is a difficult matter to know of, rather it is so for the ascetic himself. It has three inner signs.

The First Sign:

One should not be pleased with what he gains nor saddened over what he loses. Allah says:

Translation: " In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favors bestowed upon you... * " (57 23)

Translation: The Second Sign:

Translation: The one that praises him or criticizes him are equal to him.

Translation: The first sign is related to asceticism in wealth and this sign is related to asceticism in authority.

Translation: The Third Sign:

He should feel at peace when mentioning Allah. The sweetness of obedience should dominate his heart, and the heart should always be filled with love; either life's love or Allah's love. Both of them are like the water and the air in a glass; if you pour water into a glass, the air vacates. Thus, whoever preoccupied himself with the remembrance of Allah would not care for any thing else. For this reason, when some scholars were asked: " How far has asceticism taken them? " he said: " Until they felt at complete rest mentioning Allah because love of life and feeling at complete peace mentioning Allah do not go together. "

The people of knowledge said: " If belief occupies a marginal position in the heart, it becomes involved in life and the Hereafter, but if it occupies its innermost position, it becomes involved in the Hereafter. '

Abu-Solayman said: ' He that is obsessed with himself is distracted from people. This is the status of working people. He that is obsessed with his Lord is distracted from his soul. This is the status of the cognizant people. The ascetic one should have a status in between these two. His primary status is to have his soul preoccupied with his soul. In this status both praise and criticism, existence and non-existence are equal to him. It should be obvious that the withholding of some money by such a person does not discredit his asceticism.

Thus, the sign of asceticism is that poverty and wealth, dignity and indignity, praise and criticism become equal and this is because geniality with Allah overpowers all. These signs necessarily have secondary signs.

Yahya ibn Mo'az said: " Giving of what is available is a sign of asceticism. "

Ibn Khafeef said: " Feeling at peace at abandoning wealth is one of the signs of asceticism. " He also said: " Asceticism is the abandonment of worldly pleasures without mannerism or pretence. "

Ahmed ibn Hanbal and Sofyan (may Allah shower of His mercy on them) said: " Shortening one's hopes is one of the signs of asceticism. "

Al-Sorri said: " An ascetic does not feel at peace if he is detracted from his soul, and a cognizant one does not feel at peace if he is obsessed by his soul. " He also said: " I practiced all types of asceticism and controlled them all except the asceticism from people. I could neither reach nor bear it. "

Al-Fodhayl (may Allah shower of His mercy on him) said: " Allah has gathered all the evil objects in a house and made love of life its key. He also has gathered all the good objects in a house and made asceticism in life its key. "

The previous words of Imam Al-Ghazali seem to serve this topic, and now let us see what Imam Al-Nawawi compiled.]

Allah said:

Translation: " Verily the likeness of (this) worldly life is as the water (rain) which We send down from the sky; so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat. until the earth is clad with its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-cut harvest, as if it had not flourished for one day! Thus do We explain the signs in detail for the people who reflect. * " (10:24) And

Translation: “ And put forward to them the example of the life of this world, it is like the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is Able to do everything. * Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world, but the good righteous deeds, that last are better with your Lord for rewards and better in respect of hope. وو (18: 45-46) And

Translation: " 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. (It is) as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller, afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. But, in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers and the evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers and good-doers). And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment. * " (57: 20) And

Translation: " Beautified for men is the love of things they covet, women, children, much gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle, and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return (Paradise with flowing rivers) with Him. * " * (3:14) And

Translation: " O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah. * " (35: 5) And

Translation: " The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you Until you visit the graves (when you die). * Nay! You shall come to know. * Again, Nay! You shall come to know. * Nay! If you knew with a sure knowledge (the end result of piling up wealth, you would not have occupied yourselves in worldly things). * " (102: 1-5) And

Translation: “ And the life of this world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter-that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew. * " (29: 64)

Translation: The Hadiths in this regard are too many to enumerate, thus, we choose just a few of them:

Translation: 222. Narrated Amr ibn Awf, the freed slave of Bano Amer ibn Lo'ayy who participated in Badr battle: ' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Abu-Obayda ibn Al-Jarra'a who returned with some money from Bahrain. Some people of Al- Ansar heard the news, so they attended the Dawn Prayer with the Messenger of Allah.When the he completed his prayer and wanted to leave, they met him, and when he saw them he smiled and said: " I think you have been informed that Abu-Obayda has brought something? " They said: " Yes. Messenger of Allah! " He said: " So, have the good tidings and wait for what would please you. And by Allah, I do not fear poverty for you, but I fear lest luxury of life be given to you as it was given to those before you, and I fear lest you compete with one another as they had competed with one another. Hence it would destroy you as it had destroyed them. " " "

Translation: 223. Narrated Abu-Sa'eed Al-Khudri: " " The Messenger of Allah led us in the afternoon Prayer (so early) then he addressed us. He never left anything (related to the religion) except that he informed us therewith. Some memorized it and other forgot it. Of the things he said was: " Behold, the worldly life is tender and sweet and Allah has made you vicegerents that He would see how you would act. So, ward off (the delights of) life and ward off women. 355 "

Abu-Sa'eed said: ' Of what he said was: " Behold! Let no fearing people prevent one of you from saying the truth as long as he learns it. " " " " The narrator said: ' Abu-Sa'eed wept and said: " How many times we feared to say the truth! ' Abu- Sa'eed said: ' Of what he has said was: " Behold! A banner will be erected to every betrayer proportional to his betrayal. And there is no greater betrayal than that of a ruler who usurped authority from the common people (against the will of the authorized people), his banner of betrayal will be erected at his posterior. '

Abu-Sa'eed said: ' Of what we memorized was: " Behold! The sons of Adam were created with various characters. Some of them are born as believers, live as believers, and die as believers. Some of them are born as unbelievers, live as unbelievers, and die as unbelievers. Some of them are born as believers, live as believers, and die as unbelievers. Some of them are born as unbelievers, live as unbelievers, and die as believers. Behold! Among them are those who are slow to anger and calm down and those who get angry quickly and calm down quickly and this one for one. Among them are those who those who get angry quickly and are slow to calm down. Behold! The best of them are those who are slow to anger and calm down quickly and the worst of them are those who get angry quickly and calm down slowly. Behold! Among them are those who give the rights of others leniently and claim their rights from others leniently and among them are those who give the rights of others harshly and claim their rights from others harshly and this is one for one. And behold! Among them are those who give the rights of others harshly and claim their rights from others harshly. The best among them are those give the rights of others leniently and claim their rights from others leniently and the worst of them are those who give the rights of others harshly and claim their rights from others harshly. And behold! Anger is a brand of fire in a man's heart. Have not you seen the redness of his cheeks and swelling of his jugular vein. Thus, he who felt something of this let him touch the earth (sit). " Abu-Sa'eed said: ' The Messenger of Allah directed us to look at the sun saying: " Is there any part of it that has not sunk? " Then the Messenger of Allah said: " There is nothing that remains of this life save what has remained of this day of yours. " "

Translation: 224. Narrated (Mujahid): ' Ibn Omar may Allah be pleased with them said: " Allah's Messenger took hold of my shoulder and said: ' Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler. ' (The sub-narrator added): ' Ibn Omar used to say: " If you survive until the evening do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive until the morning do not expect to be alive in the evening, and take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death. " (Bukhari)

Translation: 225. Narrated Abu-Huraira: ' The Messenger of Allah said: " Life is the believer's prison and the unbeliever's paradise (pastime). " " "

Translation: 226. Narrated Sahl ibn Sa'ad ' The Messenger of Allah said: " Had the worldly life equaled a mosquito's wing with Allah, He would not have given a sip of water to an unbeliever¹². "

Translation: 12 This Hadith shows the limit to which worldly life is disgraced. Had it had any value, Allah would not have given the most trivial thing to the unbeliever because he is an enemy to Allah and the enemy is not given anything. But this worldly life does not worth even a mosquito's wing in the sight of Allah. Thus He protects his believing servant from it as one of us protects a diseased person from anything harmful. This is confirmed by the

Translation: 227. Narrated Malek Al-Ansari: ' The Messenger of Allah said: “ Setting free two hungry foxes among a herd of sheep is not more spoiling to one's religion than his keenness on money to his religion. "

Hadith that says:. " Most assuredly, Allah protects His believing servant from life as one of you protects his patient from water. "