The World between accumulating wealth and asceticism

The World between accumulating wealth and asceticism

All praises are for Allah, the sufficient, the Reckoner, the Guardian, the Overseer, the Responsive, the Near. I bear witness that there’s no god worthy of worship but Allah, the One having no partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and praise, and He’s over all things Competent. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, having noble nature and little belongings.

To proceed: I advise you and myself of having the fear of Allah, as it’s salvation in this world and the hereafter, (For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous.) [Al-Nahl: 30].

The servants of the Most Merciful: it’s one of the habits of the prophet (PBUH). He lived it in his life as a practical reality and urged his companions for that so they were brought up on it. Many verses have appeared concerning this. It’s weak in our life today. It repels jealousy and brings self-satisfaction and happiness. It keeps you away from unlawful earning and earns the love of Allah and the people. Its virtues will be mentioned below soon. It’s the habit of asceticism in the world!

O’ performers of the prayer: Allah created His servants and bestowed upon them different talents, capabilities and livelihoods (that they may make use of one another for service.) [Al-Zukhruf: 32].

Asceticism does not mean giving up work and trade, not at all. People have been ordered to do acts of worship and they have been made successors on the earth. Allah, the Glorious has praised those who perform prayers in the mosques, those (whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakāh.) [Al-Noor: 37].

Allah, the Exalted lightened the burden of the Muslims in the performance of the prayers for many reasons, among them is: commerce. (He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it.) [Al-Muzzammil: 20].

Brothers in belief: how good is the good wealth for the pious person. According to a verse in the holy Quran: (But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter.) [Al-Qasas: 77]. A blessed person fear lest wealth should lure him whether through colleting or storing. (And know that your properties and your children are but a trial and that Allah has with Him a great reward.) [Al-Anfaal: 28].

The servants of Allah: the prophet (PBUH) was ascetic both by his deed and speech. Jabir bin 'Abdullah (May allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was passing through the bazaar with his Companions on his both sides, when he saw a dead skinny lamb. He held its ear and said, "Who of you would like to have it for a dirham". They replied, "We do not like to get it for nothing, and what shall we do with it?". Then he (ﷺ) asked, "Would you like to have it for nothing?". They replied, "Had it been alive, it would have been defective because it is skinny; but when dead it is of no use". Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Truly, the world is more contemptible to Allah than this (the dead lamb) is to you". This hadith has been transmitted by Muslim.

Allah, the Glorious said: (And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.) [Aal-Imran: 185].

Among those who knew the reality of the world actually is Sayeed Bin Al-Musayyib. An emissary of the caliph came to him offering the proposal of marrying caliph’s son to his daughter. He said: Sayeed, the world has come to you in its entirety. The son of the caliph wants your daughter in marriage. Do you know what was the reply of Sayeed? He said; when the world in the eyes of Allah is not even like a mosquito’s wing, so what might the caliph clip for me from this wing? He did not marry his daughter to the caliph’s son! Rather, he married his daughter to a poor seeker of knowledge!

Shaikh Ibn Baaz (May Allah have mercy upon him) was asked: how can asceticism in the world be realised? He said: “asceticism in the world can be realised by giving preference to the afterlife over it and by not indulging in pretence. He should be satisfied with halal and with what assists him in the obedience to Allah. He should not indulge in anything which distracts him from the afterlife.”…

The servants of the Most Merciful: yes, the world should be in our hands not in our hearts… what an amazing thing is the good wealth for the pious person. But the difficulty arises when we prefer this world to the afterlife and deal in unlawful things. It was said to Ali Bin Ani Talib (May Allah be pleased with him): O’ Abal-Husain, describe the world for us! He said: I should elaborate or be brief? They said: rather, be brief. He said: its lawful things will be held to account and unlawful things will be the cause of punishment!

The problem arises when we collect and do not give or do not give in a way that is suitable to His favour upon us! Another problem emerges when our hearts are connected with others have, so we fall in jealousy, anger and displeasure. According to a verse in the holy Quran: (And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendour of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.) [Taha: 131]. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Aware and Seeing.) [Al-Shoora: 27].

Friends, a wealthy and influential person may be ascetic. The son of the caliph Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz purchased a ring worth one thousand dirham. When Umar Bin Abdul Aziz came to know about it, he wrote to him saying: to proceed: I’ve come to know that you’ve purchased a ring worth one thousand dirham. Sell it, feed one thousand hungry persons from it, buy a ring of iron in its place and write on it: May Allah have mercy on a person who knew his worth.

In our present time, one of the big businessmen spent billions. He was seen eating from the remnants of the food on the dining cloth of the people he’d undertaken the responsibility of their pilgrimage, while they were eating from his table spread!

May Allah bless me and you…

The second sermon

All praises be to Allah who said (Indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you.) [Luqman: 33] [Faatir: 5].

May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon his prophet, the worshipper, spender and ascetic. (There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern¹ for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.) [Al-Ahzaab: 21].

To proceed: dear audience: asceticism has many grades. One of the most famous definitions of “asceticism” is: to give up what’s not beneficial in the afterlife.

Brothers in belief, let’s see some virtues of asceticism:

One of the beautiful aspects of asceticism is: self-comfort and self-contentedness. According to an authentic hadith: "Successful is the one who has entered the fold of Islam and is provided with sustenance which is sufficient for his needs, and Allah makes him content with what He has bestowed upon him.". (Muslim).

One of the virtues of asceticism is: moderation and avoidance of extravagance.

One of the positive aspects of asceticism is: humbleness and staying away from looking down upon any of the creatures.

One of the merits of asceticism is: not exhausting oneself with loans and cutting coat according to cloth, in homes, vehicles, gadgets, etc.

One of the charms of asceticism is: safety from pride and haughtiness.

One of the positive aspects of asceticism is: generosity and abundance of charity.

One of the virtues of asceticism is: giving up what does not concern you from the affairs of the people!

Among the characteristics of asceticism is: ascetic people are the least disturbed ones when they’ve less of this world and when their wealth decreases, unlike the opulence we’ve grown upon, except those whom Allah wills!

Among the charms of asceticism is: love for the Creator and the creature. “Have no desire for this world, Allah will love you; and have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you.”

To conclude: glad tidings are for the one who has the world in his hand, “so he spends from it during the night and during the day”, and glad tidings are for the one whose world is in his heart and glad tidings are for the one who’s not deluded by the world.

Then, send out blessings and peace.