Asceticism is an important attribute found among the scholars of Islaam, which distinguished them distinctly from the other people by making for themselves prohibited that which is actually permitted but may take one far away from Allaah, so they do this to seek nearness to Allaah.
An Imam in Zuhd, Imam Ahmad bn Hanbal mentioned the faces and levels of Zuhd, he said:
Zuhd is upon three faces:
1. Leaving off what is forbidden, and that is the Zuhd of the general people.
2. Leaving the excess of what is permissible, that is the Zuhd of special people.
3. Leaving what busies one from Allah, and that is Zuhd those who are knowledgeable (ascetic).
[Madājirus Sālikin 2/14]
The first level of Zuhd is compulsory for every Muslim who wishes to travel to Allah and the house of the hereafter, and it is the main reason why Allah created men and the Jinn, Allah said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [Adh-Dhāriyāt: 56]
Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله explained the worship Allah created us for, he said:
“His Worship is obeying him by doing what he commanded and leaving off what he warned against, this is the reality of the religion of Islam, because the meaning of Islam is total submission to Allah the Most High, which comprises the highest level of obedience, lowliness and humility”
[Fathul Majeed, pg 22]
It is upon every Muslim to practise Zuhd from everything that Allah had warned us against, particularly those things we do not pay attention to like Showing off, backbiting, Prioritizing Dunya, love for leadership, love of praise, rancour, hatred and so on.
A Muslim needs to look at his income and make sure he is eating halal. A Muslim should prefer to be patient upon hunger rather than feeding on what Allah has made forbidden. He should look at his lifestyle and make sure he is not living on haraam, he is not gazing his eyes on actresses or footballers who have their thighs uncovered. He is not having a girlfriend, he is not taking pictures and he is not listening to music. Living a typical halal lifestyle is the first level of Zuhd required from every Muslim.
Sins are darkness in the heart, and the light of Allah can’t be in a heart that is full of darkness. A person striving to be upon Zuhd should look at his worship and check if they are truly for Allah, does he intend Allah purely with his worship or he is worshipping Allah to be praised, or to be a leader or to be famous? If a man strives to get rid of these weeds that affect the growth of Iman, then he is striving to be upon the first level of Zuhd i.e Asceticism.
The Salaf would hide their Ibaadat from people because they fear that they may fall into showing; it was mentioned that whenever Imam Ahmad was talking and he felt the fear of Allah to the extent of weeping, who would cover his face and make it look like he is having cold and people won’t know that he was weeping. Ya’qoob al-Makfoof said: “The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he hides his evil deeds.”
Many people today want to be praised for what they didn’t do and they want to be raised to high ranks beyond their levels. They want to be famous and want their names to be mentioned everywhere. But the Salaf, even though they did a lot, they still did not want to be known. A man from the Salaf would cry because he heard that his name has reached a far-away place. A man from the Salaf would be beaten and punished, just because he refused to be a judge, where are we at this level of Zuhd?
A person working of Zuhd must be actively learning the deen of Allah that helps him to know what Allah has made forbidden that he must renounce, he must be in the company of righteous; those who would help him in his journey to Allah by constantly reminding him of what Allah has made forbidden, and takes their companionship as a source of strength that makes the Zuhd easier.
Staying away from the companionship of the Kuffār, Innovators and people of open sin is an important aspect of Zuhd. Likewise staying away from listening to lectures of Innovators and reading their books. If a man claims to be upon Zuhd and he is found in the company of evil people, either physically or through their books and lectures, then he is a liar.
May Allah ease our affairs
Aameen
