
'Do-without the world
- Allah will love you.
Do-without what you find
in the hands of
people of the world
- people will love you.'
- Saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him
Zuhd means doing-without.
The zuhd of the sufis is that their doing-without should be an emptying of their hearts from desires of the world. Its aid is the emptying of their hands in sadaqa and generous gifts.
The word 'ascetic' has nothing to do with zuhd as understood by Islam. Zuhd is giving-up only when you have recognized that your need was a fantasy need. It is not zuhd to go in rags and to fast too much. Rather it would be zuhd to take control of clothes and patch them, or to eat less and not to eat one's fill. Zuhd is not, therefore, in any way a repression of appetites. It is an abandoning of excess appetite when the self has developed to the point of no long needing that thing.
To be zahid of objects is easy. To be zahid of words is more difficult, or the attention of others, or reputation. Do-without praise. Do-without reputation. Do-without being in the right. Do-without being seen. It is often easier for a king to be zahid than a poor man - beware!
The true zahid does-without a glance which sees creation and not the Lord.
Zuhd is easy. Its opposite is difficult. Remember the journey is to the place where the opposites have become the same for one. Do not dwell in the means - traveler - would you live in the stables?
The word 'ascetic' has nothing to do with zuhd as understood by Islam. Zuhd is giving-up only when you have recognized that your need was a fantasy need. It is not zuhd to go in rags and to fast too much. Rather it would be zuhd to take control of clothes and patch them, or to eat less and not to eat one's fill. Zuhd is not, therefore, in any way a repression of appetites. It is an abandoning of excess appetite when the self has developed to the point of no long needing that thing.
To be zahid of objects is easy. To be zahid of words is more difficult, or the attention of others, or reputation. Do-without praise. Do-without reputation. Do-without being in the right. Do-without being seen. It is often easier for a king to be zahid than a poor man - beware!
The true zahid does-without a glance which sees creation and not the Lord.
Zuhd is easy. Its opposite is difficult. Remember the journey is to the place where the opposites have become the same for one. Do not dwell in the means - traveler - would you live in the stables?
- from The Hundred Steps by Shaykh Abdal Qadir as-Sufi al-Murabit, may Allah bless his path and give him good life
# Related:
. Az-Zuhd: Islamic approach on Asceticism
. The Poverty of Prophet Muhammad
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