Asceticism in the world

Praise be for Allah, we seek His Help and Forgiveness, We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whom Allah guides no one can mislead and whom go astray, no one can guide them. I testify that there is no Allah but Allah alone, no partner with Him, and I testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger (peace be upon him), his family, Companions, and those who followed him righteously. To the point:

Al Bukhari reported in his Sahih from Ibrahim ibn `Abdur-Rahman ibn `Awf that Once a meal was brought to ‘Abdul-Rahman ibn ‘Auf and he was fasting. He said, "Mus‘ab ibn `Umair was martyred and he was better than I and was shrouded in his Burd and when his head was covered with it, his legs became bare, and when his legs were covered his head got uncovered. Hamzah was martyred and was better than I. Now the worldly wealth have been bestowed upon us (or said a similar thing). No doubt, I fear that the rewards of my deeds might have been given earlier in this world." Then he started weeping and left his food.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from Khabbab ibn Al Arat (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We emigrated with the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Allah’s cause, and so our reward was then surely incumbent on Allah. Some of us died and they did not take anything from their rewards in this world, and amongst them was Mus‘ab ibn `Umair; and the others were those who got their rewards. Mus‘ab ibn `Umair was martyred on the day of the Battle of Uhud and we could get nothing except his Burd to shroud him in. And when we covered his head his feet became bare and vice versa. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered us to cover his head only and to put idhkhir (a kind of shrub) over his feet.

O servants of Allah, reflect in our conditions and the kinds of food we eat and the kinds of food that are brought from all over the world; some of which we do not know!

How luxurious the clothes we wear! How luxurious the ships we ride? How many palaces we inhabit! How many nice furniture on which we sit? How many soft seats, sofas and armchairs on which we sit and have rest! How much money we spend! Then, let us reflect in what we have prepared for the second life?

The favors and blessings that were given to the Companions whom we referred to previously are too few for what we have been given but what they have done for the second life is much bigger than we have done, if we really have done anything. In spite that fact, they were afraid that their good deeds are rewarded in the world and they shall not be rewarded in the Hereafter. So, you find some of them wept until they abandoned food after a long day of fasting. They combined between the perfection of work, fear of Allah and self-reckoning. As for us, we combined between bad deeds and dare to Allah. We eat from the blessings of Allah, enjoy them and defy Him with sins as if we do not listen His saying: "So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them (in punishment), and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows."

How many people hasting for the world for fear that they would miss its blessings and they always come late to perform the five obligatory Salah, which are the main pillar of religion, in congregation. You see them sitting for a long time in streets and shops, and may suffer the extreme heat to the world but can not wait few minutes to perform Salah in congregation or to recite the Qur'an. We see how many young Muslims haste to soccer stadiums and pay money to get tickets, gathering their in thousands, and probably they spend long hours standing, watching the game and their voices are taken away. They wait to see the winner and the defeated and all this for just fun and amusement but when they are invited to perform Salah in congregation, they turn away as if the muezzin calls them to punishment of to jail. "And when it is said to them: “Bow down yourselves (in prayer)!” They bow not down (offer not their prayers). Woe that Day to the deniers (of the Day of Resurrection)!" "(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate themselves (to Allah), but they (hypocrites, and those who pray to show off or to gain good reputation) shall not be able to do so. Their eyes will be cast down and ignominy will cover them; they used to be called (for the prayer in the mosque) to prostrate themselves (offer prayers), while they were healthy and good (in the life of the world, but they did not come to the mosque)."

Many people have become patient to withstand the hardships of the world but cannot stand the minimum hardship of obedience to Allah. They are furious when they lose something from the pleasures of the world and many people are not satisfied with the permitted things and seek the unlawful as well, so they deal in prohibited dealings and ill-gotten monies such as usury, bribery and cheating in sell and purchase. Moreover, they transgress and accuse people falsely to steal their monies without right while they listen to Allah's saying: "O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from Riba (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers." "O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you." "Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them, nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment." The love for the world has possessed the hearts and made them prefer the world to the Hereafter. Some of them were busied with the world and forgot their Salah and if they perform it, they offer it individually or delay it from its fixed time and even during Salah, they are distracted by the world, thinking about their monies and dealings. Other people love the world to the extent that they became misers until they withheld the obligatory charities (Zakah) which is a pillar of Islam.

O servants of Allah, you shall be reckoned for the lawful things you enjoy in this world and shall be punished for the unlawful things. It will be doomed to destruction, and only those who lost their minds are keen to it. So, You shall be gone without return and how many persons left their beloved ones; families and friends. They are frequent journeys to the Hereafter, where individuals and groups, fathers and mothers, kings and servants, rich and poor, believers and infidels, pious and lewd are going to see off this world, move to the Hereafter and shall be buried in dark graves waiting for the resurrection.

O servants of Allah, how could we preferred this life to the Hereafter? How could our monies and children take us away from the remembrance of Allah?

O man, regardless the wealth you combine and the life you lived, you are dead and your wealth shall be disposed from you and the only thing left for you is your deeds. You came out from the belly of your mother with nothing and shall leave to the grave with your deeds only "And truly you have come to Us alone (without wealth, companions or anything else) as We created you the first time. You have left behind you all that which We had bestowed on you. We see not with you your intercessors whom you claimed to be partners with Allah. Now all relations between you and them have been cut off, and all that you used to claim has vanished from you." You passed by the world on your way to the Hereafter and had the chance to take your provision to the Hereafter. You are like a traveler who passed by a market on his way to buy provision for his journey, so you do not have anything but what you have collected in the world. "And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)."

May Allah make you and me from those who benefit from remembrance and when we commit sins, we repent. Our last supplication is: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

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Saad bin Abdullah Al-Hamid