1.27. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASCETICISM AND PIOUS ABSTENTION
To summarize, asceticism is a matter of lack of desire and wish for that which is abstained from, while pious abstention is a matter of the presence of aversion and dislike towards that which is refrained from. The lack of wishing for something is good only regarding that which has no absolute or prevailing benefit. As for the presence of dislike, then it is only good regarding that which has an absolute or prevailing harm. Thus if what has no benefit or harm, or something whose benefit and harm are the same in every way is made obligatory, then it is not good to wish for or dislike like it; asceticism is a virtue in that case not a form of pious abstention. What this makes apparent is that everything in which pious abstention is a virtue, asceticism in it is a virtue as well, without the reverse being true, and this is clear. For indeed whatever is good to dislike and disincline from is also something which is good to not wish for or desire. For indeed the lack of wishing for something is more appropriate than the presence of dislike, and the presence of dislike is necessitated by the lack of wishing for something without the reverse being true. And not all that is good that is not wished for is good to dislike. Rather what is not good to wish for, dislike, love, hate, command and prohibit has become apparent from matters.
Through this it is made clear that asceticism and pious abstention regarding obligations and recommendations are not good. As for prohibited and disliked things, asceticism and pious abstention are good in them. As for permissible things then asceticism and not pious abstention is good in them. This account is apparent, known through minimal contemplation.
The concern is only regarding what is contradictory in effect. Is it something commanded to do, prohibited or permissible? And [the concern] is regarding when something that is permissible becomes coupled with something else that makes it commanded or prohibited, or when coupled with what is commanded that makes it prohibited, and vice-versa. Thus upon combining advantages, evils, benefits, harms and their conflicts, it is in need of criterion.
By Shaykhu’l-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
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