14. REGARDING FALSE ASCETICISM (ZUHD)
He who likes to meet with people is usually someone without bearing commitments to them.
A person whose heart (qalb) is preoccupied (mashghul) with Allah will always run away from people. And when the heart is empty (Jardgb) of knowing Allah, then it will become filled with knowing His Creation. He will act for them and for their sake, and will be destroyed due to showing-off (riya) without knowing so.
I noticed some of those who wear the clothing of poverty {faqr) and Sufis wearing clothes that cost less than one dinar, yet they have a lot of money and indulge in tasty’ foodstuff. They act upon arrogance (Jeibr) and show off. They get near to the people of Dunya and avoid scholars. They only refuse gifts so they become known to be ascetic, they pretend to be religious but are cunning like foxes, and are eager to achieve their needs like a vicious dog.
I say, “SubhanAllah! Only the clothes are ascetic!”
Has not he heard of the Prophet’s saying: “Allah loves for His bounties to be seen upon His servant.”
And I seek refuge with Allah from “seeing” one’s self (ru’ya al-nafs) and from showing-off to others (ru’ya al-khalq), because he who sees himself will become arrogant (mntaqabbir). An arrogant person is foolish (abmaq) because surely there will be another person who is better than him one way or another. He who shows-off to people actually worships them without knowing.
As for he who works for Allah’s sake, will keep away from people. And if they come near him, he conceals his actions to cause them to stay away from him.
Some people show-off but do not realise that they are doing so. They stop walking in the marketplace, visiting friends, and buying things by themselves. Such behaviour does bring prestige but only to real scholars.
Bishr Al-Hafi used to sit in a spice shop.
And a better vet was our Prophet for he used to buy his goods and carry them himself.
‘All Ibn Abl Talib (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) once went to the market place and bought a garment while he was the leader of believers.
Talhah Ibn Mutarrif was the best Qur’an reciter in Kufah. When he saw that many people had gathered around him, he began attending the gatherings of Al-A’mash. Hence people began to attend Al-A‘mash’s gatherings and left him.
By Allah! This is red Sulphur (i.e. very valuable material) and this is how dealing with Allah should be. Anything else would be an act of worshiping people, and an act of deception. Most people have become like this … not the Salaf.
I would sacrifice myself for the sake of a group of dears,
Who never knew fancy talk or dyeing eyebrows.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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