23. SUSPICIONS IN ASCETICISM AND THEIR CLARIFICATION
I found most people shun the Shari’ah and follow their habits and traditions. Two groups could be excluded from this, and they are the scholars {‘ulama’) and worshippers (‘ubbad).
I examined the majority of scholars and found them in disarray. Some of them confine themselves to the worldly sciences and turn away from spiritual sciences connected to the Hereafter, either due to either their ignorance or its difficulty— for they do not pursue necessary knowledge if it was difficult. They follow habits and consider themselves to be excused because of their knowledge, while forgetting that such knowledge is an argument against them.
There are those who stand with the image of knowledge unaware of its true purpose. There are others who associate with ruling governments, hurting themselves by the sins and oppression they witness insomuch being unable to disapprove or coerced to praise them. They also beguile ruling authorities, who claim, ‘If I were not correct, such a knowledgeable person would not associate with me.’ And also beguile the laypeople who claim, ‘If these rulers were not good, then such (people of) knowledge would not mingle with him.’
I found Al-Ashraf confident of intercession of his forefathers, forgetting that the Jews are descendants of Isra’il (Ya’qub).
As for the worshippers, I found most of them in disarray; and those with proper intentions are far from the right path in most of their deeds. A group of the early ascetics wrote books filled with ugly concealments, unauthentic narrations and recommendations that are against the Shari‘ah.
For example, the books of Al-Harith Al-MuhasibI and Abu ‘Abdullah Al-TirmidhI, ‘Q ut Al-Qulub’ by Abu Talib Al-MakkI, and Al-Ihja’ by Abu Hamid Al-Tusi Al-Ghazali.
When the novice opens his eyes and intends to walk the path contained in these books, they carry him towards wrongdoing, as they are based on false reports. They disparage the worldly life, unaware of what is to be disparaged therein; so the novice thinks that it is disparaged in and of itself, escaping to the mountains. He may miss the congregational prayer and the Friday Prayer; he may restrict himself to eating nuts and pears that result in colitis. Some of them only drink milk, so their build becomes slender, or eat beans and lentils that rumble their stomachs.
The person going on pilgrimage must be gentle with the camel in order to reach his destination. Do you not see the clever Turkic people looking after their horses before finding their own food?
Storytellers may relate stories of some of the early Muslims and ascetics, causing disciples to follow them and hurt themselves.
If we denounce such actions and clarify the fault of its doer, the ignorant replies, “Do you object to ascetics?” The right way should be followed no matter how glorified the person is considered among people. For example, we say, “Abu Hanlfah said such-and-such”, then Al-Shafi‘1 disagreed with him; the evidence is what should be followed.
Al-Marrudhi said, ‘Ahmad Ibn Hanbal was in favour of (encouraging) marriage’, and I said, ‘Ibrahim ibn Adham said otherwise.’ Then he said, ‘We have fallen into a by-way. You should follow the way of the Messenger and his Companions (radiyAllahu ‘anhum).’
Imam Ahmad criticized Al-Harith Al-Muhasibi and refuted Sarri Al-Saqtl when he claimed that, ‘When Allah created the alphabet, the letter Alif stood up while the letter Ba prostrated.’ So Ahmad said, ‘Turn the masses away from that, Allah does not take sides; he is Truthful and Mighty.’
I see that most people turned away from the Shan’ah, and regard the words of ascetics as their Shan ah.
Some people related that Abu Talib Al-Makki said, ‘Some of the early Muslims used to measure his daily intake of food with a frond, and it decreased every day!’ This is at variance with the Messenger and his Companions, who used to eat just below fullness. As for forcing hunger upon oneself (outside of fasting), it is forbidden.
Others say that Dawud Al-Ta’i said to Sufyan, ‘If you drink cold water, when will you love death?’ and he had water in a jug. Did he not know that the soul has its rights, that drinking hot water slouches and harms the stomach, and that the Messenger used cool water?
Another of them said, ‘For fifty years, I have desired grilled meat, but could not purify the money for its price,’ while another said, ‘I desire to eat a carrot dipped in molasses, but unable to find halal money.’ Did they want money that had not been involved in any suspicious activity’?
This is what the Messenger considered; even though abstinence (wara) is good (hasan), overburdening (mushaq al-shadida) oneself is not right.
Bishr Al-Hafi said, ‘I do not teach hadith, because I desire to do so,’ which is an invalid justification, because man is commanded to marry, which is a great desire.
Bishr used to walk barefoot until he was called ‘Al-Hafi’ (meaning ‘the Barefooted’ in Arabic). Had he covered his feet with a pair of shoes, it would have been better for him. Walking barefoot harms the eye, and has nothing to do with abstinence, because the Messenger used to wear shoes.
The way of the Messenger and his Companions (radiyAllahu ‘anhum) is at variance with today’s ascetics (mutazahidun). The Messenger used to laugh, joke, choose desirable women, race with ‘A’ishah (radiy Allahu ‘anha)f eat meat, love sweet fruit42 and seek pleasant water. Such was the way of his Companions (radiy Allahu ‘anhum), but the ascetics invented new ways, as if following a new Sbari’ah— all of this is far from the right path.
They cite the words of Al-MuhasibI and Al-MakkI, but never cite the words of a Companion, a Follower or an Imam. If they see a scholar wearing beautiful clothes, marrying a desirable woman, skipping fasting for a day, or laughing, they criticise him.
Therefore, one should know that most of them whose intentions are proper are not (necessarily) on the right path, because of their lack of knowledge. Some of them would say, ‘For eighty years, I have never lied down (for sleep).’ While others have said, ‘I vowed not to drink water for a year.’ These are fallacies as the soul has its due rights.
As for whoever has improper intentions, such as those who dissimulate and give the impression of hypocrisy (nifaq) to attain worldly benefits or to have people kiss their hands [as a sign of respect], one should not argue with them— and the majority of Sufiyah are like that. They take off colorful clothes so that people see them forsaking embellishment, while they have better than the Saqlatun. The early Muslims (Salaj) only did that due to poverty faqr).
They involve themselves in pleasures, collecting funds and ignoring suspicion of sources of wealth, frequenting comforts and playing and consorting with ruling authorities. They have revealed their true face and contradicted the abstinence of their preceding forerunners.
I am astonished at whoever extends his money to them
(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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