*Riyad al-Salihin* (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: The Virtue of Asceticism in the World, Encouragement to Have Little of It, and the Virtue of Poverty.
On the authority of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I was walking with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the stony tract of Medina,
when Mount Uhud came into our view.
He said, "O Abu Dharr!" I replied, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah!"
He said, "It would not please me to possess the equivalent of this Mount Uhud in gold,
and have three days pass while a single dinar of it remains with me,
except for something I reserve to settle a debt,
unless I were to distribute it among the servants of Allah like this, and like this, and like this,"
to his right, to his left, and behind him.
Then he walked on and said,
"Indeed, those with the most wealth will have the least on the Day of Resurrection,
except for him who dispenses his wealth like this, and like this, and like this,"
to his right, to his left, and behind him,
"and how few they are!"
Then he said to me, "Stay where you are; do not leave until I return to you."
Then he set out into the darkness of the night until he disappeared from sight.
Then I heard a raised sound,
and I feared that someone had accosted the Prophet (peace be upon him).
So I wanted to go to him,
but I remembered his words: "Do not leave until I return to you."
So I did not leave until he came back to me.
I said, "I heard a sound that frightened me,"
and I mentioned it to him.
He said, "Did you hear it?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "That was Gabriel who came to me
and said: 'Whoever dies from your Ummah without associating anything with Allah
will enter Paradise.'"
I asked, "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole?"
He replied, "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole."
Agreed upon,
and this is the wording of al-Bukhari.
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
who said:
"If I had the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold,
it would please me that three nights do not pass
while any of it remains with me,
except something I reserve to settle a debt."
Agreed upon.
*Harrah*:
It is land covered with black stones.
*Arsuduhu* (I reserve it):
That is, I prepare and set it aside.
"Indeed, those with the most wealth will have the least on the Day of Resurrection":
What is meant
is having an abundance of wealth, but having the least reward.
*Makanaka* (Stay where you are):
That is, remain in your spot.
*La tabrah* (Do not leave):
That is, do not depart from your place.
*Tawara* (He disappeared):
That is, his person vanished from sight,
so I could no longer see him.
*'Arada*:
That is, someone accosted him with ill intent.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
The humility of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with his Companions,
and his lack of superiority over any of them.
The excellent manners of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
and his intense concern for his safety from every harm.
The permissibility of holding wealth for an absent creditor,
or to settle a deferred debt when it falls due,
because paying off a debt takes precedence over voluntary charity.
Encouragement to spend in the cause of Allah
and not hoard wealth.
The permissibility of a person referring to himself by his kunya for a valid reason,
such as his kunya being more well-known than his given name.
The obligation to comply with a command and abide by it
takes precedence over acting against it based on personal reasoning,
even if that personal reasoning involves
the assumed repelling of harm, until that harm is confirmed,
in which case repelling the harm takes precedence.
The prompt obedience of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
and their avoidance of disobeying him.
The permissibility of a teacher asking his student questions to impart a point of knowledge or other benefits.
The permissibility of a student following up with his teacher to verify something or remove an ambiguity.
One should not be excessively persistent when following up,
and if someone does so, it is permissible for the teacher to reprimand him in an appropriate manner,
such as the Messenger of Allah's reprimand of Abu Dharr,
as mentioned in some narrations with his words:
"Even if Abu Dharr's nose is rubbed in the dust."
The one who commits a major sin is not a disbeliever.
The Sunnah is revelation from Allah,
which Gabriel used to bring down to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
though it is non-recited revelation.
The permissibility of using the word "if" (*law*) when wishing for good.
The asceticism of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
for he used to spend like one who does not fear poverty.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Look at those who are below you,
and do not look at those who are above you,
for that is more likely to keep you from belittling Allah's favor upon you."
Agreed upon,
and this is the wording of Muslim.
In a narration of al-Bukhari:
"When one of you looks at someone who has been favored over him in wealth and physical form,
let him look at someone who is below him."
"Below you":
That is, lesser than you in worldly matters.
*Ajdar*:
That is, more fitting.
*Tazdaru*:
You belittle and despise.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
It is recommended for a Muslim to look at those who are below him in worldly matters,
and to look at those who are above him in religious matters.
Looking at those who have more wealth
leads to discontent, anxiety,
and a failure to show gratitude for Allah's blessings.
Looking at those who are higher in religious devotion
motivates one to greater obedience and devoted worship to Allah Almighty.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
"Wretched is the slave of the dinar, the dirham, the velvet plush, and the fine cloak;
if he is given, he is pleased, and if he is not given, he is displeased."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
*Ta'isa* means: he is ruined.
*Al-qatifah* is a fabric with a plush nap.
*Al-khamisah* is a square patterned cloak.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
A warning against servitude to other than Allah,
especially to these transient worldly things
like wealth and fine clothing.
Servitude to Allah
engenders contentment and satisfaction,
unlike servitude to other than Allah,
which breeds greed, stinginess, anxiety, and selfishness.
The blameworthy accumulation and possession of wealth is that which exceeds one's needs,
distracts from Allah Almighty,
and is not used in the service of Allah.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I saw seventy of the people of al-Suffah,
not one of whom possessed an upper cloak (*rida'*);
they had either a waist wrapper (*izar*) or a single sheet of cloth,
which they tied around their necks.
Some reached down to mid-calf,
while others reached down to the ankles,
and each man would gather it with his hand out of reluctance for his private parts to be exposed.
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
The people of al-Suffah were ascetic Companions,
poor and transient,
who used to seek shelter under a shaded veranda at the back of the Prophet's Mosque;
it was a shaded area
where the destitute used to take shelter.
*Rida'*:
That is, a garment covering only the upper body.
*Al-izar*:
That which covers only the lower body.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
The permissibility of wearing a single garment.
The believer's diligence in covering his private parts.
The permissibility of men sleeping overnight in the mosque.
The asceticism of the people of al-Suffah and their dedication to knowledge and striving in the cause of Allah.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever."
Narrated by Muslim.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
The insignificance of this worldly life before Allah.
Urging the believer to turn away from the love of the world,
avoid indulging in its pleasures,
and yearn for the Abode of the Hereafter.
The disbeliever consumes his good things during his worldly life.
On the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of my shoulders and said:
"Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer."
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say:
"When evening comes, do not await the morning;
and when morning comes, do not await the evening.
Take from your health for your illness,
and from your life for your death."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
The scholars said in explaining this hadith:
Its meaning is: do not rely on this world, do not take it as a permanent homeland,
do not harbor notions of a long stay in it,
nor become consumed with tending to it;
do not attach yourself to it except as a stranger attaches himself to an unfamiliar land,
and do not busy yourself in it with what a stranger who wishes to return to his family would not busy himself.
And with Allah lies all success.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
The Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) grasping the shoulders of Abdullah Ibn Umar
is proof of his love for him
and an alert to the importance of what he was saying to him.
The Prophet's keen guidance.
Encouragement toward asceticism in the world and sufficing with what is indispensable.
And whoever desires that
is like a wayfarer,
who only takes provisions enough to sustain him,
and unburdens himself of heavy loads
that would hinder his journey and interrupt his travel to his destination.
The believer in this world is a stranger,
because Paradise is his original home,
from which his enemy caused him to be expelled as a captive,
so he gathers the provisions that will convey him to the highest station.
taking the initiative to perform every deed in its proper time,
urging the seizing of opportunities for increased acts of obedience,
and avoiding sluggishness and procrastination in them.
Health and life are opportunities for the believer,
which one must utilize in performing good deeds,
so it is not fitting for a person to squander them,
wasting them on things that will not benefit them in the Hereafter.
And on the authority of Abu al-Abbas,
Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
direct me to a deed which, if I perform it, will make Allah love me
and make the people love me."
So he said,
"Renounce the worldly life and Allah will love you,
and renounce what is in the hands of the people and the people will love you."
Related by Ibn Majah.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
The eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to know what brings them closer to Allah
and what benefits them among people so their coexistence with them is upright;
this is part of combining the good of both this world and the Hereafter.
Whoever practices detachment from the worldly life, aspires to what is with Allah,
and yearns for His meeting, Allah loves him,
for whoever loves meeting Allah, Allah loves meeting him.
Not coveting what is in the hands of people is a means to gain their affection,
and for this reason, all the Messengers never asked the people for any payment.
And on the authority of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
'Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned the worldly wealth that the people had acquired,
and said, "I have seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spend the entire day bending over,
unable to find even poor-quality dates with which to fill his stomach."
Related by Muslim. And "al-daql" means inferior-quality dates.
"What the people acquired" refers to what they attained and gained
of worldly goods, such as wealth, status, and the like.
"Spend the day bending over" means spending the day bending over his noble stomach due to hunger.
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
Companions and students ought to be mindful of the state of their senior leader and scholar,
grieving for his distress and rejoicing in his joy,
just as the Companions of the Messenger of Allah were.
The asceticism of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this world,
and his patience through hunger, giving preference to the Hereafter over the worldly life
and educating his Companions thereby.
Riyad al-Salihin.