What is the difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and zuhd (asceticism)?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Peace be upon you. And upon you be peace. How are you, Honorable Shaykh? May Allah welcome you, may He honor you and bless you. I have two questions, if you please. What is the difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and zuhd (asceticism)? What is the difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and zuhd (asceticism), and is there a wara' (scrupulousness) that is praiseworthy and one that is blameworthy?
The Shaykh : And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence. The difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and zuhd (asceticism). Yes, zuhd (asceticism) is more comprehensive. Yes. Because the one who practices zuhd (asceticism) leaves what does not benefit in the Hereafter. Yes. And wara' (scrupulousness) is leaving what harms in the Hereafter.
Yes. There is a methodology that is praiseworthy or not. Yes. As for wara' (scrupulousness), yes. There is a wara' (scrupulousness) that is blameworthy. Yes. And that is when a person becomes scrupulous about what Allah has made lawful for him, seeking to draw near to Allah by doing so. Yes. Because drawing near to Allah the Exalted by what Allah has not prescribed is from the innovations that are blameworthy. Yes. So if a person becomes scrupulous about, for example, a new type of clothing, seeking to draw near to Allah the Exalted, we would say that this wara' (scrupulousness) is blameworthy, because it is drawing near to Allah by what Allah has not prescribed. Do you understand now? Yes, Shaykh. If a person becomes scrupulous about any of the new things, seeking to draw near to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, we would say this wara' (scrupulousness) is blameworthy, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the major sins, they said: O Messenger of Allah!
One does not like to be dressed in beautiful clothes and have beautiful sandals, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah loves beauty, meaning He loves adorning oneself. And based on this, we say that new clothes, clean washing, are among what Allah the Mighty and Majestic loves. Yes. So if one leaves this beauty and does not enter into the middle path, and seeks to draw near to Allah by doing so, we say this is blameworthy wara' (scrupulousness).
The questioner : All right. May Allah bless you, Honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence. The difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and zuhd (asceticism). Yes, zuhd (asceticism) is more comprehensive. Yes. Because the one who practices zuhd (asceticism) leaves what does not benefit in the Hereafter. Yes. And wara' (scrupulousness) is leaving what harms in the Hereafter.
Yes. There is a methodology that is praiseworthy or not. Yes. As for wara' (scrupulousness), yes. There is a wara' (scrupulousness) that is blameworthy. Yes. And that is when a person becomes scrupulous about what Allah has made lawful for him, seeking to draw near to Allah by doing so. Yes. Because drawing near to Allah the Exalted by what Allah has not prescribed is from the innovations that are blameworthy. Yes. So if a person becomes scrupulous about, for example, a new type of clothing, seeking to draw near to Allah the Exalted, we would say that this wara' (scrupulousness) is blameworthy, because it is drawing near to Allah by what Allah has not prescribed. Do you understand now? Yes, Shaykh. If a person becomes scrupulous about any of the new things, seeking to draw near to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, we would say this wara' (scrupulousness) is blameworthy, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the major sins, they said: O Messenger of Allah!
One does not like to be dressed in beautiful clothes and have beautiful sandals, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah loves beauty, meaning He loves adorning oneself. And based on this, we say that new clothes, clean washing, are among what Allah the Mighty and Majestic loves. Yes. So if one leaves this beauty and does not enter into the middle path, and seeks to draw near to Allah by doing so, we say this is blameworthy wara' (scrupulousness).
The questioner : All right. May Allah bless you, Honorable Shaykh.
Source
ابن العثيمين - فتاوى على الهاتف - فتاوى الصيام — archive.org (31:24)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.