What is the meaning of zuhd? And explaining the difference between zuhd and wara'
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Zuhd, O Shaykh, is it not a Shari'ah objective?The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.The questioner : Is zuhd itself not a Shari'ah objective?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because there are hadiths regarding zuhd.
The Shaykh : Regarding zuhd? Yes, but what is zuhd? What is it?
The questioner : Does it mean wearing a patched robe...?
The Shaykh : No, no, that is practicing zuhd. Zuhd is leaving what does not benefit in the Hereafter, and wara' is leaving what harms in the Hereafter. Zuhd is leaving what does not benefit, and wara' is leaving what harms. Although some people think that wara' and zuhd mean the same thing, this is not correct. For example, the one who avoids permissible things because he is content with what is more beneficial, what is he called? A person practicing zuhd. He leaves them to reach what is more beneficial in the Hereafter, and he is considered a person practicing zuhd. And the one who leaves forbidden things by engaging in permissible things, even if they are not more beneficial in the Hereafter, is called a person of wara'. And when we say that zuhd means a person practices asceticism, asceticism is not praiseworthy unless it is for a Shari'ah purpose. The Shari'ah purpose is like what we mentioned regarding 'Umar, or for example, if a person lives among poor people, and even if he wears what is fitting for him and his wealth, it would break their hearts and have an effect on their souls. Leaving this is also one of the matters for which a person may be praised.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because there are hadiths regarding zuhd.
The Shaykh : Regarding zuhd? Yes, but what is zuhd? What is it?
The questioner : Does it mean wearing a patched robe...?
The Shaykh : No, no, that is practicing zuhd. Zuhd is leaving what does not benefit in the Hereafter, and wara' is leaving what harms in the Hereafter. Zuhd is leaving what does not benefit, and wara' is leaving what harms. Although some people think that wara' and zuhd mean the same thing, this is not correct. For example, the one who avoids permissible things because he is content with what is more beneficial, what is he called? A person practicing zuhd. He leaves them to reach what is more beneficial in the Hereafter, and he is considered a person practicing zuhd. And the one who leaves forbidden things by engaging in permissible things, even if they are not more beneficial in the Hereafter, is called a person of wara'. And when we say that zuhd means a person practices asceticism, asceticism is not praiseworthy unless it is for a Shari'ah purpose. The Shari'ah purpose is like what we mentioned regarding 'Umar, or for example, if a person lives among poor people, and even if he wears what is fitting for him and his wealth, it would break their hearts and have an effect on their souls. Leaving this is also one of the matters for which a person may be praised.