Explaining the virtue of asceticism and the danger of excessive indulgence in bodily comfort and luxury.

The Shaykh : And with this, as people increase in luxury and open themselves up to others, evils open up to them. Luxury is what destroys a person, because when a person looks at luxury and the comfort of his body, he neglects the comfort of his heart, and his greatest concern becomes making this body comfortable, which ends up in worms and stench. This is the calamity. This is what has harmed people today. You hardly find anyone who does not say, "What is our shortfall? What is our car? What is our bed? What is our food?" Even those who read knowledge and study knowledge, some of them study only to attain a rank or position by which they reach the comfort of this world. It is as if a person was not created for a great matter. The world and its comfort are merely a means. We ask Allah to make us and you use it as a means. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "A person should use money as one uses a donkey for riding, and as one uses the place of relief for defecation." Those who know money know its value. Do not make money your greatest concern. Ride money; if you do not ride money, money will ride you, and your concern will become the world. For this reason, we say that as the world opens up to people and they look at it, they lose from the Hereafter in proportion to what they gain from the world. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: meaning, "I do not fear poverty for you. The world will be opened up to you." And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke the truth. This is what has destroyed people today. What has destroyed people today is their competition in the world and their being as if they were created for it, not that it was created for them. So they occupied themselves with what was created for them, neglecting what they were created for. This is a reversal. We ask Allah for safety.
In this hadith lies the obligation of patience with the rulers, even if they are unjust and oppressive, because you will stand with them in a position where you and they are on equal footing before the King of Kings. You will be their adversary on the Day of Resurrection if they wronged you. Do not think that the injustice of this world will go to waste. The right of the created must be taken on the Day of Resurrection. So you will stand with them before Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for Him to judge between you with justice. So be patient, be patient, and wait for relief. By doing so, you will first attain the tranquility of the soul and steadfastness. Waiting for relief is an act of worship by which you worship Allah. And if you wait for relief from Allah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
And in this warning against the badness of times, and that times change and change to what is worse, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions one day: And I think our life in this world is short compared to those who came before us. We have seen a great difference between the years that have passed and the present years. One whom I trust told me that in this mosque, the Grand Mosque, your mosque, the call to prayer for Fajr is not made until the first row is filled. They come to the mosque to perform the late-night prayer. Where are those who perform the late-night prayer today? Few, except as Allah wills. Circumstances have changed. You find one of them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the birds: When he wakes up, he says: "O Allah, provide for me." His heart is attached to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so Allah provides for him. But now, most people are heedless of this matter. They rely on other than Allah. And whoever attaches himself to something is entrusted to it. Yes, and praise be to Allah, in recent times, there is no doubt that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has opened a door for the youth. I ask Allah the Exalted to increase them in His grace. He opened it for them, and they turned to Allah. We find a great difference between these last years of ours and the past years regarding the youth. About twenty years ago, you hardly found a young man in the mosque. But now, praise be to Allah, most of those in the mosque are young men. This is a blessing, praise be to Allah. One hopes for a bright future for it. And be assured that if the people are righteous, their rulers will be compelled to be righteous, no matter what. So we hope for our brothers in other lands, whom Allah has blessed with righteousness, that if they stand firm upon the truth, Allah will make their rulers righteous. And we say, be patient, for your rulers will be compelled to be righteous if the people are righteous. If the people are righteous, the rulers will be compelled to be righteous. We ask Allah to make the rulers and the people of the Muslims righteous. Indeed, He is Generous and Bountiful.