Be indifferent to worldly life; Allah will love you, and be indifferent to what people have; people will love you

Arabic text

عَنْ أَبِي العَبَّاسِ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعِدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إِذَا عَمِلْتُهُ أَحَبَّنِي اللَّهُ وَأَحَبَّنِي النَّاسُ، فَقَالَ: «ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبُّكَ اللَّهُ، وَازْهَدْ فِيمَا عِنْدَ النَّاسِ يُحِبُّكَ النَّاسُ».

Translation

Abu al-‘Abbās Sahl ibn Sa‘d as-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: O Messenger of Allah, guide me to a deed which, if I do it, Allah will love me and people will love me. He said: "Be indifferent to worldly life; Allah will love you, and be indifferent to what people have; people will love you."

Explanation

A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to guide him to a deed that, if he does it, Allah will love him and people will love him. He (ﷺ) said to him: Allah will love you if you renounce what is surplus in this world and will not benefit you in the Hereafter, and if you abandon what may be harmful for your religion; and people will love you if you renounce their worldly possessions, for they naturally love them, and if anyone tries to take what they have, they will hate him, and whoever renounces it, they will love him.

Benefits

• The Hadīth highlights the merit of asceticism, which is to renounce what is not beneficial in the Hereafter.
• Asceticism is a rank higher than Wara‘ (piety/restraint), since Wara‘ is giving up what may be harmful for one's religion, while asceticism is to leave what is of no benefit in the Hereafter.
• As-Sindi said: Worldly life is loved by people. So, if anyone competes with them over it, he becomes as hateful to them as he does that, and if anyone leaves them and their loved thing, he becomes beloved in their hearts to that degree.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Heart-Softeners and Sermons
• Asceticism and Piety