On the authority of Abu al-Abbaas Sahl ibn Saad alSaa’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 concerning which, if I perform it, Allah will love me and the people will love me.” He said, “Be aloof from the world and Allah will love you. Be aloof from what the people possess and the people will love you.” Recorded by ibn Maajah and others with hasan chains.

General Comments About the Hadith: This hadith is a weak hadith. Therefore, it will not be discussed in detail. However, a few points concerning the correct understanding of zuhd (“Islamic asceticism”) are in order. First, zuhd does not imply abandoning this world and not working for one’s needs in this world. The early scholar Abu Idrees al-Khaulaani said, “Zuhd in this world does not mean forbidding what is permissible or wasting wealth. Zuhd with respect to this world is only where a person puts more trust in what is with Allah than what is in his own hand. If he is afflicted with a calamity [by losing something of this world], he is more hopeful for its reward and what is stored for him in the Hereafter than if it were to have remained with him.” Two important concepts are mentioned in this statement and both of them are dealing with the actions of the heart. This is because zuhd is an action of the heart and not an outward action. Sulaimaan al-Daaraani said, “Do not testify that anyone has zuhd for zuhd is in the heart [and cannot be witnessed by others].

The first aspect mentioned is where a person realizes that all provisions and sustenance come from Allah and not simply by his own acts. The second aspect is where, if a person loses anything of this world, this does not bother him because he is looking toward the Hereafter and not this world. Wahb ibn al-Warad said, “Zuhd in this world is where one does not
despair because of what he missed in this world nor does he rejoice because of what he is given of this world.” Sufyaan ibn Uyainah said, “Zuhd with respect to this world is where one, if he is blessed with something, gives thanks and, if he is tried, is patient.”

Al-Bugha and Mistu also point out that there developed in the Muslim world a non-Islamic form of zuhd that was borrowed from other cultures. This is where a person shows disdain for this world, forbids for himself what Allah
has made lawful, voluntarily chooses a life of poverty and refuses to work or follow the means to sustenance that Allah has laid down for this world. This non-Islamic zuhd is an innovation in Islam and goes against the teachings of the Quran and sunnah.

Summary of the Hadith:
• It was concluded that this hadith is weak. Therefore, there is no need to analyze it in detail.