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Who are the true Ubbaad and the true Zuhhaad?

Shaykh ibnu Uthaymeen said:

Firstly, we must know that the ubbaad (worshippers) and the zuhhaad (ascetics) were not like what a lot of people think: that they refrained from everything in this world and secluded themselves to a corner distant from people, not commanding the good and not forbidding the evil.
But the worshippers (Ubbaad) are those who established the worship of Allah according to the requirements (teachings) of the religion.
And the ascetics (Zuhhaad) are those who leave off that which does not benefit them in the hereafter and they do that which benefits them in the hereafter, even if it is regarding the affairs of the Dunya.
Because of this, when a group from the sahaabas gathered and some of them said: “as for me I will pray the whole night, and another said: as for me I will fast the whole year and I will not break my fast, and another said: as for me I will abstain from women and I will never marry. The Prophet (sallaaAllahu alayhi wa sallam) rebuked them and said: “you are the ones who said this and that, by Allah as for me, I have more fear and taqwa of Allah than you, but I fast and I open my fast, I pray and I sleep and I marry women, so whoever desires other than my sunnah, then he is not from me.” [Al Bukhari #4776]
Therefore the reality of Zuhd is when a person leaves off that which will not benefit him in the hereafter, not that he leaves off all of the affairs of the world.
As for worship, then it is when a person devotes himself in worship to Allah in accordance to the requirements of the legislation which the Messenger of Allah came with, these are the (true) worshippers. As for those who isolate themselves in certain places and they do know people and people do not know them and they do not attain anything which Allah has made lawfully good for them, then dispraise is closer to them than praise because Allah says:
{Say: “Who has forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for his slaves, and At-Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) things] of food?” Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection} [Al-‘Araaf #32]
So the conclusion is that the worshippers are those who establish Allah’s worship in accordance to what the apparent legislation necessitates and the ascetics are those who refrain from that which does not benefit them in the hereafter, not in all affairs of the worldly life.
And there are affairs of the world which may benefit a person in the hereafter, like wealth for example, it is possible for wealth to benefit a person in the hereafter. Good lawful wealth is a blessing in the hands of a righteous man. How many people benefited the Muslims with their wealth! When they comforted the poor and built roads and aided in striving in the path of Allah and printed beneficial books, thus a lot of good occurred through their wealth whilst they worked to acquire wealth.
Fataawaa Noor Alaa Ad-Darb # 14-16
Translators note: This article will make you understand the correct position and the falsehood that the extreme Sufis are upon when they seclude themselves from the rest of world, abstaining from all worldly affairs and the likes of these people are looked up to by their people and are usually turned into a figure to be worshipped and they make dua to them even after their death and build shrines over their graves and worship them. But these types of people were not even following true righteous as shaykh ibnu Uthaymeen clarifies.

ascetics, sufis, ubbaad, Worship, worshippers, zuhhaad

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