The True Zāhid

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, in order for people to love you, “وَازْهَدْ فِيمَا عِنْدَ اَلنَّاسِ يُحِبُّكَ اَلنَّاسُ”, “Iz’had fi-ma inda n-nas yuhibbuka n-nas,” “Have no desire for what people possess, and the people will love you.”

Having Zuhd (asceticism) means turning away from what is in the hands of others, not paying any attention to them, not valuing them, and not coveting them. If you do this, people will love you. Likewise, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will love you.

To be ascetic in this world doesn’t mean being penniless; it means having money but not valuing worldly things. That is the true Zāhid (ascetic). If a penniless person is already chasing after worldly things, then they cannot be considered a Zāhid.

A Zāhid, the person loved by Allāh ﷻ, is someone who does not value the world and does not covet what others possess. Then people will respect you, show you affection, and love you. Otherwise, if you covet what others have and constantly envy them, you cannot be a beloved person.

Nowadays in dunyā, people teach and make others do the exact opposite. They teach, “They have it, why don’t you? You must take it from them or envy them.” As a result, no one loves anyone. Everyone is wary of everything, of people, of each other; that’s the situation.

People love those whom Allāh ﷻ loves. What matters is love. What they call love and adoration; but this love they speak of has nothing to do with the love on the way of Allāh ﷻ. It is love of ego, love of dunyā, love of shayṭān, nothing else.

Therefore, what is important is to love what Allāh ﷻ loves, and to hate what Allāh ﷻ hates, to stay away from it. When that happens, a person truly becomes a human being. Otherwise, he loses his humanity, may Allāh ﷻ protect us.

The sayings and ḥadīths of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam are short, but they are sufficient for all of humanity. They are sufficient to bring peace and goodness to humanity. Even a single word of his is enough for all of humanity.

But people abandon that and follow their own desires, whatever their egos desire, whatever shayṭān desires. May Allāh ﷻ protect us all. May we be among those who follow the way of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, in shā’a Llāh.

May we be among those who are loved. Once you are among those loved by Allāh ﷻ, all people will love you. Even if they don’t follow your way, people will say, “No harm comes from this person, he doesn’t ask anything from us, he won’t take anything from us, he’s minding his own business,” and they will not harm you or hate you.

May we be among those whom Allāh ﷻ loves, in shā’a Llāh. May Allāh ﷻ help us, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

•⁠ ⁠Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

26 July 2026/ 12 Safar 1448

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul

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