37/1. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4100 — True Zuhd in Islam
Indifference towards this world
True Zuhd in Islam: Trusting Allah More Than What You Own
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4100
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4100
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ وَاقِدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ بْنِ حَلْبَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لَيْسَ الزَّهَادَةُ فِي الدُّنْيَا بِتَحْرِيمِ الْحَلاَلِ وَلاَ فِي إِضَاعَةِ الْمَالِ وَلَكِنِ الزَّهَادَةُ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَنْ لاَ تَكُونَ بِمَا فِي يَدَيْكَ أَوْثَقَ مِنْكَ بِمَا فِي يَدِ اللَّهِ وَأَنْ تَكُونَ فِي ثَوَابِ الْمُصِيبَةِ إِذَا أُصِبْتَ بِهَا أَرْغَبَ مِنْكَ فِيهَا لَوْ أَنَّهَا أُبْقِيَتْ لَكَ " . قَالَ هِشَامٌ كَانَ أَبُو إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ يَقُولُ مِثْلُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فِي الأَحَادِيثِ كَمِثْلِ الإِبْرِيزِ فِي الذَّهَبِ .
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indifference towards this world does not mean forbidding what is permitted, or squandering wealth, rather indifference towards this world means not thinking that what you have in your hand is more reliable than what is in Allah’s Hand, and it means feeling that the reward for a calamity that befalls you is greater than that which the calamity makes you miss out on.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4100In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 1English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4100
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4100
This Hadith explains true zuhd, or indifference toward this world, in a balanced way. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is narrated to have said that zuhd does not mean making lawful things forbidden, and it does not mean wasting wealth. Instead, zuhd means not trusting what is in your hand more than what is in Allah’s Hand. It also means that when a calamity reaches you, you desire the reward for patience more than the worldly thing you lost. The Hadith teaches that zuhd is not carelessness or self-made hardship. It is a heart matter: relying on Allah, using blessings properly, and seeing hardship with faith.
What we learn from this hadith
- Zuhd does not mean forbidding what Allah has made lawful.
- Zuhd does not mean wasting wealth.
- True zuhd means trusting what is with Allah more than what is in your hand.
- The Hadith teaches hope in reward when a calamity causes loss.
