Asceticism in the world is not forbidding the lawful nor wasting wealth, but asceticism in the world is that you are not more trusting in what is in your hand than what is in people's hands.
(1) His statement: Purity of earning and shortening aspiration: If you say: What is the relevance of purity of earning to asceticism? I say: This is a refutation of those who claim that asceticism is merely abandoning the world, wearing coarse clothing, and eating rough food, meaning the reality of asceticism is not what you claimed, but its reality is to eat the lawful, wear the lawful, be content with sufficiency, and shorten aspiration. Similar is his statement: "Asceticism in the world is not forbidding the lawful nor wasting wealth, but asceticism in the world is that you are not more trusting in what is in your hand than what is in people's hands." And similar is that it was said to Imam Muhammad, the companion of Abu Hanifah: Why did you not author on Sufism? He said: I authored and composed it. It was said: What is it? He said: The Book of Sales, for whoever does not know its validity and invalidity eats the unlawful, and whoever eats the unlawful, his state will never be rectified. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 1
قوله
(۱) قوله: قال: طيب الكسب وقصر الأمل: فإن قلت: أي مدخل لطيب الكسب في الزهد ؟ قلت: هذا رد على من زعم أن الزهد في مجرد ترك الدنيا ولبس الخشن وأكل الجشب أي ليس حقيقة الزهد ما زعمته، بل حقيقته أن تأكل الحلال وتلبس الحلال وتقنع بالكفاف وتقصر الأمل، ونحوه قوله : «الزهادة في الدنيا ليست بتحريم الحلال ولا بإضاعة المال، ولكن الزهادة في الدنيا بأن لا تكون بما في يديك أوثق بما في أيدي الناس. ونظيره أنه قيل للإمام محمد صاحب أبي حنيفة : لم لم تُصَنِّف في التصوف ؟ فقال : صنفته وألفته، فقيل: ما هو ؟ فقال: كتاب البيع، فمن لم يعرف صحته وفساده يأكل حراما، ومن أكل حراما لا يصلح حاله أبدا. كذا في «المرقاة».
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Note 1
(1) His statement: Purity of earning and shortening aspiration: If you say: What is the relevance of purity of earning to asceticism? I say: This is a refutation of those who claim that asceticism is merely abandoning the world, wearing coarse clothing, and eating rough food, meaning the reality of asceticism is not what you claimed, but its reality is to eat the lawful, wear the lawful, be content with sufficiency, and shorten aspiration. Similar is his statement: "Asceticism in the world is not forbidding the lawful nor wasting wealth, but asceticism in the world is that you are not more trusting in what is in your hand than what is in people's hands." And similar is that it was said to Imam Muhammad, the companion of Abu Hanifah: Why did you not author on Sufism? He said: I authored and composed it. It was said: What is it? He said: The Book of Sales, for whoever does not know its validity and invalidity eats the unlawful, and whoever eats the unlawful, his state will never be rectified. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 1
(۱) قوله: قال: طيب الكسب وقصر الأمل: فإن قلت: أي مدخل لطيب الكسب في الزهد ؟ قلت: هذا رد على من زعم أن الزهد في مجرد ترك الدنيا ولبس الخشن وأكل الجشب أي ليس حقيقة الزهد ما زعمته، بل حقيقته أن تأكل الحلال وتلبس الحلال وتقنع بالكفاف وتقصر الأمل، ونحوه قوله : «الزهادة في الدنيا ليست بتحريم الحلال ولا بإضاعة المال، ولكن الزهادة في الدنيا بأن لا تكون بما في يديك أوثق بما في أيدي الناس. ونظيره أنه قيل للإمام محمد صاحب أبي حنيفة : لم لم تُصَنِّف في التصوف ؟ فقال : صنفته وألفته، فقيل: ما هو ؟ فقال: كتاب البيع، فمن لم يعرف صحته وفساده يأكل حراما، ومن أكل حراما لا يصلح حاله أبدا. كذا في «المرقاة».