Skip to main content

Asceticism and Generosity

Questions and Answers
Imam al-Ghazali states that the essence of asceticism is generosity. What is the relationship between asceticism and generosity?
| The Fountain | Issue 161 (Sep - Oct 2024)
This article has been viewed 945 times
Asceticism and Generosity

In This Article

  • Asceticism can also be approached from Bediuzzaman’s perspective as “renouncing the world not in action but in the heart.”
  • Generosity should not be understood solely as providing food, drink, or financial assistance. The scope of generosity is much broader, encompassing all forms of giving, good wishes, and goodwill towards others.
Asceticism (zuhd), in essence, involves renouncing worldly pleasures and completely removing the desires for the material world from one’s heart. A person who practices asceticism is known as an ascetic (zahid). An ascetic defines their relationship with the world based on necessity and need. They only seek the strength and energy required to perform their worship, explore spiritual realms, and focus on their ultimate spiritual goals. Their main aim is to achieve the pleasure of God and eternal happiness in the afterlife. However, they also understand that maintaining a balanced approach to...

Come back next month to read the full article!

Subscribe

More Coverage

The Distance between Two Bows or Nearer

The Distance between Two Bows or Nearer

This metaphoric Qur’anic expression concerns God’s Messenger’s unparalleled nearness to God during his Ascension. From the viewpoint of Sufism, it denotes rising beyond the horizons of Divine Acts and Names and reaching the peak of Attributes or e...
The Tongue – Not a Thing to Underestimate!

The Tongue – Not a Thing to Underestimate!

Countless studies, books, and articles have explored the taste, swallowing, and speech capabilities of the human tongue, often regarded as merely a small piece of flesh. One significant distinction between humans and animals lies in our ability to...
The Enchanting World of the Houses of Worship

The Enchanting World of the Houses of Worship

Houses of worship play a pivotal role in showcasing a significant aspect of Islamic culture. When viewed as comprehensive complexes with their facilities, masjids or mosques embody a distinctive heritage of Muslim civilization. These sacred spaces...
Probable or Definite?

Probable or Definite?

Physics is one major scientific discipline that helps us understand the universe. While classical Physics is more about the world and things we can observe, we study the matter at the atomic and subatomic level with quantum physics. Quantum physic...