The Secrets of Asceticism,
[A5] Paperback - 152 pages,
by Imam al-Qurtubi,
Edited by Ahmad 'Ali al-'Adani.
by Amal Press.
Back in Stock July 2020
Description :
This guide introduces modern readers to the commentary of Islamic scholar Imam al-Qurtubi,
may Allah be pleased with him, and presents his rulings on how believers should
regard wealth. Topics include the importance of money as a test for
Muslims, the necessity that money be rightfully earned and properly
spent, the virtue to be found in labour, and the complexities of using
money for earthly power. Some examples of
zuhd, or 'doing without, ' by
the Prophet Muhammad,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions are used to clarify the law and
provide practical models.
Being the third part of
al-Qasru'l-Hirs, al-Qurtubi,
May Allah be pleased with him, deals with the issue of
zuhd or “doing-without.”
Zuhd is a central dimension of Islam, but Muslims in every age have faced the ingrained peril of distorting its meaning and its demands, and veer away from a sound understanding of it.
This book not only restores a balance in the understanding of
zuhd but offers practical advice of how to bring it into our lives. Special attention is given to the central issue of wealth, from the viewpoint of how to employ it legitimately, and of its being a test to Muslims.
In explaining this sacred state, Imam al-Qurtubi explores many themes, including:
---The linguistic meaning of
zuhd and the clarification of its essence;
---The means to attain control over the earthly plain and to exercise
zuhd in it;
---The virtue of
zuhd, and the fruits it produces;
---The states of those who exercise
zuhd in this world;
---Some examples of zuhd by the Prophet Muhammad,
upon whom be peace and blessings;
---Some examples of
zuhd by the Prophet’s companions;
---The virtue of those who acquire ownership of wealth rightfully, and who spend out of it rightfully;
---The explanation of the Prophetic hadith: “Every nation has its peculiar test, and the test of my community is “belief lies in wealth.”
This book will be of interest to readers who wish to understand the centrality of zuhd to the Islamic tradition as written by one of the greatest Qur’anic commentators belonging to the Islamic civilisation.
English
