“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.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ 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  

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘If you see a man who has been given indifference with regard to this world and who speaks little, then draw close to him for he will indeed offer wisdom.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الرَّجُلَ قَدْ أُعْطِيَ زُهْدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَقِلَّةَ مَنْطِقٍ فَاقْتَرِبُوا مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُلَقَّى الْحِكْمَةَ  

“A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, show me a deed which, if I do it, Allah will love me and people will love me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Be indifferent towards this world, and Allah will love you. Be indifferent to what is in people’s hands, and they will love you.”  

أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إِذَا أَنَا عَمِلْتُهُ أَحَبَّنِيَ اللَّهُ وَأَحَبَّنِيَ النَّاسُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبَّكَ اللَّهُ وَازْهَدْ فِيمَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ يُحِبُّوكَ  

“We stopped with Abu Hashim bin ‘Utbah, who had been stabbed, and Mu’awiyah came to visit him. Abu Hashim wept and Mu’awiyah said to him: ‘Why are you weeping, O maternal uncle? Is there some pain bothering you, or is it because of this world, the best of which has already passed?’ He said: ‘It is not for any of these reasons. But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me some advice and I wish that I had followed it. He ﷺ said: “There may come a time when you will see wealth divided among the people, and all you will need of that is a servant and a mount to ride in the cause of Allah.” That time came, but I accumulated wealth.’”  

مُعَاوِيَةُ مَا يُبْكِيكَ أَىْ خَالِ أَوَجَعٌ يُشْئِزُكَ أَمْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ صَفْوُهَا قَالَ عَلَى كُلٍّ لاَ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ عَهْدًا وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ تَبِعْتُهُ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَّكَ تُدْرِكُ أَمْوَالاً تُقْسَمُ بَيْنَ أَقْوَامٍ وَإِنَّمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ خَادِمٌ وَمَرْكَبٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأَدْرَكْتُ فَجَمَعْتُ  

“Salman felt sick and Sa’d came to visit him, and when he saw him he wept. Sa’d said to him: ‘Why are you weeping, my brother? Are you not a Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? Are you not? Are you not?’ Salman said: ‘I am only weeping for one reason: I am not weeping because of longing for this world or for dislike of the Hereafter. But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me some advice and I think that I have transgressed.’ He said: ‘What was his advice to you?’ He said: ‘He advised me that something like the provision of a rider is sufficient for anyone of you, and I think that I have transgressed that. As for you, O Sa’d, fear Allah when you pass a verdict, and when you distribute (spoils of war), and when you decide to do anything.’”  

اشْتَكَى سَلْمَانُ فَعَادَهُ سَعْدٌ فَرَآهُ يَبْكِي فَقَالَ لَهُ سَعْدٌ مَا يُبْكِيكَ يَا أَخِي أَلَيْسَ قَدْ صَحِبْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَلَيْسَ أَلَيْسَ قَالَ سَلْمَانُ مَا أَبْكِي وَاحِدَةً مِنَ اثْنَتَيْنِ مَا أَبْكِي صَبًّا لِلدُّنْيَا وَلاَ كَرَاهِيَةً لِلآخِرَةِ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ عَهْدًا فَمَا أُرَانِي إِلاَّ قَدْ تَعَدَّيْتُ قَالَ وَمَا عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ يَكْفِي أَحَدَكُمْ مِثْلُ زَادِ الرَّاكِبِ وَلاَ أُرَانِي إِلاَّ قَدْ تَعَدَّيْتُ وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ يَا سَعْدُ فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ حُكْمِكَ إِذَا حَكَمْتَ وَعِنْدَ قَسْمِكَ إِذَا قَسَمْتَ وَعِنْدَ هَمِّكَ إِذَا هَمَمْتَ قَالَ ثَابِتٌ فَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ مَا تَرَكَ إِلاَّ بِضْعَةً وَعِشْرِينَ دِرْهَمًا مِنْ نَفَقَةٍ كَانَتْ عِنْدَهُ