Author: Mehrullah Azizi
An Analysis of the History and Beliefs of Buddhism (part 36)
The Ruling of Monasticism in Islam (Continued)
Islam is a religion of moderation and balance that takes into consideration the rights of both the soul and the body. Human beings are composed of body and soul, and each of them has its own needs, desires, and inclinations.
The body possesses desires and passions, while the soul also has its own rights and requirements. Since the body is created from earth and has a material nature, its desires revolve around instincts and physical inclinations; therefore, its nourishment lies in eating, drinking, and fulfilling material needs. [1]
In contrast, due to its luminous nature, the soul inclines toward religiosity and worship. Thus, its nourishment is found in worship, obedience, and contemplation upon the greatness of the heavens and the earth.
Among the divine wisdoms is that Allah created man with such a nature, because this disposition is in harmony with the mission entrusted to him—namely, cultivating the earth and serving as Allah’s vicegerent on it.
Through his material and earthly dimension, man possesses the ability to strive on the earth, cultivate and improve it, discover the treasures and blessings that Allah has placed within it, and utilize its various forces—by Allah’s permission—for his own benefit and in fulfillment of his responsibilities. [2]
And through his spiritual and heavenly dimension, he possesses the capacity to ascend toward higher horizons, look toward a nobler world, and incline toward a better and everlasting life.
Therefore, as long as man is composed of both soul and body, and each has its rights, neglecting the rights of one undoubtedly harms the other.
Excessiveness is extremism, while negligence is deficiency and shortcoming; and every form of excess and negligence is a deviation from the straight path and is blameworthy. Therefore, balance must be maintained between the material and spiritual dimensions of human beings.
At this point, the question arises: Has mankind been able to establish this balance under non-divine religions and man-made laws? [3]
Al-‘Aqqad says, “In the view of the Noble Qur’an, the soul and the body are the two essential pillars of human existence, and human life depends upon both. Neither of them should be neglected in favor of the other. Therefore, it is not permissible for a believer to violate the rights of the body under the pretext of caring for the soul, nor is it permissible to destroy the rights of the soul in the name of caring for the body. Extremism in either direction is blameworthy, and neither is acceptable. Allah guides to the best path.” [4]
One of the greatest distinctions Islam has granted humanity is recognizing man’s right to enjoy life and its blessings, such as eating, drinking, marriage, and benefiting from wealth. These rights are regulated within a framework that serves human welfare and preserves religion, intellect, life, and soul. [5]
The French scholar Muhammad Asad, who embraced Islam, says, “Among all religions, Islam alone allows human beings to benefit from worldly blessings without deviating from their spiritual and moral path.” [6]
Allah the Almighty, in numerous verses, has instructed mankind to benefit properly from the lawful provisions and blessings of Allah (SWT) to eat and drink but not to be excessive. As He says: (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ) Translation: “O mankind! Eat from whatever is on earth that is lawful and pure, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; indeed, he is your clear enemy.” [7]
(هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ) Translation: “He is the One Who made the earth manageable for you, so walk through its pathways and eat from His provision, and to Him is the resurrection.” [8]
(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَيِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ وَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي أَنْتُمْ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ) Translation: “O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things that Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not love the transgressors. And eat from what Allah has provided for you, lawful and pure, and fear Allah in Whom you believe.” [9]
For this reason, the Noble Qur’an calls man to work and strive in life, travel upon the earth, benefit from pure blessings, and enjoy what Allah has created for His servants. At the same time, it calls him toward purity, cleanliness, and moderation and prohibits intoxicants, harmful substances, and everything that harms the body.
Alongside this, man is encouraged to prepare provisions for the Hereafter through faith in Allah, sincere worship, continuous connection with Him, and constant remembrance of Him, through which hearts find tranquility. [10]
Likewise, through performing various acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, Zakat, Hajj, Umrah, charity, supplication, repentance, reliance upon Allah, fear and hope, righteousness and striving in the path of Allah, and other outward and inward deeds.
Imam al-Qurtubi (RA) says, “Our scholars—may Allah have mercy upon them—regarding this verse and similar verses, as well as the hadiths carrying the same meaning, have stated that they constitute a refutation of extremists in asceticism and those who avoid marriage, because each of these groups has deviated from the correct path and distanced itself from the truth.”
Al-Tabari (RA) says, “It is not permissible for any Muslim to prohibit for himself any of the pure blessings that Allah has made lawful for His believing servants—such as food, clothing, and marriage—even if he thinks that benefiting from them may cause him hardship or difficulty. For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) prevented ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un (RA) from abandoning marriage.”
Thus, it becomes clear that there is no virtue in abandoning things that Allah has made lawful. Rather, virtue and goodness lie in performing the deeds that Allah has encouraged His servants to do and that the Prophet (PBUH) practiced himself, established as Sunnah for his Ummah, and that the rightly guided leaders followed as well. [11]
Likewise, al-Tabrasi pointed out that these verses contain evidence prohibiting monasticism and the abandonment of marriage.
To be continued…
Previous Part
References:
- Christian Monasticism and the position of Islam toward it, p. 115.
- Yusuf al-Qaradawi, The General Characteristics of Islam, p. 128.
- Christian Monasticism and the position of Islam toward it, p. 115.
- Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad, Man in the Qur’an, p. 27.
- Islam and the Contemporary World, p. 314.
- Muhammad Asad, Islam at the Crossroads, p. 28.
- Al-Baqarah (2:168).
- Al-Mulk (67:15).
- Al-Ma’idah (5:87–88).
- Christian Monasticism and the position of Islam toward it, p. 121.
- Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 6, p. 262.
- Tafsir al-Alusi, Vol. 7, p. 9.
