Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Renunciation Of Worldly Pleasures

Renunciation Of Worldly Pleasures[^1] الزهد والزاهدين

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the better of the two comforts.

1ـ اَلزُّهْدُ أفْضَلُ الراحَتَينِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the attribute of the God-wary and the quality of the repentant.

2ـ اَلزُّهْدُ شِيمَةُ المُتَّقينْ، وسَجيَّةُ الأوَّابينَ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures means cutting short [one’s] aspirations and performing actions with sincerity.

3ـ اَلزُّهْدُ تَقْصيرُ الآمالِ، وإخْلاصُ الأعْمالِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is rarely found [among the people] and is the loftiest thing that is observed; it is praised by everyone but left [unpractised] by the majority of people.

4ـ اَلزُّهْدُ أقَلُّ ما يُوجَدُ، وأجَلُّ ما يُعْهَدُ، ويَمْدَحُهُ

الكُلُّ، ويَتْـرُكُهُ الجُلُّ.

  1. Renounce the pleasures of this world and [divine] mercy will descend upon you.

5ـ اِزْهَدْ فِي الدُّنيا، تَنْزِلْ عَلَيْكَ الرَّحْمَةُ.

  1. Turn away from your [vain desires in this] world and you will be happy with your place of return [in the Hereafter] and will reform your [final] abode.

6ـ اِعْزِفْ عَنْ دُنياكَ تَسْعَدْ بِمُنْقَلَبِكَ وتُصْلِحْ مَثْواكَ.

  1. Renounce [vain] pleasures in this world and Allah will show you its flaws, and do not be negligent, for you are not neglected.

7ـ اِزْهَدْ فِي الدُّنيا يُبَصِّرْكَ اللّهُ عُيُوبَها، ولا تَغْفُلْ

فَلَسْتَ بِمَغْفول عَنكَ.

  1. The best act of worship is renouncing worldly pleasures.

8ـ أفْضَلُ العِبادَةِ الزَّهادَةُ.

  1. The first step of asceticism is renouncing worldly pleasures.

9ـ أوَّلُ الزُّهدِالتَّزَهُّدُ.

  1. The best [form of] renunciation of worldly pleasures is concealing [one’s] asceticism.

10ـ أفْضَلُ الزُّهْدِ إخْفاءُ الزُّهدِ.

  1. The best garment (or better than wearing the garment) of this world is renouncing it.

11ـ أحْسَنُ مَلابِسِ(مِنْ مُلابَسَةِ) الدُّنيا رَفْضُها.

  1. The one who is most deserving of renouncing worldly pleasures is he who knows the flaws of this world.

12ـ أحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِالزَّهادَةِ مَنْ عَرَفَ نَقْصَ الدُّنيا.

  1. Verily the renunciation of ignorance is proportionate to the desire for [knowledge and] intelligence.

13ـ إنَّ الزُّهْدَ فِي الجَهْلِ بِقَدْرِ الرَّغبَةِ فِي العَقلِ.

  1. Verily the renunciation of a tyrant’s reign is to the extent of the desire for the reign of a just ruler.

14ـ إنَّ الزُّهدَ فِي وِلايَةِ الظّالِمِ بِقَدْرِ الرَّغْبَةِ في

وِلايَةِ العادِلِ.

  1. Verily, renunciation of worldly pleasures means shortening aspirations, being grateful for blessings and keeping away from that which is forbidden; and if this [practice] leaves you then let not the forbidden overcome your patience and do not forget to be thankful for your blessings, for Allah, the Glorified, has left no room for excuse through manifest and clear proofs and books that are open and unambiguous.

15ـ إنَّ الزَّهادَةَ قَصْرُ الأمَلِ، والشُّكْرُ علَى النِّعَمِ

والوَرَعُ عَنِ المَحارِمِ، فإنْ غَرَبَ ذلِكَ عَنْكُمْ فلا يَغْلِبِ الحَرامُ صَبْرَكُمْ، وَلا تَنْسَوا عِنْدَ النِّعَمِ شُكْرَكُمْ، فَقَدْ أعْذَرَ اللّهُ سُبْحانَهُ إلَيْكُم بِحُجَج مُسْفِرَة ظاهِرَة، وكُتُب بارِزَةِ العُذرِ واضِحَة.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is affluence.

16ـ الزُّهدُ ثَرْوَةٌ.

  1. The root of renunciation of worldly pleasures is the desire for that which is with Allah.

17ـ أصْلُ الزُّهْدِ حُسْنُ الرَّغْبَةِ فيما عِندَ اللّهِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the fruit of religion.

18ـ اَلزُّهْدُ ثَمَرَةُ الدِّينِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the fruit of certitude.

19ـ اَلزُّهْدُ ثَمَرَةُ اليَقينِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the root of religion.

20ـ اَلزُّهْدُ أصْلُ الدِّينِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the foundation of certitude.

21ـ اَلزُّهْدُ أساسُ اليَقينِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is a profitable trade.

22ـ اَلزُّهْدُ مَتْجَرٌ رابِـحٌ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is a quality of the sincere.

23ـ اَلزُّهْدُ سَجِيَّةُ المُخلِصينَ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the key to goodness.

24ـ الزُّهْدُ مِفْتاحُ صَلاح.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures means shortening aspirations.

25ـ اَلزُّهدُ قَصْرُ الأمَلِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures leads to asceticism.

26ـ اَلتَّزَهُّدُ يُؤَدّي إلَى الزُّهدِ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures means not seeking that which is absent until that which is present [and available] perishes.

27 ـ الزُّهْدُ أنْ لاتَطْلُبَ المَفْقُودَ حتّى يَعْدُمَ المَوْجُودُ.

  1. Renunciation of worldly pleasures is the greatest comfort.

28ـ اَلزُّهْدُ فِي الدُّنيا اَلرَّاحَةُ العُظْمى.

  1. If you desire the eternal, then renounce the pleasures of the evanescent world.

29ـ إنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي البَقاءِ راغِبينَ، فَازْهَدُوا في عالَمِ

الفَناءِ.

  1. If you renounce worldly pleasures, you will be free from the wretchedness of this world and prosperous in the everlasting abode.

30ـ إنْ كُنْتمْ زَهَدْتُمْ خَلَصْتُمْ مِنْ شَقاءِ الدُّنيا، وفُزْتُمْ

بِدارِ البَقاءِ.

  1. Through renunciation of worldly pleasures, wisdom is brought forth.

31ـ بِالزُّهدِ تُثْمِرُ الحِكْمَةُ.

  1. The fruit of renouncing worldly pleasures is repose.

32ـ ثَمَرَةُ الزُّهدِ الرّاحَةُ.

  1. Complete renunciation of worldly pleasures is from the best [act of] faith while desire for this world corrupts conviction.

33ـ حُسْنُ الزُّهْدِ مِنْ أفْضَلِ الإيمانِ، والرَّغْبَةُ فِي الدُّنيا

تُفْسِدُ الإيقانَ.

  1. The foundation of generosity is renunciation of worldly pleasures.

34ـ رَأسُ السَّخاءِ الزُّهْدُ فِي الدُّنيا.

  1. Your renunciation of this world will save you and your desire for it will cause you to fall into destruction.

35ـ زُهْدُكَ فِي الدُّنيا يُنْجيكَ، ورَغْبَتُكَ فيها تُرْديكَ.

  1. A person’s renunciation of that which perishes is proportionate to his certainty about that which is everlasting.

36ـ زُهْدُ المَرْءِ فيما يَفْنى على قَدْرِ يَقينِهِ بِما يَبْقى.

  1. Restraining the soul from the pleasures of this world is the praiseworthy asceticism.

37ـ ظَلَفُ النَّفْسِ عَنْ لَذَّاتِ الدُّنيا هُوَ الزُّهْدُ

المَحْمُودُ.

  1. Espouse the renunciation of worldly pleasures, for indeed it helps the religion.

38ـ عَلَيكَ بِالزُّهْدِ فَإنَّهُ عَوْنُ الدّينِ.

  1. How can one who does not know the value of the Hereafter renounce worldly pleasures?!

39ـ كَيْفَ يَزهَدُ فِي الدُّنيا مَنْ لا يَعْرِفُ قَدْرَ الآخِرَةِ؟!

  1. How can one who has not killed off his lustful desires reach the essence of asceticism?!

40ـ كَيفَ يَصِلُ إلى حَقيقَةِ الزُّهدِ مَنْ لَمْ يُمِتْ شَهْوَتَهُ؟!

  1. Let your renunciation be of that thing which perishes and disappears, for indeed neither will it remain for you nor will you remain for it.

41ـ لِيَكُنْ زُهْدُكَ فيما يَنْفَدُ ويَزُولُ، فَإنَّهُ لا يَبْقى لَكَ

وَلا تَبْقى لَهُ.

  1. He who renounces worldly pleasures will never become poor.

42ـ لَنْ يَفْتَقِرَ مَنْ زَهِدَ.

  1. Whoever renounces worldly pleasures, tribulations become easy for him [to bear].

43ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ هانَتْ عَلَيْهِ المِحَنُ.

  1. One who renounces pleasures in this world fortifies [and protects] his religion.

44ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنيا حَصَّنَ دينَهُ.

  1. Whoever renounces this world, it will not elude him.

45ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنيا لَمْ تَفُتْهُ.

  1. By renouncing worldly pleasures, the fruit of wisdom comes forth.

46ـ مََعَ الزُّهْدِ تُثْمِرُ الحِكْمَةُ.

  1. Never renounce anything until you know what it is.

47ـ لاتَزْهَدَنَّ في شَيء حَتّى تَعْرِفَهُ.

  1. There is no asceticism like refraining from that which is forbidden.

48ـ لا زُهْدَ كَالكَفِّ عَنِ الحَرامِ.

  1. There is no benefit in the asceticism of one who does not renounce avarice and adorn himself with piety.

49ـ لايَنْفَعُ زُهْدُ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَخَلَّ عَنِ الطَّمَعِ، ويَتَحَلَّ

بِالوَرَعِ.

  1. Verily the hearts of those who renounce worldly pleasures weep even when they laugh, and their sadness intensifies even when they are [apparently] happy, and their self-loathing increases even though they are [apparently] delighted with what they are given.

50ـ إنَّ الزّاهِدينَ فِي الدُّنيا لَتَبْكي قُلُوبُهُمْ وإنْ ضَحِكُوا،

ويَشْتَدُّ حُزْنُهمْ وإنْ فَرِحُوا، ويَكْثُرُ مَقْتُهُمْ أنْفُسَهُمْ وإنِ اغْتُبِطُوا بِما أُوتُوا.

  1. When the one who renounces worldly pleasures flees from the people, seek him out.

51ـ إذاهَرَبَ الزّاهِدُمِنَ النَّاسِ فَاطْلُبْهُ.

  1. When the one who renounces worldly pleasures seeks people, flee from him.

52ـ إذا طَلَبَ الزّاهِدُ النَّاسَ فَاهْرُبْ مِنْه.

  1. Be one who renounces that which the ignorant ones desire.

53ـ كُنْ زاهِداً فيما يَرْغَبُ فيهِ الجَهُولُ.

  1. Blessed be the ones who renounce pleasures in the world and desire the [bounties of the] Hereafter. These are the ones who have taken the earth as their carpet, its dust as their beds, its water as their perfume, the Qur’an as their inner garment and supplication as their outer garment, and have subscribed themselves to the ways of the Messiah, Isa son of Maryam (‘a).

54ـ طُوبى لِلزّاهِدينَ فِي الدُّنيا، الرّاغِبينَ فِي الآخِرَةِ،

أُولئكَ اتَّخَذُوا الأرْضَ بِساطاً، وتُرابَها فِراشاً، ومائَها طيباً، والقُرآنَ شِعاراً،وَ الدُّعاءَ دِثاراً، وقَرَضُوا الدُّنيا على مِنهاجِ المَسيحِ عيسَى بْنَ مَريَمَ ـ على نبِيِّنا وَآله وعلَيهِ السّلامُ.

  1. One who neither despairs over the past nor becomes overjoyed with the future has taken asceticism from both its sides.

55ـ مَنْ لَمْ يَأْسَ عَلَى الماضي وَلَمْ يَفْرَحْ بِالآتي فَقَدْ أخَذَ

الزُّهْدَ بِطَرَفَيْهِ.

  1. One who renounces [the pleasures of] this world makes light of the tribulations [he faces in it].

56ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنْيا اِسْتَهانَ بِالمَصائِبِ.

  1. One who renounces [the pleasures of] this world frees himself and pleases his Lord.

57ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنيا أعْتَقَ نَفْسَهُ وأرْضى رَبَّهُ.

  1. One who renounces [the pleasures of] this world will be delighted by the garden of the abode [of perpetual bliss in the Hereafter].

58ـ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنيا قَرَّتْ عَيْنُهُ بِجَنَّةِ المَأوى.

  1. One who does not renounces [the pleasures of] this world will not have a share in the Garden of the Abode.

59ـ مَنْ لَمْ يَزْهَدْ فِي الدُّنيا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ نَصيبٌ في جَنَّةِ

المَأوى.

  1. Repose is in renouncing worldly pleasures.

60ـ الرَّاحَةُ فيِ الزُّهدِ.

  1. Look at the world with the eyes of the abstinent, parting one and do not look at it with the eyes of the adoring, attached one.

61ـ أُنْظُر إلى الدُّنيا نَظَرَ الزّاهِدِ المُفارِقِ، ولا تَنْظُرْ

إلَيْها نَظَرَ العاشِقِ الوامِقِ.

  1. Renounce the pleasures of this world and turn away from it, and be careful that death does not descend upon you (while you are a runaway from your Lord in its pursuit thereby becoming wretched or) while your heart is attached to anything of it as a result of which you are destroyed.

62ـ اِزْهَدْ فِي الدُّنيا، واغْزِفْ عَنْها، وإيّاكَ أنْ يَنْزِلَ بِكَ

المَوْتُ (وأنْتَ ابِقٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ في طَلَبِها فَتَشْقى) وقَلْبُكَ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِشَيء مِنْها فَتَهْلِكَ.

[^1]: Zuhd is a term that means being uninterested in and indifferent towards worldly pleasures, material wealth etc. and it is considered to be one of the qualities of the pious people.