It is reported that ‘Umar b. ‘Abd
Al-‘Azîz once wrote to Al-Hasan Al-Basrî to get a brief
exhortation from him, so Al-Hasan wrote back ,
“The dunyâ distracts and preoccupies the heart & body, but
al-zuhd (asceticism, not giving importance to worldly things) gives rest to the
heart and body. Verily, Allâh will ask us about the halâl things we
enjoyed, so what about the harâm!”
Al-Bayhaqî,
Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr, article 26.
