Question: Assalamualaikum. Is Zuhd about looking poor and ragged and out of touch with life?

Answer: Wa’alaykum as Salaam Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh

May Allah bless us all. Ameen.

Zuhd is not as has been described in the question.

Rather looking at the seerah and the sunnah, and looking at the lives of the sahaabah, may Allah be pleased with them, we understand Zuhd to refer to the following:

*Making use of your life and wealth in a manner that takes you closer to Allah, and a manner that is beneficial to your hereafter.*

*Leaving all that which takes you further away from Allah Almighty, and building your Jannah, even if that thing or act is permissible from an Islamic perspective.*

That said; Zuhd would entail using this dunya to do that which gets you closer to Allah, even if it entails you possessing the latest vehicle or cloth or technology. In other words, you can be a billionaire, however keep your money in your hands and not your heart…

I pray this clarifies.

Finally, if you follow my dawah, you would be familiar with my vision of *ignited communities rich with ikhlaas, ihsaan and istiqaamah, that benefit humanity.

As a result, I take this opportunity to advise you not to raise your children fearing being rich. But raise them to value having Allah in their hearts and their dunya in their hands.

The ummah needs billionaires, who fear Allah to fund the causes of Islam for the sake of Allah. A billionaire of this nature would be a Zaahid.

I did deliver a summarised lecture on this topic in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016, and will try and source the recording for your benefit.

And Allah knows best.

Your brother,
Sajid Umar