Zuhd - it's Benefits and How to Achieve it

Zuhd (abstinence):

Zuhd entails minimizing one's dependency and attachment to this Dunya and it's pleasures as much as possible and increasingly focussing on aakhirah. It's about removing the love of dunya from one's heart even while we use the Dunya for our human needs.

How to achieve it:

- Reading the chapters of kitab al zuhd in the hadith books.

- Reading the Quran, the Seerah and lives of Sahaba and previous great scholars and awliya of the Ummah.

- Majalis of the pious scholars.

- Visiting the graveyards and the sick regularly.

- Contemplating on death and the events of Akhirah.

- Avoiding the company of the rich and Dunya lovers.

- Sitting with the poor and serving them.

- Increasing in giving Sadaqa and Nafl fasting.

- Avoiding Ghaflah (headlessness) and all that leads to it.

- Adopting a minimalist lifestyle.

Of course it's not easy. But Jannah is not cheap. 

Steps and levels of Zuhd:

First and most basic zuhd which is Fardh on all Muslims is leaving all Haraam.

Second leaving all Makruh things.

Third level is minimizing one's involvement in even Jaiz and Halaal acts and focusing more on Aamaal for Akhirah (within the guidance of Sunnah).

Some Benefits of Zuhd:

Abu Dharr narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "If anyone observes abstinence in this world (from worldly possessions and position that are in excess of his needs) then Allah grows in his heart wisdom, causes his tongue to speak it, makes him see the defects of this world (like grief, poverty, death, etc), its maladies and their remedy, and brings him out of it safely to dar-us-salaam (the abode of peace)." 

-(Bayhaqi in Shu' ab ul eeman # 10532, Mishkaat 5199)

May Allah give us all Tawfeeq.

Levels of trust in Allah and our livelihood: Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a)

“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah then He will suffice him.” (65:3)

The prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said, “If you all depend on Allah with true reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning and return with a full belly at dusk.” (Related by Tirmidhi, who graded it authentic).

Depending upon Allah in attaining one’s provision is itself a form of worship, and is from the completion and perfection of one’s Iman. People are of different levels in this issue. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) has discussed these levels and their consequences in his inimitable style...

Stage I :

Nothing blocks you from direct receiving of Allah's grace and favor except your reliance upon people and connections, on good turns and handouts. Thus creatures are your obstacle to gaining a proper livelihood, in keeping with the exemplary practice of the Prophet. As long as you continue to depend on fellow creatures, hoping for their gifts and favors, going from door to door with your requests, you are associating His creation with Allah. He will therefore punish you with deprivation of that proper livelihood, namely the lawful earnings of this world.

Stage-II

Then, when you have renounced the habit of depending on people and associating them with your Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He), and have resorted to earning your own livelihood, you get to rely on this earning power and become complacent about it, forgetting the gracious favor of your Lord. You are once again behaving like a polytheist [mushrik], only now the polytheism [shirk] is concealed, of a subtler nature than the previous kind. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will therefore punish you by depriving you of His favor and of direct access to Him.

Stage-III

When you turn from this in repentance, ceasing to allow the encroachment of polytheism, and forsaking reliance on your own earning power and abilities, you will see that Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is the Provider. It is He who supplies the means, the facilities and the energy one needs to make a living, and He is the One who enables all good results to be achieved. All sustenance is in His hand. At times He may supply it to you by way of other people, through your appealing to them while in distress or trying straits, or in response to your appeal to Him (Almighty and Glorious is He), sometimes by way of earned remuneration, and at still other times by His spontaneous favor, in such a way that you do not see the intervening cause and means.

Stage-IV

You have turned again to Him, casting yourself down before Him, and He has lifted the veil between you and His favor. He has made Himself accessible to you, and graciously ministers to all your needs in the measure appropriate to your condition, acting like a kind and tactful physician who is also a friend to the patient. As a precaution on His part, and to purge you of any attachment to anyone but Him, He satisfies you with His favor.

-Taken from the Sixteenth Discourse from Futuh al-Ghaib of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a)

An advice regarding this life from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

Bismillah irRehman irRahim

On the authority of Ibn 'Umar, radiyallahu 'anhuma, who said: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, took me by the shoulder and said:

"Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveler/wayfarer."
(related by Bukhari)

Ibn 'Umar used to say: "When evening comes, do not expect (to live till) morning, and when morning comes, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health (a preparation) for your illness, and from your life for your death."
-Taken from Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith
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ZUHD- Minimising the material possessions

ZUHD
Allah Ta'ala states:
"... So that you do not grieve over what you have lost nor become proud over what you have."
Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:
"The first virtue of this Ummat is Yaqeen (firm faith) and zuhd, and the first corruption of this Ummat is Bukhl (niggardliness) and amal (distant and remote hopes)." (Baihaqi) 
Nature of Zuhd
Zuhd is to refrain from an object of desire in the pursuit of a nobler objective, e.g. refraining from the desire of the world and pursuing the desire of the Aakhirat. This is Zuhd.
The basis of Zuhd is the Noor and ilm which Allah Ta'ala inspires into the heart of man. As a result, his breast expands and he realises with clarity that the world with all its belongings is more contemptible than the wing of a fly and that only Aakhirat is noble and everlasting. When this Noor is acquired, the -worthlessness of the world fully dawns upon man. The effect of Zuhd is the attainment of contentment upon the obtainal of the bare necessities of life. Thus the Zahid (the one who has Zuhd) is satisfied with the bare necessities in the same way as the traveller is satisfied with the necessities which he takes along on his sojourn.
 
Zuhd is not total abstention from pleasures. Reduction of pleasures is sufficient for the attribute of Zuhd. In other words. one should not be engrossed in pleasures. Constantly hankering after luxuries is negatory of Zuhd. On the contrary, obtainal of luxuries without undue effort and arrangement is the Ni'mat of Allah Ta'ala, for which shukr (gratefulness) has to be offered. Along with granting comfort to the nafs, effort too should be imposed on it.
In all truth, gold and silver and the world with all its possessions, in the sight of one whose gaze is focused on Allah, are of no value. Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam never preferred the world for himself nor for those close to him. Whatever creation possesses is the material of the world. It is essential to sever one's hope from all things. He who is successful in this objective, will attain tranquillity, because both heart and body find rest and peace in Zuhd.
The manner in which to acquire Zuhd is to meditate on the defects, harms and ephemeral nature of the world, as well as to reflect on the benefits and the everlasting nature of the Aakhirat.
-(taken from Shariah and Tariqat by Maulana Masihullah Khan RA)