In the Sufi perspective, asceticism (or zuhud in Islam) is commonly defined as turning away one’s soul from all worldly matters in order to focus on matters and interests of the afterlife (the akhirah). Worldly matters are carried out merely in order to maintain an adequate standard of living for oneself and one’s family.
Asceticism is also commonly defined as emptying one’s mind and soul of love for the world and all worldly beauties in order to seek true wisdom (makrifat) and achieve spiritual awareness. Asceticism, in its truest sense, means freeing oneself from all desires of popularity and political ambitions. People like this will earn the love of not only mankind but also the macrocosm.
However, there are people who adheres to an ascetic lifestyle only as a strategy to gain public sympathy. They camouflaged themselves in appearances as if they are completely separate from all worldly desires but their souls remain truly filled with burgeoning desires of popularity and political ambitions. They present themselves as completely disinterested in politics and behave like an ascetic person (called zahid in Islam). People would then shower them with sympathy.
Deceiving the public
Presenting oneself as a zahid while one is truly not, constitutes the highest order of public deception. They easily deceive the grass root and exploit religious concepts for personal political gains. Public deceivers like this can be found in all religions. In Islam, they are truly the hypocrites (munafiq), who the Quran says “will be on the lowest depths of The Fire [Hell]” (QS an-Nisa’:145).
New zahids often crop up ahead of the election season. We are often confused how certain people change everything about themselves the moment they come back home from their haj pilgrimages. They suddenly grow long beard, wear Muslim garbs and matching peci (traditional Muslim cap) all the time, bring prayer beads everywhere, visit Islamic clerics’ tombs, build mosques and mushollas (small mosques), establish friendships with leaders of Islamic schools and mass organizations and, once in a while, give sermons sprinkled with short Quranic verses and hadiths (written records of Prophet’s sayings and deeds).
They would be actively involved in Quran recitals and mass prayers. Their homes suddenly become a center for religious gatherings and Quran recitals, where religious activists, celebrities and journalists flocked. In just a short time, their popularity skyrockets. The public seems to have forgotten their dark pasts. Our public’s permissiveness has truly benefited many hypocrites. Truly, we should not hold negative prejudices upon those sincerely seeking repentance. Not a few of those who “return to the path of righteousness” (ta’ibin) have done so because of true guidance from Allah. These people are then consistent until the very end as a born-again person, having truly shifted from “the path of wickedness” to “the path of the angels”.
More than a handful of public figures, including celebrities, athletes, state officials, tycoons and professionals, have obtained Allah’s guidance and adhered to it in a very impressive way. On our eyes, it seems that they have been blessed with a “happy ending” (khusnul khatimah). Surely, we hope that everyone who chooses the path of righteousness will be consistent on this path until the end. We hope that they will no longer be tempted with the lures of the world’s riotous free-for-all
competitions. We hope that they will serve as enlighteners in their communities, spread positive energy and be humanitarian leaders who uphold values of togetherness and tolerance.
Throughout history, mankind has always been inseparable from the politicization of asceticism. This occurs even in the history of Islam, from the era of Prophet Muhammad PBUH to today.
Abdullah ibn Ubai ibn Abi Salul is a historical figure in Medina, infamous for his hypocrisy. He was actively involved in the Prophet’s gatherings and famously built the Dhirar Zu Awan mosque one hour away from Medina. The Prophet then ordered for the mosque to be dismantled after it was proven to be controversial among Muslims of the era. This is immortalized in the Quran (QS Al-Taubah:108).
Who would have thought that Abdullah ibn Ubai ibn Abi Salul was actually a pimp who forced numerous women to slavery and prostitution, including Musaikhah who was murdered after she refused to serve men after repenting. This is also immortalized in the Quran (QS Al-Nur:33). The politicization of asceticism also occurred during the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
Searching for leaders
A grand example of ascetic politics was given by Prophet Muhammad himself in the early years of Islam. Despite realizing the importance of politics in the society, Prophet Muhammad PBUH never talked about political successions. The Prophet was extremely careful when talking about the issue as he was deep concerns that his disciples would see him as having political ambitions of inheriting his rule of Islam to his own people, the Muhajireen.
The first caliph, Abu Bakar, was similar. He never talked about political successions until his death.
When he was given the mandate to serve as caliph and replace Prophet Muhammad in leading the Islamic world, Abu Bakar said in his inauguration speech: “I am fully aware that I am not the best person to replace Prophet Muhammad PBUH. However, as you all have agreed to give your mandate to me, I accept it, provided that all of you will unite and help me carry this great mandate.” The second caliph Umar ibn Khattab also famously said, “There should be only one Umar serving as caliph,” despite many proposing Umar’s son Abdullah ibn Umar to replace him as caliph. Umar ended up establishing a team of seven to appoint the next caliph after his death.
Many among the tabi’in, or the generation after the Companions (Sahabah), were tortured by kings after they refused to serve as the kingdoms’ qadhi, the second highest position after the king. Among them were Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Syafi’, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others.
Abu Bakar and Imam Syafi’ gave the ideal criterion of leaders, namely that the public must never seek leaders who are either too eager or too disinterested in leadership positions as both have huge risks.
Instead, find leaders who are muru’ah, or upholding the principles of solidarity and humanity. If the public cannot find such an ideal figure, find the one with the least wickedness. This is the foundation of the Sunni political principle formulated in the book Al-Ahkam al-Sulthaniyyah: “One hundred years of tyranny is better than one day of power vacuum”, as a vacuum of power will have worse adverse effects than a tyrannical leader.
True and false zahids can be tested through their sincerity in responding to the social problems around them. If they remain resolute to their ascetic beliefs in decisive moments, such as rejecting offers to become legislative candidates and political leaders as they are afraid this would disrupt their spiritual journeys, then perhaps they are truly politically ascetic.
On the contrary, if such important moments ended up swaying them, then they might have been politicizing asceticism. The public should not be easily deceived by the politicization of asceticism, done by politicians who exploit religions to gain public sympathy and support. (NASARUDDIN UMAR, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta)