This book is written to document the lives of Muslims in the past who denied the favours of this temporary world and instead gave themselves up entirely to their Creator, Allah, may He be Exalted. These figures were also amongst the very knowledgeable scholars of Ahlus Sunnah, and published several books and treatises about the religion. Indeed, they were some of the greatest mortals to walk the earth ever since the Khilafah of Rashidun.
None of the figures mentioned and featured in this book will be of the Ash'ari and Maturidi aqaid. This book will only document the lives of ascetics who were firm followers of the Sunnah and not followers of the philosophical creeds which deviated from the Sunnah by using philosophical terms to interpret Allah's attributes.
It is recorded in the Sunan an-Nasa'i, as narrated from Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said; "Whomever Allah guides, no one can lead him astray. Whomever Allah sends astray, no one can guide him. The truest word is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The evilest matters in religion are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire."
YOU ARE READING
The Early Zuhaad
Non-FictionA collection of short biographies of early Muslim ascetics, such as Al-Hasan of Basra, Junayd of Baghdad, and Bishr ibn al-Harith al-Hafi. All of these ascetics are firm followers of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.