Human ‘outputs’...

Human ‘outputs’, whether in the sphere of the actualization of one’s potentialities, whether on the level of emotion and morality, or from the point of view of individuals role in social cooperation and mutual help, or from the aspect of realizing spiritual edification and refinement, all in all, have a converse relationship to his intake of material benefits.

It is a human characteristic that the greater one’s enjoyment of material benefits and indulgence in such things as pleasures, luxuries, and affluence, the greater is one’s weakness, indignity, impotence, sterility, and impoverishment. Conversely, abstinence from indulgent and extravagant enjoyment of the nature-of course, within definite limits-refines and purifies human nature and invigorates and strengthens two of the highest of all human powers: thought and will.

It is true only of animals that greater benefit from the possibilities provided by nature contribute to their animal development and perfection. Even in animals, it is not applicable when we consider what is called the ‘merit’ desirable in a beast. For example, sheep and cattle which are reared for obtaining a greater amount of meat, milk, or fleece should be given greater attention and care and fed well. However, this is not true of a racehorse.

It is impossible for a common stable horse to show any good performance in a race. The horse which has to run and win races is given days or rather months of training with a controlled diet until its body becomes lean and nimble, shedding all its excessive fat so that it can acquire the desirable agility and speed or the ‘excellence’ of which it is capable. Zuhd is also an exercise and discipline for man. But it is the exercise of the soul.

Through zuhd the soul is disciplined; shedding all excessive appendages, and becoming, as a result, light, agile, and nimble, it takes an easy flight into the skies of spiritual merits. Incidentally, Imam Ali (a) also describes taqwa and zuhd as ‘exercise’ and practice. The word riyadah originally meant exercising horses intended for racing. Physical exercise is also called riyadah. Imam Ali (a) says: Indeed, as to myself, I shall exercise it and discipline it through taqwa.

(7) What about plant life? Like animals what which may be, loosely speaking, called the merit of a tree or shrub is its capacity to thrive with a minimum amount of nourishment from nature. Imam Ali (a), also, makes an allusion to this point in one of his letters to his governors.