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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Reviving Islamic Ethos 5-the Spirtual Goal and Wordly Aversions If we admit that Islam favours asceticism, then what is the goal recommended for it? Some people suppose that the function of a religion is something apart from other activities, such as commerce, agriculture and industry, and that it belongs to a different world.

They think the task of a religion is simply worship, and that of commerce, agriculture, industry and management are worldly, and for them asceticism is turning away from worldly matters to other-worldly tasks. This is, of course, wrong; for, the affairs which are called worldly are recommended by Islam, and asceticism in the Islamic sense does not reject them. There are two kinds of asceticism which explicit Islamic texts deny, but they exist in non-Islamic ways.

One of them is that the tasks of both worlds are separate from each other. Every activity that is related to the worldly life belongs to this world and has no connection with the other world, and those tasks which are not connected with this world, irrespective of having a useful or harmful effect on the worldly life, are called worship. Where worship means praying, fasting and self-denial, asceticism could mean abandoning worldly affairs so as to concentrate on other-worldly tasks.

The Arabic dictionary 'Al-Munjad' has defined 'asceticism' exactly in this way which corresponds with its Christian definition. It says: 'Leaving the affairs of the world to have time for worship'. It implies that the tasks of the two worlds are separate, without any connection between, or benefit for, one another. Thus, to be an ascetic meant retirement from society and choosing seclusion in a monastery, a convent or a cave, or to lead a monastic life.

Does Islam accept such a definition fur asceticism? No, obviously not. In my book: "Mas'aleh Hejab" ("The Question of Veil"), I have said that according to some people the philosophy of veil is related to self-denial and monasticism, but Islam has rejected this idea and is wholly opposed to isolation from society.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) himself said explicitly: "There is no monasticism in Islam." He said that the kind of asceticism his followers practised was as good as Jehad, or purposeful endeavour. Moreover, Islam recommends as devotion what other religions regard as secular or worldly.