Question Summary:
What would be the interpretation of this Hadith

Question Detail:

What would be the interpretation of this Hadith:

عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمَّا بَعَثَ بِهِ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَالَ إِيَّاكَ وَالتَّنَعُّمَ فَإِنَّ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ لَيْسُوا بِالْمُتَنَعِّمِينَ (Musnad Imam Ahmed)
 Hadhrat Muaaz bin Jabal (RA) narrates that when Nabi (SAW) sent him to he said: "Abstain from luxuries for verily the servants of Allah are not those who live luxurious lives"
 

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
The meaning of this Hadith is that usage of luxury, even though it may be permissible, tends to make the heart attached to it and take the thoughts away from the hereafter.  This Hadith is not discussing about weather it is lawful or unlawful to be in luxury, instead it is advising us about the effect of luxuries.  The servants of Allah are always more concerned about the hereafter and their hearts are free from the love of this world.  This does not mean that a rich person is not a servant of Allah. Generally those incessantly engrossed in luxury rarely have time for hereafter.
This does not go against what is mentioned in the narration of Al-Mustadrak and other works, that Rasullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) was gifted clothing which were purchased for thirty-three camels and he wore it once.  Even if he were to wear it often, the condition of others is not similar to that of the Prophets’. The Prophets stays in the parameters of permissibility.  The usage of luxurious items does not lead them to other disastrous thing such as pride, deception, involvement in Makrooh acts, etc.  Generally people do not have such control over themselves.
Junaid Al-Baghdadi, the famous saint says that I once visited the Siri (another famous saint) and he was crying.  I asked him about that matter and he replied, “Last night my daughter came and said ‘O father, I will hang this jug for you so that you may drink cold water.’  I then slept and saw the most beautifully created damsel descending from the sky.  I asked her, ‘For whom are you?’  She replied, ‘for that person who does not drink cold water.’  Then I broke that jug.”  These are the servants of Allah who consider the drinking of cold water also to be from luxury and refrain from it.  May Allah Ta’ala grant us the ability to adopt means to gain closeness to Him and refrain from those acts which will distance us from his remembrance, Ameen.
Faidh Al-Qadeer (3:153) Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiya
(إياك والتنعم فإن عباد الله ليسوا بالمتنعمين) لأن التنعم بالمباح وإن كان جائزا لكنه يوجب الأنس به ثم إن هذا محمول على المبالغة في التنعم والمداومة على قصده فلا ينافيه ما ورد في المستدرك وغيره أن المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم أهديت له حلة اشتريت بثلاثة وثلاثين بعيرا وناقة فلبسها مرة على أنه وإن داوم على ذلك فليس غيره مثله فإن المعصوم واقف على حدود المباح فلا يحمله ذلك على ما يخاف غائلته من نحو بطر وأشر ومداهنة وتجاوز إلى مكروه ونحو ذلك وأما غيره فعاجز عن ذلك فالتفريج على تنعمه بالمباح خطر عظيم لإبعاده عن الخوف قال العارف الجنيد : دخلت على العارف السري وهو يبكي فسألته فقال : جاءته البارحة الصبية فقالت : يا أبت هذا الكوز أعلقه لك يبرد فنمت فرأيت جارية من أحسن الخلق نزلت من السماء فقلت : لمن أنت قالت : لمن لا يشرب الماء المبرد فكسرت الكوز - فيض القدير (3:153)
 
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah