Description

The Qur’an frequently recounts the story of Bani Isra’il. When Musa (AS), by Allah’s command, rescued them from Pharaoh’s tyranny, Allah blessed them with a heavenly provision called *Manna* and *Salwa*. According to Tafsir, these birds would land near them, easily within reach, allowing the people to catch and eat them whenever they wished. However, having spent a significant portion of their lives in slavery under Pharaoh, their hearts continually yearned for the life they left behind. They soon grew dissatisfied with this divine blessing and began craving the lentils and onions they had consumed during their days of servitude. This ingratitude led Allah to revoke the *Manna* and *Salwa*, depriving them of this heavenly gift. Thus, Bani Isra’il became a nation marked by their lack of gratitude and excessive attachment to worldly desires. One of the key reasons behind their cursed state was their worldly attachment and ingratitude towards divine blessings. Throughout history, Prophets were sent to guide nations away from the worship of this world and toward servitude to Allah. *Zuhd*—detachment from worldly excesses—was a hallmark of the Prophets and the pious. However, in seeking to answer the question, “How much of this world should one take?” some individuals became ascetics, abandoning worldly responsibilities altogether. Islam does not endorse asceticism, but it emphasizes the importance of *Zuhd*. The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated how to live in this world while maintaining detachment, a practice embodied by his Companions (RA). Among the earliest collections of authentic hadith on *Zuhd* is *Kitab az-Zuhd* by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (رحمه الله). Its first part, *The World Through the Eyes of the Prophet*, was the first translation into Bengali. Continuing this legacy, the second part, *The World Through the Eyes of the Companions*, has now been published.