Asceticism entails renouncing something, so one cannot be called an ascetic except when he is capable of obtaining something but instead refrains from it out of asceticism. Thus, whoever renounces something that he is not capable of obtaining is not considered an ascetic. This is why many of the righteous predecessors considered that ‘Umar ibn Abdul-‘Azeez was more ascetic than ’Uways both. Also, Maalik said about himself, "People say Maalik is an ascetic, while the true ascetic is ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul‘Azeez.” This is because ‘Umar ibn Abdul-‘Azeez renounced worldly pleasures despite these being available to him.
The Prophet, , had the ability to enjoy worldly pleasures for he was the most honorable creature in the sight of Allah The Almighty and if he wished, Allah could have turned mountains into gold and silver for him. Despite this the Prophet, , was the most ascetic of all people and had the least desire for this worldly life, since the basic necessities were sufficient for him and he was satisfied with tough circumstances. He thus implemented the saying of his Lord (what means): {And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring}[Quran 20:131]
Imaam ibn Katheer narrated in his book of Tafseer on the authority of Khaythamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that it was said to the Prophet, : "If you wish, We will give you the keys to the treasures of the earth, more than we gave any preceding prophet or would give anyone after you, and your reward in the Hereafter will not be affected." However, the Messenger of Allah,said:"Save it all for me in the Hereafter."Thereupon, Allah The Almighty revealed the verse which says (what means): {Blessed is He who, if He willed, could have made for you [something] better than that - gardens beneath which rivers flow - and could make for you palaces} [Quran 25:10]. The Prophet, , was asked to choose whether to be a Prophet and a king or a slave and a Messenger - he chose the latter.
What is truly amazing is the life of the Prophet, , and his way of living. Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "While I was walking with the Prophet in the Harrah of Al-Madeenah, the mountain of ’Uhud came into sight. The Prophet said:"O Abu Tharr!"I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!"He said:"I would not like to have this mountain turned into gold for me, unless nothing of it, not even a single Dinaar of it, remained with me for more than three days [i.e. I would spend it all in Allah’s cause], except something that I would keep for repaying debts. I would distribute all of it amongst the slaves of Allah The Almighty here and there."The Prophet pointed with his hand to his right, left, and back [in order to illustrate]. He continued to walk and said:"Those with much wealth [in this worldly life] are those with little reward on the Day of Resurrection - except those who spend their wealth here and there [in Allah’s cause],”then he pointed to his right, left and back [in order to illustrate] and said:“but the people who would do so are few."”[Al-Bukhari]
He also used to supplicate Allah saying: "O Allah, make the sustenance of the household of Muhammad the bare subsistence."
The bedding of the Prophet, was made of leather stuffed with palm-tree fibers. One day ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, approached the Prophet,and saw him lying on sand and a mat of reeds. There was no bedding beneath him so the reeds left marks on his side. ‘Umar said, "I took a glance around his house and by Allah, I could not find anything of value so I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah to make your followers rich, for the Persians and Romans have been made prosperous and have been given [the pleasures of the world], though they do not worship Allah.’” Thereupon the Prophet, said:“Are you in any doubt, O son of Al-Khattaab? These are the people who have wasted the rewards for their good deeds in this worldly life.”
The Prophet, , would also say:"What have I to do with this world? In this worldly life I am but a rider who sat under a tree for its shade, then went away and left it."
As for his food, he sometimes used to spend three consecutive crescents, one after the other – a full two months - without lighting a fire in his house (to cook). Rather, his families’ means of sustenance were the two black items: dates and water. Moreover, he would spend a whole day with his belly rumbling out of hunger, without even finding enough dates of very poor quality to make him full. He also never ate enough bread made of wheat for three consecutive days to make him full before he died. The bread he ate mostly was barley bread and he never ate bread made out of fine flour. Additionally the Prophet, , never ate on a dining cloth until his death. Even his servant ’Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned that the Prophet, , never had lunch or dinner containing both bread and meat, except when he had a guest.
Similarly, the clothes of the Prophet, , were so simple that his Companions attested that he was an ascetic who wore very simple clothes, though he could have had the most expensive. One of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, described the clothes of the Prophet, , saying, "I visited the Prophet while he was sitting and wearing a thick cotton loincloth." Also, Abu Baradah, may Allah be pleased with him, went to ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, who showed him a sheet and a thick lower garment and said, "The Messenger of Allah was wearing these when he died.”
A person may be astounded when reading what the scholars of Seerah (biography) have mentioned regarding the houses of the Prophet, , and how poorly-furnished and empty, without valuables, they were. This is something that reflects the extent to which the Prophet, , renounced worldly pleasures.
Moreover, when the Prophet, , died he left neither a dinar nor a dirham nor a male slave or a female slave, nor anything else except his white riding mule, his weapons and his land, which he had given to charity. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "The Prophet died when my house was void of any edible thing, except for a small quantity of barley I had on a shelf from which I had been eating from for a long time." Also the Messenger of Allah, , died while his armor was pawned to a Jew for somebarley.
Finally, what we mentioned in this short article contains very little of the traditions of the foremost of all ascetics and the master of all worshippers, . These traditions will remain as truthful witnesses affirming that he was a true prophet and ascetic who preferred the reward of Allah The Almighty to any worldly pleasure. They will also remain as a call to this Ummah (Muslim Nation) and the believing generations to renounce this world and guard against its temptations, because had enjoying worldly pleasures been a sign of the love of Allah The Almighty for His slave, then the Prophet, , who was the most honored and the best of men in the sight of Allah The Almighty, would surely have enjoyed it.